GW 1 "Look how the gold has become tarnished! The fine gold has changed! The sacred stones are scattered at every street corner. NIV 1 How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street. GW 2 "Zion's precious children, who are worth their weight in fine gold, are now treated like clay pots, like those made by a potter's hands. NIV 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! GW 3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the women of my people are as cruel as wild ostriches. NIV 3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. GW 4 The tongues of nursing infants stick to the roofs of their mouths because of their thirst. Little children beg for bread, but no one will break off a piece for them. NIV 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. GW 5 Those who used to eat delicacies are now destitute in the streets. Those who used to wear expensive clothes now pick through piles of garbage. NIV 5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those nurtured in purple now lie on ash heaps. GW 6 The punishment for my people's wickedness has been more severe than the punishment for the sins of Sodom. Sodom was destroyed instantly, without one human hand touching it. NIV 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. GW 7 Zion's princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk. Their bodies were more pink than coral. Their hair was like sapphires. NIV 7 Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires. GW 8 Their faces are [now] blacker than soot. No one recognizes them on the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones. It has become as dry as bark. NIV 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. GW 9 Those who were killed with swords are better off than those who are dying from starvation. Those who were stabbed bled to death. The others are dying because there is nothing in the fields to eat. NIV 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. GW 10 The hands of loving mothers cooked their own children. The children were used for food by my people when they were being destroyed [by a blockade]. NIV 10 With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed. GW 11 The LORD's fury has accomplished his purpose. He unleashed his burning anger. He started a fire in Zion that even burned its foundations. NIV 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. GW 12 Neither the kings of the earth nor anyone living on earth could believe that enemies or invaders would ever get through the gates of Jerusalem. NIV 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. GW 13 [They got through] because of the sins of Jerusalem's prophets and the crimes of its priests, who spilled the blood of righteous people within it. NIV 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. GW 14 My people staggered blindly through the streets. They were so contaminated with bloodstains that no one would touch their clothes. NIV 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. GW 15 'Get away! You're unclean,' people yelled at them. 'Get away! Get away! Don't touch anyone.' When they fled and wandered around, the people of the nations said, 'They can't stay here any longer.' NIV 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." GW 16 The LORD himself has scattered them. He will no longer look favorably on them. They no longer respected the priests, nor did they honor their older leaders." NIV 16 The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor. GW 17 "We are still straining our eyes, trying in vain to find help. We waited and waited for a nation that didn't save us. NIV 17 Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us. GW 18 [The enemy] kept tracking us down, so we couldn't even go out into the streets. Our end was near. Our time was up. Our end had come. NIV 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. GW 19 Those who were hunting us were faster than eagles in the sky. They chased us in the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness. NIV 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. GW 20 The person the LORD anointed [as king], who is the breath of our life, was caught in their pits. We had thought that we would live in our king's shadow among the nations." NIV 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. GW 21 "Rejoice and be glad, people of Edom, inhabitants of the country of Uz. The cup [of the LORD's fury] will be passed to you next. You'll get drunk and take off all your clothes. NIV 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. GW 22 People of Zion, the punishment for your wickedness will end. The LORD will not let you remain in exile. People of Edom, he will punish you for your wickedness. He will expose your sins." NIV 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.
NIV 1 How the gold has lost its luster, the fine gold become dull! The sacred gems are scattered at the head of every street. NIV 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! NIV 3 Even jackals offer their breasts to nurse their young, but my people have become heartless like ostriches in the desert. NIV 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. NIV 5 Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets. Those nurtured in purple now lie on ash heaps. NIV 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. NIV 7 Their princes were brighter than snow and whiter than milk, their bodies more ruddy than rubies, their appearance like sapphires. NIV 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. NIV 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. NIV 10 With their own hands compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food when my people were destroyed. NIV 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. NIV 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. NIV 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. NIV 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. NIV 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." NIV 16 The LORD himself has scattered them; he no longer watches over them. The priests are shown no honor, the elders no favor. NIV 17 Moreover, our eyes failed, looking in vain for help; from our towers we watched for a nation that could not save us. NIV 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. NIV 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. NIV 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. NIV 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. NIV 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.