² The precious sons of Zion,
^[b]Valuable as fine gold,
How they are ^[c]regarded ^(A)as clay pots,
The work of the hands of the potter!

³ Even the jackals present their breasts
To nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people is cruel,
^(B)Like ostriches in the wilderness.

⁴ The tongue of the infant clings
To the roof of its mouth for thirst;
^(C)The young children ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.

⁵ Those who ate delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those who were brought up in scarlet
^(D)Embrace ash heaps.

⁶ The punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the punishment of the ^(E)sin of Sodom,
Which was ^(F)overthrown in a moment,
With no hand to help her!

⁷ Her ^[d]Nazirites were ^[e]brighter than snow
And whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in body than rubies,
Like sapphire in their ^[f]appearance.

⁸ Now their appearance is blacker than soot;
They go unrecognized in the streets;
^(G)Their skin clings to their bones,
It has become as dry as wood.

⁹ Those slain by the sword are better off
Than those who die of hunger;
For these ^(H)pine away,
Stricken for lack of the fruits of the ^(I)field.

¹⁰ The hands of the ^(J)compassionate women
Have ^[g]cooked their ^(K)own children;
They became ^(L)food for them
In the destruction of the daughter of my people.

¹¹ The Lord has fulfilled His fury,
^(M)He has poured out His fierce anger.
^(N)He kindled a fire in Zion,
And it has devoured its foundations.

¹² The kings of the earth,
And all inhabitants of the world,
Would not have believed
That the adversary and the enemy
Could ^(O)enter the gates of Jerusalem—

^13 (P)Because of the sins of her prophets
And the iniquities of her priests,
^(Q)Who shed in her midst
The blood of the just.

¹⁴ They wandered blind in the streets;
^(R)They have defiled themselves with blood,
^(S)So that no one would touch their garments.

¹⁵ They cried out to them,
“Go away, ^(T)unclean!
Go away, go away,
Do not touch us!”
When they fled and wandered,
Those among the nations said,
“They shall no longer dwell here.”

¹⁶ The ^[h]face of the Lord scattered them;
He no longer regards them.
^(U)The people do not respect the priests
Nor show favor to the elders.

¹⁷ Still ^(V)our eyes failed us,
Watching vainly for our help;
In our watching we watched
For a nation that could not save us.

^18 (W)They ^[i]tracked our steps
So that we could not walk in our streets.
^(X)Our end was near;
Our days were over,
For our end had come.

¹⁹ Our pursuers were ^(Y)swifter
Than the eagles of the heavens.
They pursued us on the mountains
And lay in wait for us in the wilderness.

²⁰ The ^(Z)breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the Lord,
^(AA)Was caught in their pits,
Of whom we said, “Under his shadow
We shall live among the nations.”

²¹ Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of ^(AB)Edom,
You who dwell in the land of Uz!
^(AC)The cup shall also pass over to you
And you shall become drunk and make yourself naked.

^22 (AD)The punishment of your iniquity ^[j]is accomplished,
O daughter of Zion;
He will no longer send you into captivity.
^(AE)He will punish your iniquity,
O daughter of Edom;
He will uncover your sins!

⁴ We pay for the water we drink,
And our wood comes at a price.
^5 (AJ)They pursue at our ^[k]heels;
We labor and have no rest.
^6 (AK)We have given our hand ^(AL)to the Egyptians
And the ^(AM)Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

^7 (AN)Our fathers sinned and are no more,
But we bear their iniquities.
⁸ Servants rule over us;
There is none to deliver us from their hand.
⁹ We get our bread at the risk of our lives,
Because of the sword in the wilderness.

¹⁰ Our skin is hot as an oven,
Because of the fever of famine.
¹¹ They ^(AO)ravished the women in Zion,
The maidens in the cities of Judah.
¹² Princes were hung up by their hands,
And elders were not respected.
¹³ Young men ^(AP)ground at the millstones;
Boys staggered under loads of wood.
¹⁴ The elders have ceased gathering at the gate,
And the young men from their ^(AQ)music.

¹⁵ The joy of our heart has ceased;
Our dance has turned into ^(AR)mourning.
^16 (AS)The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
¹⁷ Because of this our heart is faint;
^(AT)Because of these things our eyes grow dim;
¹⁸ Because of Mount Zion which is ^(AU)desolate,
With foxes walking about on it.

¹⁹ You, O Lord, ^(AV)remain forever;
^(AW)Your throne from generation to generation.
^20 (AX)Why do You forget us forever,
And forsake us for so long a time?
^21 (AY)Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be ^[l]restored;
Renew our days as of old,
²² Unless You have utterly rejected us,
And are very angry with us!

^(L)“What is man that You are mindful of him,
Or the son of man that You take care of him?
⁷ You have made him ^[d]a little lower than the angels;
You have crowned him with glory and honor,
^[e]And set him over the works of Your hands.
^8 (M)You have put all things in subjection under his feet.”

^(W)“I will declare Your name to My brethren;
In the midst of the assembly I will sing praise to You.”

^(X)“I will put My trust in Him.”

^(Y)“Here am I and the children whom God has given Me.”

⁶ The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
^7 (F)He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
^8 (G)The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
^9 (H)He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
^10 (I)He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

¹¹ For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
¹² As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He ^(J)removed our transgressions from us.
^13 (K)As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
¹⁴ For He ^[a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, ^(L)his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
^16 (M)For the wind passes over it, and it is ^[b]gone,
And ^(N)its place remembers it no more.
¹⁷ But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
^18 (O)To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

¹⁹ The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And ^(P)His kingdom rules over all.

^20 (Q)Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who ^(R)do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
²¹ Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
^(S)You ^[c]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
²² Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

²³ Fervent lips with a wicked heart
Are like earthenware covered with silver dross.