Lamentations 4

א 1 how is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street ב 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! ג 3 even the sea monsters 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 ד 4 the tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them ה 5 they that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills ו 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 ז 7 her nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire ח 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 ט 9 they that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field י 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 כ 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 ל 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 מ 13 for the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her, נ 14 they have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their garments ס 15 they cried unto them, depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, they shall no more sojourn there פ 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 ע 17 as for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help in our watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us צ 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 ק 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 ר 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 ש 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 ת 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