1  How is the gold become dim! How is the most fine gold changed! The hallowed stones are poured out at the head of every street.

1  ALEPH. How will the gold be tarnished, and the fine silver changed! the sacred stones have been poured forth at the top of all the streets.

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!

2  BETH. The precious sons of Zion, who were equalled in value with gold, how are they counted as earthen vessels, the works of the hands of the potter!

3  Even the jackals draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones; the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.

3  GIMEL. Nay, serpents have drawn out the breasts, they give suck to their young, the daughters of my people are incurably cruel, as an ostrich in a desert.

3  The women uncover their breasts like jackals, they give suck to their young ones; the daughters of my people have become like wounds that cannot be healed and like 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, and none breaketh it unto them.

4  DALETH. The tongue of the sucking child cleaves to the roof of its mouth for thirst: the little children ask for bread, and there is none to break it to them.

5  They that did feed on dainties are desolate in the streets; they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

5  HE. Those who were fed indulgently have passed away in the roads. Those who were nourished with saffron have welcomed filth.

6  For the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands fell upon her.

6  VAU. And the iniquity of the daughter of my people has been increased beyond the iniquities of Sodoma, the city that was overthrown very suddenly, and none laboured against her with their hands.

7  Her princes were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was as of sapphire;

7  ZAIN. Her Nazarites were made purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were purified as with fire, their polishing was superior to sapphire stone.

7  Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk; their cheeks were more ruddy than rubies, and their form more beautiful than sapphires.

8  Their visage is blacker than coal; they are not known in the streets; their skin is shrivelled upon their bones; it is withered, it is become like a stick.

8  HETH. Their countenance is become blacker than smoke; they are not known in the streets: their skin has cleaved to their bones; they are withered, they are become as a stick.

9  They that are slain with the sword are better than they that are slain with hunger; for these pine away, stricken through, for want of the fruits of the field.

9  TETH. It was better for those slain by the sword, than for those put to death by famine. For these waste away, being consumed by the sterility of the land.

9  Those who were slain by the sword are better than those who are slain with hunger; for these pine away, like those who are wounded and thrown in the field.

10  The hands of women full of compassion have sodden their own children; they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

10  JOD. The hands of tender-hearted women have sodden their own children: they became meat for them in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

10  JOD. The hands of pitiable women have boiled their sons. They became their food in the grief of the daughter of my people.

11  YHWH hath accomplished His fury, He hath poured out His fierce anger; and He hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath devoured the foundations thereof.

11  CHAPH. The Lord has accomplished his wrath; he has poured out fierce anger, and has kindled a fire in Sion, and it has devoured her foundations.

12  The kings of the earth believed not, neither all the inhabitants of the world, that the adversary and the enemy would enter into the gates of Jerusalem.

12  LAMED. The kings of the earth, even all that dwell in the world, believed not that an enemy and oppressor would enter through the gates of Jerusalem.

13  It is because of the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her.

13  MEM. For the sins of her prophets, and iniquities of her priests, who shed righteous blood in the midst of her,

14  They wander as blind men in the streets, they are polluted with blood, so that men cannot touch their garments.

14  NUN. her watchmen staggered in the streets, they were defiled with blood in their weakness, they touched their raiment with it.

14  NUN. They have wandered in the streets like the blind; they have been defiled with blood. And when they were not able, they held their garments.

15  'Depart ye! unclean!' men cried unto them, 'Depart, depart, touch not'; yea, they fled away and wandered; men said among the nations: 'They shall no more sojourn here.'

15  SAMECH. Depart ye from the unclean ones: call ye them: depart, depart, touch them not: for they are on fire, yea, they stagger: say ye among the nations, They shall no more sojourn there.

15  SAMECH. “Go back, you polluted ones!” they cried out to them. “Go back, go away, do not touch!” Of course, they argued, and being removed, they said among the Gentiles, “He will no longer dwell among them.”

16  The anger of YHWH hath divided them; He will no more regard them; they respected not the persons of the priests, they were not gracious unto the elders.

16  Our eyes have become dull waiting for help; our watchmen have watched in vain for a nation that could not save.

17  As for us, our eyes do yet fail for our vain help; in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save.

17  PHE. While we yet lived our eyes failed, while we looked in vain for our help. TSADE. We looked to a nation that could not save.

17  The presence of the LORD has divided them; he will no more regard them; they did not respect the persons of priests, they did not have compassion on the elders.

18  They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our broad places; our end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

18  We have hunted for our little ones, that they should not walk in our streets. KOPH. Our time has drawn nigh, our days are fulfilled, our time is come.

18  SADE. Our footsteps have slipped on the paths of our own streets. Our end draws near. Our days have been completed, for our end has arrived.

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

19  COPH. Our persecutors have been swifter than the eagles of the sky. They have been pursuing us above the mountains; they have lain in wait for us in the desert.

20  The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of YHWH, was taken in their pits; of whom we said: 'Under his shadow we shall live among the nations.'

20  RECHS. The breath of our nostrils, our anointed Lord, was taken in their destructive snares, of whom we said, In his shadow we shall live among the Gentiles.

20  RES. The spirit of our mouth, Christ the Lord, has been captured by our sins; to him, we said, “In your shadow, we will live among the Gentiles.”

21  Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz: the cup shall pass over unto thee also; thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.

21  CHSEN. Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Idumea, that dwellest in the land: yet the cup of the Lord shall pass through to thee: thou shalt be drunken, and pour forth.

21  SIN. Be glad and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, who dwells in the Land of Uz. The cup will also pass to you; you will be inebriated as well as naked.

22  The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion, He will no more carry thee away into captivity; He will punish thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He will uncover thy sins.

22  THAU. O daughter of Sion, thine iniquity has come to an end; he shall no more carry thee captive: he has visited thine iniquities, O daughter of Edom; he has discovered thy sins.

22  Your iniquities have come to an end, O daughter of Zion; God will no more carry you away into captivity; but your iniquities will be punished, O daughter of Edom; your sins are well uncovered.