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The Punishment of Zion

4How the gold has grown dim,
   how the pure gold is changed!
The sacred stones lie scattered
   at the head of every street.

² The precious children of Zion,
   worth their weight in fine gold—
how they are reckoned as earthen pots,
   the work of a potter’s hands!

³ Even the jackals offer the breast
   and nurse their young,
but my people has become cruel,
   like the ostriches in the wilderness.

⁴ The tongue of the infant sticks
   to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
the children beg for food,
   but no one gives them anything.

⁵ Those who feasted on delicacies
   perish in the streets;
those who were brought up in purple
   cling to ash heaps.

⁶ For the chastisement^* of my people has been greater
   than the punishment^* of Sodom,
which was overthrown in a moment,
   though no hand was laid on it.^*

⁷ Her princes were purer than snow,
   whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
   their hair^* like sapphire.^*

⁸ Now their visage is blacker than soot;
   they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shrivelled on their bones;
   it has become as dry as wood.

⁹ Happier were those pierced by the sword
   than those pierced by hunger,
whose life drains away, deprived
   of the produce of the field.

¹⁰ The hands of compassionate women
   have boiled their own children;
they became their food
   in the destruction of my people.

¹¹ The Lord gave full vent to his wrath;
   he poured out his hot anger,
and kindled a fire in Zion
   that consumed its foundations.

¹² The kings of the earth did not believe,
   nor did any of the inhabitants of the world,
that foe or enemy could enter
   the gates of Jerusalem.

¹³ It was for the sins of her prophets
   and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed the blood of the righteous
   in the midst of her.

¹⁴ Blindly they wandered through the streets,
   so defiled with blood
that no one was able
   to touch their garments.

¹⁵ ‘Away! Unclean!’ people shouted at them;
   ‘Away! Away! Do not touch!’
So they became fugitives and wanderers;
   it was said among the nations,
   ‘They shall stay here no longer.’

¹⁶ The Lord himself has scattered them,
   he will regard them no more;
no honour was shown to the priests,
   no favour to the elders.

¹⁷ Our eyes failed, ever watching
   vainly for help;
we were watching eagerly
   for a nation that could not save.

¹⁸ They dogged our steps
   so that we could not walk in our streets;
our end drew near; our days were numbered;
   for our end had come.

¹⁹ Our pursuers were swifter
   than the eagles in the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains,
   they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

²⁰ The Lord’s anointed, the breath of our life,
   was taken in their pits—
the one of whom we said, ‘Under his shadow
   we shall live among the nations.’

²¹ Rejoice and be glad, O daughter Edom,
   you that live in the land of Uz;
but to you also the cup shall pass;
   you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.

²² The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter Zion, is accomplished,
   he will keep you in exile no longer;
but your iniquity, O daughter Edom, he will punish,
   he will uncover your sins.