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The Attack on Jerusalem

See how the gold has ·lost its shine [lost its luster; L become dim/dark],
    how the pure gold has ·dulled [changed]!
The stones of the ·Temple [L Holy Place] are scattered
    at ·every street corner [L the top of every street].

The precious ·people [children; sons] of ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple]
    were ·more valuable than [worth their weight in] gold,
but now they are thought of as clay jars
    ·made by [L the work of] the hands of a potter.

Even ·wild dogs [jackals] ·give their milk [L prepare the breast]
    to ·feed [suckle; nurse] their young,
but [L the daughter of] my people are ·cruel [violent]
    like ostriches in the ·desert [wilderness; Job 39:14–16].

The ·babies [L nurslings] are so thirsty
    their tongues stick to ·the roofs of their mouths [L their palates].
Children ·beg [ask] for bread,
    but no one ·gives [offers] them any.

Those who once ate ·fine foods [delicacies; C the food of the rich; Prov. 23:3, 6]
    are ·now starving [L desolate] in the streets.
People who ·grew up [were nurtured] ·wearing nice clothes [L in purple/or crimson; C expensive clothes often associated with royalty]
    now ·pick through [cling to] ·trash piles [ash heaps; 1 Sam. 2:8; Job 2:8; Ps. 113:7].

·My people have been punished
    more than Sodom was [L The iniquity/or punishment of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin/or punishment of Sodom].
·Sodom [L …which] was ·destroyed [L overturned] suddenly,
    and no hands ·reached out to help her [or were wrung; Gen. 19; Deut. 29:23; Is. 1:9–10; Jer. 23:14; Ezek. 16:46–56; Matt. 10:15; Jude 7; Rev. 11:8].

·Our [or Her] princes were purer than snow,
    and whiter than milk.
Their bodies were redder than ·rubies [or coral];
    they looked like ·sapphires [lapis lazuli].

But now ·they [L their faces] are blacker than coal,
    and no one recognizes them in the streets.
Their skin ·hangs [or shrivels] on their bones;
    it is as dry as wood.

Those who were ·killed [L pierced] ·in the war [L by the sword] were better off
    than those ·killed [L pierced] by ·hunger [famine].
They ·starve in pain and die [drain/waste away],
    ·because there is no food from the field [L deprived of the produce of the field; Jer. 11:22; 14:12–18].

10 With their own hands ·kind [compassionate] women
    ·cook [boil] their own children.
They became food
    when ·my [L the daughter of my] people were ·destroyed [fractured; broken; Deut. 28:56–57].

11 The Lord turned loose all of his anger;
    he poured out his ·strong [L hot] anger.
He set fire to ·Jerusalem [L Zion; C the location of the Temple; Ps. 74:4–7],
    ·burning it down to the [L consuming its] foundations.

12 Kings of the earth and ·people [L the inhabitants] of the world
    could not believe
that enemies and foes
    could enter the gates of Jerusalem [C since God had made his presence known there; Ps. 48:1–2].

13 It happened because her prophets sinned
    and her priests did evil [Jer. 1:17–19; 2:7–8, 26; 4:9; 13:12–14].
They ·killed [L poured out blood] in ·the city [L its midst]
    ·those who did what was right [the righteous].

14 They wandered in the streets
    as if they were blind.
They were ·dirty [defiled; C in a ritual sense] with blood [C as if covered with menstrual blood; Lev. 15],
    so no one ·would [was able to] touch their clothes.

15 “·Go away [Turn aside]! ·You are unclean [L Unclean!; C in a ritual sense],” people shouted at them.
    “·Get away [Turn aside]! ·Get away [Turn aside]! Don’t touch us!”
So they ran away and wandered.
    Even the other nations said, “Don’t stay here.”

16 The Lord himself ·scattered [dispersed] them
    and did not ·look after [regard] them anymore.
No one respects the priests
    or ·honors [has favor for] the elders.

17 Also, our eyes ·grew tired [failed],
    looking for help ·that never came [in vain; without purpose; 2:11; Ps. 69:3; 119:82, 123].
We kept watch ·from our towers [or eagerly]
    for a nation ·to save us [L that could not save us/give us victory; C Judah had hoped that Egypt would rescue them from Babylon; Jer. 2:18, 36].

18 ·Our enemies [L They] ·hunted [dogged] ·us [L our steps],
    so we could not even walk in the ·streets [public areas].
Our end is near. Our ·time [L days] ·is [L fill] up.
    Our end has come.

19 Those who ·chased [pursued] us
    were faster than eagles in the ·sky [heavens].
They ·ran [chased] us into the mountains
    and ambushed us in the ·desert [wilderness].

20 The Lord’s ·appointed king [anointed; C Judah’s king], ·who was our very breath [L the breath of our life/nostrils],
    was caught in their traps [2 Kin. 25:5–7].
We had said about him, “We will ·be protected by him [L live in his shadow/shade]
    among the nations.”

21 Be happy and ·glad [rejoice], ·people [L daughter] of Edom,
    you who live in the land of Uz [C city in Edom; Job 1:1; Jer. 25:20].
The cup [C of God’s judgment] will ·come [pass] to you;
    then you will get drunk and go naked [Jer. 25:15–38; 49:12–13].

22 Your ·punishment [or iniquity] is complete, ·Jerusalem [L daughter of Zion; C the location of the Temple].
    He will not send you into ·captivity again [exile].
But the Lord will punish the ·sins [iniquity] of Edom;
    he will ·uncover [expose] your ·evil [sin].

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