THE
LAMENTATIONS
OF
JEREMIAH
Lamentations 4 ©
A further complaint of the lamentable condition of the people of the Jews, v. 1, etc. With an acknowledgment that their sins are the cause of it, 6. Miseries that befell the chief ones, 7. Women have killed and have sodden their own children, 10. The sin of the false prophets and priests, 13. Their vain hope, 17. Their king taken prisoner, 20. A prophecy of God’s vengeance against Edom, 21. And comfort for the people of God, 22.
HOW1 is 2the gold become 3dim! how is the most fine gold changed! 4the stones of the sanctuary are 5poured out 6in the top of every street.
7The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, 8how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!
Even the 9sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become 10cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.
The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth 11for thirst: the young children ask 12bread, and no man 13breaketh it unto them.
They that did feed 14delicately are desolate in the streets: they 15that were brought up in 16scarlet 17embrace dunghills.
For the punishment of the 18iniquity of the daughter of my people 19is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as 20in a moment, and 21no hands stayed on her.
22Her 23Nazarites 24were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, 25their polishing was of sapphire:
26Their visagea is blacker than 27a coal; 28they are not known in the streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; 29it is withered, it is become like a stick.
They that be slain with the sword are 30better than 31they that be slain with hunger: for 32these 33pine away, stricken through 34for want of the fruits of the field.
35The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children: they were their 36meat 37in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
The LORD hath 38accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and 39hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.
40The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have believed that 41the adversary and the enemy should have entered 42into the gates of Jerusalem.
¶ 43For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, 44that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,
45They 46have wandered 47as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves 48with blood, so that men 49could 50not touch their garments.
51They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: 52when they fled away and wandered, 53they said among the heathen, 54They 55shall no more sojourn there.
56The 57anger of the LORD hath 58divided them; he will 59no more regard them: 60they 61respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not 62the elders.
63As for us, our eyes as yet 64failed 65for our vain help: in our watching web have watched 66for a nation that could not save us.
67They 68hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: 69our end is near, 70our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.
71Our persecutors are 72swifter than the eagles 73of the heaven: 74they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.
The 75breath of our nostrils, 76the anointed of the LORD, 77was taken in their pits, 78of whom we said, Under his shadow 79we shall live 80among the heathen.
¶ 81Rejoice and be glad, 82O daughter of Edom, that dwellest 83in the land of 84Uz; 85the cup also shall pass through unto thee: 86thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself 87naked.
¶88The punishment of thine iniquity 89is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; 90he will no more carry thee away into captivity: 91he 92will visit thine iniquity, 93O daughter of Edom; 94he will 95discoverc thy sins.