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¹ [ALEPH-BET] How the gold has become dim, || Changed the best—the pure gold! Stones of the sanctuary are poured out || At the head of all out-places.² The precious sons of Zion, || Who are comparable with fine gold, || How they have been reckoned earthen bottles, || Work of the hands of a potter.³ Even dragons have drawn out the breast, || They have suckled their young ones, || The daughter of my people has become cruel, || Like the ostriches in a wilderness.⁴ The tongue of a suckling has cleaved to his palate with thirst, || Infants asked for bread, they have no dealer [of it] out.⁵ Those eating of delicacies have been desolate in out-places, || Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.⁶ And greater is the iniquity of the daughter of my people, || Than the sin of Sodom, || That was overturned as [in] a moment, || And no hands were stayed on her.⁷ Purer were her Nazarites than snow, || Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, || Of sapphire their form.⁸ Their face has been darker than blackness, || They have not been known in out-places, || Their skin has cleaved to their bone, || It has withered—it has been as wood.⁹ Better have been the pierced of a sword || Than the pierced of famine, || For these flow away, pierced through, || Without the increase of the field.¹⁰ The hands of merciful women have boiled their own children, || They have been for food to them, || In the destruction of the daughter of my people.¹¹ YHWH has completed His fury, || He has poured out the fierceness of His anger, || And He kindles a fire in Zion, || And it devours her foundations.¹² The kings of earth did not believe, || And any of the inhabitants of the world, || That an adversary and enemy would come || Into the gates of Jerusalem.

¹³ Because of the sins of her prophets, || The iniquities of her priests, || Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous,¹⁴ They have wandered naked in out-places, || They have been defiled with blood, || Without [any] being able to touch their clothing,¹⁵ "Turn aside—unclean," they called to them, || "Turn aside, turn aside, do not touch," || For they fled—indeed, they have wandered, || They have said among nations: "They do not add to sojourn."¹⁶ The face of YHWH has divided them, || He does not add to behold them, || They have not lifted up the face of priests, || They have not favored [the] old and elderly.¹⁷ While we exist—consumed are our eyes for our vain help, || In our watchtower we have watched for a nation [that] does not save.¹⁸ They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, || Near has been our end, fulfilled our days, || For our end has come.¹⁹ Swifter have been our pursuers, || Than the eagles of the heavens, || On the mountains they have burned [after] us, || In the wilderness they have laid wait for us.²⁰ The breath of our nostrils—the anointed of YHWH, || Has been captured in their pits, of whom we said: "We live among nations in his shadow."

²¹ Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, || Dwelling in the land of Uz, || Even to you a cup passes over, || You are drunk, and make yourself naked.²² Completed [is] your iniquity, daughter of Zion, || He does not add to remove you, || He has inspected your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, || He has removed [you] because of your sins!