1  ^qHow the gold has grown dim,

how the pure gold is changed!

The holy stones lie scattered

^rat the head of every street.

2  The precious sons of Zion,

worth their weight in ^sfine gold,

how they are regarded as ^tearthen pots,

the work of a potter’s hands!

3  Even jackals offer the breast;

they nurse their young;

but the daughter of my people has become cruel,

like the ostriches in the wilderness.

4  The tongue of the nursing infant ^usticks

to the roof of its mouth for thirst;

^vthe children beg for food,

but no one gives to them.

5  Those who once feasted on delicacies

perish in the streets;

^wthose who were brought up in purple

embrace ash heaps.

6  ^xFor the chastisement¹ of the daughter of my people has been greater

than the punishment² of Sodom,

^ywhich was overthrown in a moment,

and no hands were wrung for her.³

7  Her princes were purer than snow,

whiter than milk;

their bodies were more ruddy than coral,

the beauty of their form⁴ was like sapphire.⁵

8  ^zNow their face 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 the victims of the sword

than the victims of hunger,

who wasted away, pierced

by lack of the fruits of the field.

10  ^aThe hands of ^bcompassionate women

^chave boiled their own children;

^dthey became their food

during the destruction of the daughter of my people.

11  ^eThe Lord gave full vent to his wrath;

he poured out his hot anger,

and ^fhe kindled a fire in Zion

that consumed its foundations.

12  ^gThe kings of the earth did not believe,

nor any of the inhabitants of the world,

that foe or enemy could enter

the gates of Jerusalem.

13  This was for ^hthe sins of her prophets

and ^hthe iniquities of her priests,

who shed in the midst of her

the blood of the righteous.

14  ⁱThey wandered, blind, through the streets;

they were so defiled with blood

^jthat no one was able to touch

their garments.

15  “Away! ^kUnclean!” people cried at them.

“Away! Away! Do not touch!”

So they became fugitives and wanderers;

people said among the nations,

“They shall stay with us no longer.”

16  ^lThe Lord himself⁶ has scattered them;

he will regard them no more;

^mno honor was shown to the priests,

ⁿno favor to the elders.

17  ^oOur eyes failed, ever watching

^ovainly for help;

in our watching we watched

for ^pa nation which could not save.

18  ^qThey dogged our steps

so that we could not walk in our streets;

^rour end drew near; our days were numbered,

for our end had come.

19  Our pursuers were ^sswifter

than the eagles in the heavens;

they chased us on the mountains;

they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

20  ^tThe breath of our nostrils, ^uthe Lord’s anointed,

was captured ^vin their pits,

of whom we said, ^w“Under his shadow

we shall live among the nations.”

21  ^xRejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,

you who dwell in ^ythe land of Uz;

but to you also ^zthe cup shall pass;

you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.

22  ^aThe punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished;

he will keep you in exile no longer;⁷

but ^byour iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish;

he will uncover your sins.

^s“You are my Son,

today I have begotten you”;

^t“You are a priest forever,

after the order of Melchizedek.”

1  ^oIn you, O Lord, do I ^ptake refuge;

^qlet me never be put to shame;

in your ^rrighteousness deliver me!

2  Incline your ear to me;

rescue me speedily!

Be ^sa rock of ^trefuge for me,

a strong fortress to save me!

3  For you are my rock and my fortress;

and for your ^uname’s sake you lead me and guide me;

4  you ^vtake me out of ^wthe net they have hidden for me,

for you are my ^xrefuge.

5  ^yInto your hand I commit my spirit;

you have redeemed me, O Lord, ^zfaithful God.

6  I ^ahate¹ those who pay ^bregard to worthless ^cidols,

but I trust in the Lord.

7  I will rejoice and be glad in your steadfast love,

because you have seen my affliction;

you have ^dknown the distress of my soul,

8  and you have not ^edelivered me into the hand of the enemy;

you have set my feet in ^fa broad place.

9  Be gracious to me, O Lord, for I am ^gin distress;

^hmy eye is wasted from grief;

my soul and my body also.

10  For my life is spent with sorrow,

and my years with sighing;

my strength fails because of my iniquity,

and ⁱmy bones waste away.

11  Because of all my adversaries I have become ^ja reproach,

especially to my ^kneighbors,

and an object of dread to my acquaintances;

those who see me in the street ^lflee from me.

12  I have been ^mforgotten like one who is dead;

I have become like ⁿa broken vessel.

13  For I ^ohear the whispering of many—

terror on every side!—

^pas they scheme together against me,

as they plot to take my life.

14  But I ^qtrust in you, O Lord;

I say, “You are my God.”

15  My ^rtimes are in your hand;

^srescue me from the hand of my enemies and from my persecutors!

16  ^tMake your face shine on your servant;

save me in your steadfast love!

17  O Lord, ^ulet me not be put to shame,

for I call upon you;

let the wicked be put to shame;

let them go ^vsilently to Sheol.

18  Let the lying lips be mute,

which ^wspeak ^xinsolently against the righteous

in pride and contempt.

19  Oh, how abundant is your goodness,

which you have stored up for those who fear you

and worked for those who take refuge in you,

^yin the sight of the children of mankind!

20  In ^zthe cover of your presence you hide them

from the plots of men;

you ^astore them in your shelter

from the strife of tongues.

21  Blessed be the Lord,

for he has wondrously ^bshown his steadfast love to me

when I was in ^ca besieged city.

22  I had said in my ^dalarm,²

“I am ^ecut off from ^fyour sight.”

But you heard the voice of my pleas for mercy

when I cried to you for help.

23  Love the Lord, all you his ^gsaints!

The Lord preserves the faithful

but abundantly ^hrepays the one who acts in pride.

24  ⁱBe strong, and let your heart take courage,

all you who wait for the Lord!