| Complete Jewish Bible (CJB) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 ow the gold has lost its luster! How the fine gold has changed! How the stones of the sanctuary lie scattered at every streetcorner!
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1 How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street.
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2 The precious sons of Tziyon, as precious as fine gold -to think they are now worth no more than clay jars made by a potter!
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2 How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, are now considered as pots of clay, the work of a potter's hands!
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3 Even jackals bare their breasts in order to nurse their young, but the daughters of my people have become as cruel as ostriches in the desert.
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3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert.
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4 The tongue of the baby at the breast sticks to the roof of its mouth from thirst; young children are begging for bread, but no one is giving them any.
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4 Because of thirst the infant's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth; the children beg for bread, but no one gives it to them.
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5 People who once ate only the best lie dying in the streets; those who were raised wearing purple are clawing at piles of garbage.
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5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those nurtured in purple now lie on ash heaps.
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6 For the offense of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of S'dom, which was overthrown in an instant, without a hand to help her.
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6 The punishment of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment without a hand turned to help her.
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7 Her princes were purer than snow; they were whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than pink pearls, as beautiful as sapphires.
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7 Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires.
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8 Now their faces are blacker than coal; in the streets they go unrecognized. Their skin has shriveled over their bones and become as dry as a stick.
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8 But now they are blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
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9 Those slain by the sword are better off than those who are dying from hunger; since these waste away as if pierced through, for lack of food from the fields.
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9 Those killed by the sword are better off than those who die of famine; racked with hunger, they waste away for lack of food from the field.
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10 With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children; their children became their food when the daughter of my people was destroyed.
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10 With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed.
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11 ADONAI has finished with his fury, he has poured out his blazing wrath; he kindled a fire in Tziyon that consumed its very foundations.
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11 The LORD has given full vent to his wrath; he has poured out his fierce anger. He kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations.
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12 The kings of the earth could not believe, neither could anyone living in the world, that enemy or foe would ever enter the gates of Yerushalayim.
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12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the world's people, that enemies and foes could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
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13 It happened because of the sins of her prophets and the offenses of her cohanim, who, within her walls, shed the blood of the righteous.
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13 But it happened because of the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed within her the blood of the righteous.
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14 They wander in the streets like the blind; they are so polluted with blood that nobody is able even to touch their clothing.
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14 Now they grope through the streets like men who are blind. They are so defiled with blood that no one dares to touch their garments.
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15 "Keep away! Unclean!" people shout at them, "Keep away! Away! Don't touch us!"They flee, to wander here and there; but no nation allows them to stay.
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15 "Go away! You are unclean!" men cry to them. "Away! Away! Don't touch us!" When they flee and wander about, people among the nations say, "They can stay here no longer."
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16 ADONAI himself scattered them; he will no longer look after them; they had no respect for cohanim and showed no kindness to the leaders.
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16 The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor.
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17 As for us, our eyes are worn out from looking in vain for help; we kept on watching and watching for a nation that couldn't save us.
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17 Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us.
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18 They keep dogging our steps, so that we can't go out in our streets. Our end is near, our time is up; yes, our end has come.
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18 Men stalked us at every step, so we could not walk in our streets. Our end was near, our days were numbered, for our end had come.
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19 Those who pursued us were swifter than eagles in the sky. They chased us over the mountains and waylaid us in the desert.
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19 Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the desert.
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20 ADONAI's anointed, our life-breath, was caught in their pits; though of him we had said, "Under his protection, we can live among the nations."
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20 The LORD's anointed, our very life breath, was caught in their traps. We thought that under his shadow we would live among the nations.
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21 Rejoice, be glad, daughter of Edom, who lives in the land of 'Utz. To you too the cup will pass; you will get drunk and strip yourself naked!
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21 Rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But to you also the cup will be passed; you will be drunk and stripped naked.
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22 Your offenses, daughter of Tziyon, are atoned for; he will keep you in exile no longer. Your offenses, daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will expose your sins.
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22 O Daughter of Zion, your punishment will end; he will not prolong your exile. But, O Daughter of Edom, he will punish your sin and expose your wickedness.
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| Complete Jewish Bible Copyright 1998 by David H. Stern. Published by Jewish New Testament Publications, Inc. All rights reserved. Used by permission. (The Complete Jewish Bible Online) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
