4 How ^(A)dark the gold has become,
How the pure gold has changed!
The sacred stones are poured out
At the ^[a]corner of every street.
² The precious sons of Zion,
Weighed against fine gold,
How they are regarded as ^(B)earthen jars,
The work of a potter’s hands!
³ Even ^(C)jackals offer the breast,
They nurse their young;
But the daughter of my people has become ^(D)cruel
Like ^(E)ostriches in the wilderness.
⁴ The ^(F)tongue of the infant cleaves
To the roof of its mouth because of ^(G)thirst;
The little ones ^(H)ask for bread,
But no one breaks it for them.
⁵ Those who ate ^(I)delicacies
Are desolate in the streets;
Those ^[b]reared in purple
Embrace ash pits.
⁶ For the ^[c]iniquity of the daughter of my people
Is greater than the ^[d](J)sin of Sodom,
Which was ^(K)overthrown as in a moment,
And no hands were ^[e]turned toward her.
⁷ Her ^[f]consecrated ones were ^(L)purer than snow,
They were whiter than milk;
They were more ruddy in ^[g]body than corals,
Their polishing was like ^[h](M)lapis lazuli.
⁸ Their appearance is ^(N)blacker than soot,
They are not recognized in the streets;
Their ^(O)skin is shriveled on their bones,
It is withered, it has become like wood.
⁹ Better are those ^[i](P)slain with the sword
Than those ^[j]slain with hunger;
For they ^[k](Q)pine away, being stricken
For lack of the fruits of ^[l]the field.
¹⁰ The hands of compassionate women
^(R)Boiled their own children;
They became ^(S)food for them
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
¹¹ The Lord has ^(T)accomplished His wrath,
He has poured out His fierce anger;
And He has ^(U)kindled a fire in Zion
Which has consumed its foundations.
¹² The kings of the earth did not believe,
Nor did any of ^(V)the inhabitants of the world,
That the adversary and the enemy
Could ^(W)enter the gates of Jerusalem.
¹³ Because of the sins of her ^(X)prophets
And the iniquities of her priests,
Who have shed in her midst
The ^(Y)blood of the righteous;
¹⁴ They wandered, ^(Z)blind, in the streets;
They were defiled with ^(AA)blood
So that no one could touch their ^(AB)garments.
¹⁵ “Depart! ^(AC)Unclean!” ^[m]they cried of themselves.
“Depart, depart, do not touch!”
So they ^(AD)fled and wandered;
Men among the nations said,
“They shall not continue to dwell with us.”
¹⁶ The presence of the Lord has scattered them,
He will not continue to regard them;
They did not ^[n](AE)honor the priests,
They did not favor the elders.