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. |
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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!
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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. |
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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. |
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5: They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets:
they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. |
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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. |
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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: |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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, |
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14: They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have
polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch their
garments. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |