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Even a mother wolf will nurse her cubs,
    but my people are like ostriches, cruel to their young.

They let their babies die of hunger and thirst;
    children are begging for food that no one will give them.

People who once ate the finest foods die starving in the streets;
    those raised in luxury are pawing through garbage for food.

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Even jackals offer their breasts
    to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
    like ostriches in the desert.(A)

Because of thirst(B) the infant’s tongue
    sticks to the roof of its mouth;(C)
the children beg for bread,
    but no one gives it to them.(D)

Those who once ate delicacies
    are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple(E)
    now lie on ash heaps.(F)

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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.

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.

They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.

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