Lamentations 4

The prophet speaks about Jerusalem's punishment

1 Look! The city's gold is no longer beautiful.

Even pure gold has become useless.

The jewels from the temple lie on the ground

in all the city's streets.

2  Zion's young men were more valuable to us than gold.

But now they seem to have no value.

They are like ordinary pots

that a potter has made.

3 Even jackals feed their babies at their breasts.

But Jerusalem's young women have become cruel.

They are like ostriches

that leave their eggs in the desert.

4 Babies' mouths are completely dry,

because they are so thirsty.

Young children ask people to give them food,

but nobody has any food to share with them.

5 People who were rich and who ate the best food

now die in the streets with nothing to eat.

Rich people who wore expensive clothes

now die among the rubbish.

6 God destroyed the city of Sodom in a moment

and nobody was there to help them.

Now he has punished my people

even more than he punished Sodom's people.

7 The leaders of Jerusalem were very pure,

whiter than snow or milk.

They were strong and healthy.

Their bodies seemed to shine like valuable jewels.

8 Now their faces are dirty, blacker than coal.

When they go out, people do not recognize them.

Their skin hangs on their bones.

Their skin is as dry as a stick.

9 It is better for people who died in a battle

than for people who have nothing to eat.

The fields provided no crops

so people died slowly without food.

10 Women who had been kind mothers

have now cooked their own children.

Their children became their food,

when enemies were attacking the city.

11 The Lord showed that he was very angry.

He started a fire in Zion.

The fire destroyed the whole city,

even its foundations.

12 None of the kings of the earth,

or the people of any nation could believe it.

They never thought that an enemy

could march through Jerusalem's gates.

13 But it happened because of the sins

of Jerusalem's prophets and her priests.

The city became an unclean place

because its leaders caused good people to die there.

14 They walked around in the city's streets

like people who are blind.

There was blood on their clothes

and people were afraid to touch them.

15 People shouted at them, ‘Go away! You are unclean!

Go away! Do not touch us!’

So they went away to look for homes in other places.

But foreign nations said, ‘They cannot stay here with us!’

16 The Lord himself has sent them away.

He does not take care of them any longer.

People do not respect the priests.

Nobody is kind to the leaders.

17 Our eyes became weak

as we watched to see if help would come.

We continued to hope for help from another nation.

But no nation was able to rescue us.

18 Our enemies watched us wherever we went.

We could not walk in our own streets.

We knew that our end would soon come.

Only a few days remained. The time had finally come!

19 Our enemies could chase us

more quickly than eagles that fly high in the sky.

They chased us across the mountains.

They hid to attack us in the desert.

20 The king that the Lord had chosen to rule over us

was the one who gave us life.

We had thought, ‘He will keep us safe from the armies of other nations.’

But now our enemies have caught him in their traps.

21 Edom's people who live in the land of Uz,

You may be happy now.

But the Lord will punish you too.

You will become drunk and be ashamed with no clothes to wear.

22 People of Zion, your punishment for your sin will soon finish.

God will not leave you to live in foreign countries any longer.

But you, Edom's people, God will punish you for your sin.

He will show everyone the wicked things that you have done.