a 4:1 Alas!¹

The gold has lost its luster;²
the solid gold objects³ have lost their⁴ shine!⁵
The sacred gems⁶ are scattered
at every street corner.⁷

b 4:2 The precious sons of Zion

were once worth their weight in gold.
Alas! Now they are no more valued than⁸ broken clay potsherds
made by a potter.⁹

g 4:3 Even the jackels¹⁰ nurse their young

at their breast;¹¹
but my people¹² have become cruel
like ostriches¹³ in the desert.

d 4:4 The infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth

due to thirst;
Little children beg for food,¹⁴
but no one has even any bread to give to them.¹⁵

h 4:5 Those who once feasted on delicacies

are now starving to death¹⁶ in the streets.
Those who were raised wearing expensive clothes¹⁷
are now dying¹⁸ on the ash heaps.

w 4:6 The punishment¹⁹ of my people²⁰

is greater than the punishment²¹ of Sodom,
which was overthown in a moment
and no one lifted a hand²² to help her.

z 4:7 Her princes were brighter than snow,

whiter than milk;
their bodies more ruddy than rubies;
their appearance²³ was like sapphires.

j 4:8 Now their appearance²⁴ is darker than soot;

no one even recognizes who they are²⁵ in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become dry like wood.

f 4:9 Those who were killed by the sword²⁶ are better off

than those who are slain by famine;²⁷
they²⁸ waste away,²⁹
stricken down³⁰ from lack of³¹ food.³²

y 4:10 With their own hands, tenderhearted women³³

have cooked³⁴ their own children,
who became their food
when my people³⁵ were destroyed.³⁶

k 4:11 The LORD has fully vented³⁷ his wrath;

he has poured out his fierce anger.³⁸
He kindled a fire in Zion
which destroyed³⁹ even the foundation stones of the city walls.⁴⁰

l 4:12 Neither the kings of the foreign nations⁴¹

nor the people of the lands⁴² ever thought it possible⁴³
that enemy or foe could ever conquer⁴⁴
the city⁴⁵ of Jerusalem.

m 4:13 But it happened⁴⁶ because of the sins of her prophets

and the iniquities of her priests,
who unjustly killed⁴⁷ the righteous
within the city.⁴⁸

n 4:14 Now they blindly wander through the streets,

ritually defiled with the blood they shed;⁴⁹
so that no one dares
to touch their garments.

s 4:15 Men cry to them, “Stay away! You are unclean!”

“Stay away! Go away! Don’t touch us!”
So they have fled and wander about;
but the nations say,⁵⁰ “They may not stay with us here any longer.”

p 4:16 The LORD himself⁵¹ has scattered them;

he no longer watches over them.
The priests will not be shown consideration,⁵²
the elders will not be spared.⁵³

u 4:17 Our eyes continually failed us,

as we looked in vain for help.⁵⁴
From our watch-towers we watched expectantly
for a nation that could not rescue us.

x 4:18 Our enemies⁵⁵ hunted us down at every step,⁵⁶

we could not even walk about publicly in our streets.⁵⁷
Our end drew near, our days were numbered;⁵⁸
for our end had come!

q 4:19 Those who pursued us⁵⁹ were swifter

than vultures⁶⁰ in the sky.
They chased us over the mountains;
they set an ambush⁶¹ for us in the wilderness.

r 4:20 Our very life breath—the king anointed by the LORD⁶²—

was caught in their traps.⁶³
We thought⁶⁴ that under his protection⁶⁵
we would survive among the nations.

? 4:21 Rejoice and be glad for now,⁶⁶ O people of Edom,⁶⁷

you who reside⁶⁸ in the land of Uz.
But the wine-cup of judgment⁶⁹ will be passed to you also;
you will become drunk and strip yourself naked.

t 4:22 O people of Zion,⁷⁰ your punishment⁷¹ will eventually come to an end;⁷²

he will not prolong your exile.⁷³
But, O people of Edom,⁷⁴ he will punish your sin⁷⁵
and reveal⁷⁶ your treachery.