Distress of the Siege Described
4
The
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.
6
For 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.
8
Their
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.
9
Better 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.
10
The
hands of
compassionate women Boiled their own
children ; They
became food for them Because of the
destruction of the
daughter of my
people.
11
The
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.
12
The
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.
13
Because of the
sins of her
prophets And the
iniquities of her
priests, Who have
shed in her
midst The
blood of the
righteous ;
14
They
wandered,
blind, in the
streets ; They were
defiled with
blood So that
no one
could 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."
16
The
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.
17
Yet our
eyes failed, Looking for
help was
useless ; In our
watching we have
watched For a
nation that could not
save.
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18
They
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.
19
Our
pursuers were
swifter Than the
eagles of the
sky ; They
chased us on the
mountains, They
waited in
ambush for us in the
wilderness.
20
The
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."
21
Rejoice 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.
22
The 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 !