Parallel Bible results for "lamentations 4"

Lamentations 4

Common English Bible CEB

1 Oh, no! Gold is tarnished; even the purest gold is changed. Sacred jewels are scattered on every street corner.

2 Zion's precious children, once valued as pure gold— oh no!—now they are worth no more than clay pots made by a potter.

3 Even jackals offer the breast; they nurse their young. But the daughter of my people has become cruel, like desert ostriches.

4 The baby's tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth, thirsty. Children ask for bread, beg for it—but there is no bread.

5 Those who once ate gourmet food now tremble in the streets. Those who wore the finest purple clothes now cling to piles of garbage.

6 Greater was the punishment of the daughter of my people than Sodom's penalty, which was quickly overthrown without any hand-wringing.

7 Her nazirites were purer than snow; they were more dazzling than milk. Their limbs were redder than coral; their bodies were sapphire.

8 But their appearance grew darker than soot; they weren't recognized in the streets. Their skin shriveled on their bones; it became dry like wood.

9 Things were better for those stabbed by the sword than for those stabbed by famine— those who bled away, pierced, lacking food from the field.

10 The hands of loving women boiled their own children to become their food during the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11 The LORD let loose his fury; he poured out his fierce anger. He started a fire in Zion; it licked up its foundations.

12 The earth's rulers didn't believe it—neither did any who inhabit the world— that either enemy or adversary could enter Jerusalem's gates.

13 It was because of her prophets' sins, her priests' iniquities, those who shed righteous blood in the middle of the city.

14 People wandered blindly in the streets, polluted with blood. No one would even touch their clothing.

15 "Go away! Unclean!" was shouted at them, "Go away! Away! Don't touch!" So they fled and wandered around. The nations said, "They can't stay here anymore."

16 It was the LORD's presence that scattered them; he no longer notices them. They didn't honor the priests' presence; they didn't favor the elders.

17 Our eyes continually failed, looking for some help, but for nothing. From our watchtower we watched for a nation that doesn't save.

18 Our steps were tracked; we could no longer walk in our streets. Our end had drawn near; our days were done—our end had definitely come.

19 Our hunters were faster than airborne eagles. They chased us up the mountains; they ambushed us in the wilderness.

20 The LORD's chosen one, the very breath in our lungs, was caught in their traps— the one we used to talk about, saying, Under his protection we will live among the nations."

21 Rejoice and be happy, Daughter Edom, you who live in the land of Uz. But this cup will pass over to you too. You will get drunk on it. You will be stripped naked.

22 Your punishment is over, Daughter Zion; God won't expose you anymore. But he will attend to your punishment, Daughter Edom; he will expose your sins.

New Revised Standard NRS

1 How the gold has grown dim, how the pure gold is changed! The sacred stones lie scattered at the head of every street.

2 The precious children of Zion, worth their weight in fine gold— how they are reckoned as earthen pots, the work of a potter's hands!

3 Even the jackals offer the breast and nurse their young, but my people has become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

4 The tongue of the infant sticks to the roof of its mouth for thirst; the children beg for food, but no one gives them anything.

5 Those who feasted on delicacies perish in the streets; those who were brought up in purple cling to ash heaps.

6 For the chastisement of my people has been greater than the punishment of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, though no hand was laid on it.

7 Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than coral, their hair like sapphire.

8 Now their visage is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as wood.

9 Happier were those pierced by the sword than those pierced by hunger, whose life drains away, deprived of the produce of the field.

10 The hands of compassionate women have boiled their own children; they became their food in the destruction of my people.

11 The Lord gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his hot anger, and kindled a fire in Zion that consumed its foundations.

12 The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did any of the inhabitants of the world, that foe or enemy could enter the gates of Jerusalem.

13 It was for the sins of her prophets and the iniquities of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in the midst of her.

14 Blindly they wandered through the streets, so defiled with blood that no one was able to touch their garments.

15 "Away! Unclean!" people shouted at them; "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they became fugitives and wanderers; it was said among the nations, "They shall stay here no longer."

16 The Lord himself has scattered them, he will regard them no more; no honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders.

17 Our eyes failed, ever watching vainly for help; we were watching eagerly for a nation that could not save.

18 They dogged our steps so that we could not walk in our streets; our end drew near; our days were numbered; for our end had come.

19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles in the heavens; they chased us on the mountains, they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

20 The Lord's anointed, the breath of our life, was taken in their pits— the one of whom we said, "Under his shadow we shall live among the nations."

21 Rejoice and be glad, O daughter Edom, you that live in the land of Uz; but to you also the cup shall pass; you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.

22 The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter Zion, is accomplished, he will keep you in exile no longer; but your iniquity, O daughter Edom, he will punish, he will uncover your sins.