Lamentations - Chapter 4 | King James Version (KJV)

  • 1. How is the gold become dim! {cf15I how} is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street.
  • 2. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
  • 3. Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people {cf15I is become} cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
  • 4. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, {cf15I and} no man breaketh {cf15I it} unto them.
  • 5. They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.
  • 6. For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.
  • 7. Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing {cf15I was} of sapphire:
  • 8. Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.
  • 9. {cf15I They that be} slain with the sword are better than {cf15I they that be} slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for {cf15I want of} the fruits of the field.
  • 10. The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
  • 11. The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
  • 12. The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.
  • 13. For the sins of her prophets, {cf15I and} the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
  • 14. They have wandered {cf15I as} blind {cf15I men} in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.
  • 15. They cried unto them, Depart ye; {cf15I it is} unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn {cf15I there}.
  • 16. The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.
  • 17. As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched for a nation {cf15I that} could not save {cf15I us}.
  • 18. They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
  • 19. Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
  • 20. The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.
  • 21. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.
  • 22. The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will discover thy sins.
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