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.

1  ^cRemember, O Lord, what has befallen us;

look, and see ^dour disgrace!

2  ^eOur inheritance has been turned over to strangers,

our homes to foreigners.

3  We have become orphans, fatherless;

our mothers are like widows.

4  We must pay for the water we drink;

the wood we get must be bought.

5  ^fOur pursuers are at our necks;

we are weary; we are given no rest.

6  We have given the hand to ^gEgypt, and to ^gAssyria,

to get bread enough.

7  Our fathers sinned, and are no more;

^hand we bear their iniquities.

8  ⁱSlaves rule over us;

there is none to deliver us from their hand.

9  ^jWe get our bread at the peril of our lives,

because of the sword in the wilderness.

10  ^kOur skin is hot as an oven

with ^lthe burning heat of famine.

11  Women are raped in Zion,

young women in the towns of Judah.

12  ^mPrinces are hung up by their hands;

ⁿno respect is shown to the elders.

13  Young men are compelled to ^ogrind at the mill,

and boys stagger ^punder loads of wood.

14  ⁿThe old men have left the city gate,

the young men ^qtheir music.

15  ^qThe joy of our hearts has ceased;

^rour dancing has been turned to mourning.

16  ^sThe crown has fallen from our head;

woe to us, for we have sinned!

17  For this ^tour heart has become sick,

for these things ^uour eyes have grown dim,

18  for Mount Zion which lies desolate;

^vjackals prowl over it.

19  ^wBut you, O Lord, reign forever;

your throne endures to all generations.

20  ^xWhy do you forget us forever,

why do you forsake us for so many days?

21  ^yRestore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!

Renew our days as of old—

22  ^zunless you have utterly rejected us,

and you remain exceedingly angry with us.

1  Lord, you were ^ofavorable to your land;

you ^prestored the fortunes of Jacob.

2  You ^qforgave the iniquity of your people;

you ^qcovered all their sin. Selah

3  You withdrew all your wrath;

you ^rturned from your hot anger.

4  ^sRestore us again, O God of our salvation,

and put away your indignation toward us!

5  ^tWill you be angry with us forever?

Will you prolong your anger to all generations?

6  Will you not ^urevive us again,

that your people may ^vrejoice in you?

7  Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,

and grant us your salvation.

8  ^wLet me hear what God the Lord will speak,

for he will ^xspeak peace to his people, to his ^ysaints;

but let them not ^zturn back to ^afolly.

9  Surely his ^bsalvation is near to those who fear him,

that ^cglory may dwell in our land.

10  ^dSteadfast love and faithfulness meet;

^erighteousness and peace kiss each other.

11  Faithfulness springs up from the ground,

and righteousness looks down from the sky.

12  Yes, ^fthe Lord will give what is good,

and our land ^gwill yield its increase.

13  ^hRighteousness will go before him

and make his footsteps a way.