Lamentations

Lamentations 4

1The prophet bewaileth the wretched condition of Zion: 21he threateneth Edom, and comforteth Zion.

1HOW is ^athe gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the ^bstones of the sanctuary ^care poured out in the top of every street.

a 1Ki. 6.22. Mat. 23.16,17. ch. 5.18; 2.20. v.16. b 2Ki. 25.9,10. c Je. 52.13. Mat. 24.2. ch. 5.18; 2.19.

2^dThe precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine ^egold, how are they esteemed ^fas earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter!

d v.16. ch. 1.4; 2.10,20,21; 5.12. Je. 19.11; 22.28. Is. 30.14. e 2Ti. 2.20. f 2Co. 4.7.

3Even the ¹sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: ^gthe daughter of my people is become cruel, ^hlike the ostriches in the wilderness.

g v.4,10. ch. 2.20. Je. 19.9. Eze. 5.10. Le. 26.29. De. 28.53-57. h Job 39.13-17. Ro. 1.31.

4ⁱThe tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and ^jno man breaketh it unto them.

i ch. 2.11,12; 1.11. Am. 8.11,12. Ps. 22.15; 137.6. j De. 32.24.

5They that did feed ^*delicately are ^kdesolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet ^lembrace dunghills.

k Am. 4.1. ch. 2.10-12. Je. 9.21,22. Is. 32.10. l Job 24.8. Lu. 15.16. Je. 8.3; 9.22. Ps. 83.10.

6For the ²punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people ^mis greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as ⁿin a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

m Am. 3.2. Eze. 16.35-52. Da. 9.12. Lu. 12.47. Jn. 15.22. n Ge. 19.25. 2Pe. 2.6. Jude 7.

7Her ³Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their polishing was of sapphire:

8^oTheir ^*visage is ⁴blacker than a coal; they are not known in the streets: ^ptheir skin cleaveth to their bones; ^qit is withered, it is become like a stick.

o Na. 2.2. ch. 5.10. v.4. Job 30.27-30. Je. 14.2. p Job 19.20. Ps. 102.5. q Ps. 119.83; 22.15; 102.4,11.

9They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be slain with hunger: for these ⁵pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

10^rThe hands of the ^*pitiful women have ^*sodden their own children: they were their ^*meat in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

r Is. 49.15. 1Ki. 3.26. De. 28.53-57. 2Ki. 6.28,29. ch. 2.20. v.3. Eze. 5.10.

11^sThe LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured the foundations thereof.

s Je. 6.11; 9.9,11; 13.14; 14.16; 15.1-4; 17.4; 19.3-8; 21.4-7,14; 7.20. De. 32.22. Eze. 20.47,48.

12The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world, would not have ^tbelieved that the adversary and the enemy should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem.

t De. 29.24-28. 1Ki. 9.8. Je. 22.8.

13¶^uFor the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that ^vhave shed the blood of the just in the midst of her,

u Zep. 3.3,4. Je. 5.31; 6.13; 23.11. Eze. 22.26,28. ch. 2.14. Is. 9.16. v Mat. 23.31,37.

14They have ^wwandered as blind men in the streets, they have polluted themselves with blood, ⁶so that ^xmen could not touch their garments.

w Is. 8.15; 59.10. Je. 2.34. Mat. 15.14. Na. 3.3. x Nu. 19.16.

15They cried unto them, Depart ye; ⁷it is unclean; depart, depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said among the heathen, ^yThey shall no more ^*sojourn there.

y Mi. 3.6,7. De. 29.25-28. Je. 15.4; 17.4; 22.8,9. Ho. 9.3.

16The ⁸anger of the LORD ^zhath divided them; he will no more regard them: ^athey respected not the persons of the priests, they favoured not the elders.

z Le. 26.33-39. De. 28.25,64-68. Je. 24.9; 15.4. a ch. 5.12,14; 2.9,10. 2Ki. 25.18-21. 2Ch. 36.17.

17As for us, ^bour eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our watching we have watched ^cfor a nation that could not save us.

b Je. 4.14; 2.18,36; 8.20; 37.5-7; 22.20. Is. 20.5,6; 30.1-7; 31.1-3. Eze. 29.6,7,16. c 2Ki. 24.7.

18^dThey hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: ^eour end is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come.

d 2Ki. 25.4,5. Je. 16.16; 39.4,5; 52.7-9. Ps. 140.11. e Eze. 7.2-12; 12.28. Am. 8.2. Je. 39.

19Our persecutors are ^fswifter than the ^geagles of the heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the ⁹wilderness.

f De. 28.49. Je. 4.13; 52.8. Hab. 1.6-9. ch. 3.52. Ho. 8.1. Is. 5.26-28; 30.16,17. Am. 2.4. g De. 28.49. Je. 4.13; 52.8.

20The breath of our nostrils, ^hthe anointed of the LORD, ⁱwas taken in their ^jpits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we shall live among the heathen.

h 1Sa. 26.19. Ps. 89.20,21. i Eze. 12.13; 19.4,8. Je. 39.5; 52.8,9. 2Ki. 24.12-15; 25.5. j Je. 39.5.

21¶^kRejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of ^lUz; ^mthe cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.

k Ec. 11.9. Ps. 137.7. Ob. 1.10. Je. 49.7; 25.26. l Je. 25.20. m Je. 25.15,16,21,27; 49.7-27. Eze. 25.12-14; 35. Ob. 1,10,15.

22¶¹⁰The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, ⁿO daughter of Zion; he ^owill no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will ¹¹discover thy sins.

n Ps. 137.7. o Is. 52.1; 54.9; 51.22; 60.18. Je. 31.40. Eze. 37.28.