| New American Standard Bible 1995 | Holman Christian Standard Bible |
| 1How dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the corner of every street. | 1How the gold has become tarnished, the fine gold become dull! The stones of the temple lie scattered at the corner of every street. |
| 2The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as earthen jars, The work of a potter's hands! | 2Zion's precious people-- once worth their weight in pure gold-- how they are regarded as clay jars, the work of a potter's hands! |
| 3Even jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has become cruel Like ostriches in the wilderness. | 3Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my dear people have become cruel like ostriches in the wilderness. |
| 4The tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of thirst; The little ones ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them. | 4The nursing infant's tongue clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any. |
| 5Those who ate delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those reared in purple Embrace ash pits. | 5Those who used to eat delicacies are destitute in the streets; those who were reared in purple garments huddle in garbage heaps. |
| 6For the iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the sin of Sodom, Which was overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were turned toward her. | 6The punishment of my dear people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand laid on it. |
| 7Her consecrated ones were purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in body than corals, Their polishing was like lapis lazuli. | 7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their appearance like sapphire. |
| 8Their appearance is blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood. | 8Now they appear darker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become dry like wood. |
| 9Better are those slain with the sword Than those slain with hunger; For they pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of the field. | 9Those slain by the sword are better off than those slain by hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce. |
| 10The hands of compassionate women Boiled their own children; They became food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. | 10The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children; they became their food during the destruction of my dear people. |
| 11The LORD has accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations. | 11The LORD has exhausted His wrath, poured out His burning anger; He has ignited a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations. |
| 12The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could enter the gates of Jerusalem. | 12The kings of the earth and all the world's inhabitants did not believe that an enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem's gates. |
| 13Because of the sins of her prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The blood of the righteous; | 13Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous within her. |
| 14They wandered, blind, in the streets; They were defiled with blood So that no one could touch their garments. | 14Blind, they stumbled in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments." |
| 15"Depart! Unclean!" they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell with us." | 15Stay away! Unclean!" people shouted at them." Away, away! Don't touch us!" So they wandered aimlessly. It was said among the nations," They can stay here no longer." |
| 16The presence of the LORD has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not honor the priests, They did not favor the elders. | 16The LORD Himself has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are not respected; the elders find no favor. |
| 17Yet our eyes failed, Looking for help was useless; In our watching we have watched For a nation that could not save. | 17All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for assistance; we watched from our towers for a nation that refused to help. |
| 18They hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our end drew near, Our days were finished For our end had come. | 18Our steps were closely followed so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near; our time ran out. Our end had come! |
| 19Our pursuers were swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness. | 19Those who chased us were swifter than eagles in the sky; they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness. |
| 20The breath of our nostrils, the LORD'S anointed, Was captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, "Under his shadow We shall live among the nations." | 20The LORD's anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their traps. We had said about him," We will live under his protection among the nations." |
| 21Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But the cup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked. | 21So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom, you resident of the land of Uz! Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself. |
| 22The punishment of your iniquity has been completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. But He will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins! | 22Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not lengthen your exile. But He will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom, and will expose your sins. |
| New American Standard Bible Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation, La Habra, Calif. All rights reserved. For Permission to Quote Information visit //www.lockman.org | Holman Christian Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1999, 2000, 2002, 2003, 2009 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. |
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