| 1 | How is the gold become dim, Changed the best -- the pure gold? Poured out are stones of the sanctuary At the head of all out-places. |
| 2 | The precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How have they been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a potter. |
| 3 | Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people is become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness. |
| 4 | Cleaved hath the tongue of a suckling unto his palate with thirst, Infants asked bread, a dealer out they have none. |
| 5 | Those eating of dainties have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills. |
| 6 | And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, Than the sin of Sodom, That was overturned as [in] a moment, And no hands were stayed on her. |
| 7 | Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form. |
| 8 | Darker than blackness hath been their visage, They have not been known in out-places, Cleaved hath their skin unto their bone, It hath withered -- it hath been as wood. |
| 9 | Better have been the pierced of a sword Than the pierced of famine, For these flow away, pierced through, Without the increase of the field. |
| 10 | The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, They have been for food to them, In the destruction of the daughter of my people. |
| 11 | Completed hath Jehovah His fury, He hath poured out the fierceness of His anger, And he kindleth a fire in Zion, And it devoureth her foundations. |
| 12 | Believe not did the kings of earth, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That come would an adversary and enemy Into the gates of Jerusalem. |
| 13 | Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous, |
| 14 | They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been polluted with blood, Without [any] being able to touch their clothing, |
| 15 | `Turn aside -- unclean,` they called to them, `Turn aside, turn aside, touch not,` For they fled -- yea, they have wandered, They have said among nations: `They do not add to sojourn.` |
| 16 | The face of Jehovah hath divided them, He doth not add to behold them, The face of priests they have not lifted up, Elders they have not favoured. |
| 17 | While we exist -- consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watch-tower we have watched for a nation [that] saveth not. |
| 18 | They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near hath been our end, fulfilled our days, For come hath our end. |
| 19 | Swifter have been our pursuers, Than the eagles of the heavens, On the mountains they have burned [after] us, In the wilderness they have laid wait for us. |
| 20 | The breath of our nostrils -- the anointed of Jehovah, Hath been captured in their pits, of whom we said: `In his shadow we do live among nations.` |
| 21 | Joy and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, Dwelling in the land of Uz, Even unto thee pass over doth a cup, Thou art drunk, and makest thyself naked. |
| 22 | Completed [is] thy iniquity, daughter of Zion, He doth not add to remove thee, He hath inspected thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He hath removed [thee] because of thy sins! |
