66YOU WILL PURSUE [THEM] IN ANGER AND YOU WILL DESTROY THEM FROM UNDER [THE] HEAVENS OF YAHWEH 66You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.
1HOW! IT IS DIMMED GOLD IT IS CHANGED THE GOLD <THE> FINE THEY LIE SCATTERED STONES OF HOLINESS AT [THE] HEAD OF ALL [THE] STREETS The Distress of Zion 1How*NoteCloseThis chapter is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. the gold has become tarnished, the pure gold has become dull! The gems of the temple lie scattered on every street corner.
2[THE] CHILDREN OF ZION <THE> PRECIOUS WHO WERE WEIGHED WITH <THE> PURE GOLD HOW! THEY ARE CONSIDERED TO JARS OF EARTHENWARE [THE] WORK OF [THE] HANDS OF A POTTER 2How the precious sons of Zion, once worth their weight in pure gold, are now esteemed as jars of clay, the work of a potter’s hands!
3ALSO JACKALS THEY DRAW OUT A BREAST THEY SUCKLE YOUNG THEIR [THE] DAUGHTER OF PEOPLE MY [HAS BECOME] <INTO> CRUEL LIKE <THE> OSTRICHES IN THE WILDERNESS 3Even jackals*NoteCloseOr serpents or dragons offer their breasts to nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel, like an ostrich in the wilderness.
4IT HAS CLEAVED [THE] TONGUE OF A SUCKLING-CHILD TO PALATE ITS BY <THE> THIRST CHILDREN THEY HAVE ASKED FOR BREAD [ONE WHO] BREAKS [IT] NOT [BELONGED] TO THEM 4The nursing infant’s tongue clings in thirst to the roof of his mouth. Little children beg for bread, but no one gives them any.
5THE [ONES] EATING <TO> DELICACIES THEY ARE DESOLATE IN THE STREETS THE [ONES] BROUGHT UP ON CRIMSON THEY HAVE EMBRACED ASH HEAPS 5Those who once ate delicacies are destitute in the streets; those brought up in crimson huddle in ash heaps.
6AND IT HAS BECOME GREAT [THE] INIQUITY OF [THE] DAUGHTER OF PEOPLE MY MORE THAN [THE] SIN OF SODOM WHICH WAS OVERTHROWN LIKE A MOMENT AND NOT THEY TWISTED ON IT HANDS 6The punishment*NoteCloseOr iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than that of Sodom, which was overthrown in an instant without a hand turned to help her.
7THEY WERE BRIGHT ONES OF HIGH RANK ITS MORE THAN SNOW THEY WERE DAZZLING MORE THAN MILK THEY WERE RED BONE MORE THAN CORALS [WAS] SAPPHIRE POLISHING THEIR 7Her dignitaries were brighter than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies were more ruddy than rubies, their appearance*NoteCloseOr their polishing or their hair like sapphires.*NoteCloseHebrew lapis lazuli
8IT IS DARK MORE THAN SOOT APPEARANCE THEIR NOT THEY ARE RECOGNIZED IN THE STREETS IT HAS SHRIVELED SKIN THEIR ON BONE THEIR DRY IT HAS BECOME LIKE <THE> WOOD 8But now their appearance is blacker than soot; they are not recognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has become as dry as a stick.
9GOOD THEY ARE [THOSE] SLAIN OF A SWORD MORE THAN [THOSE] SLAIN OF HUNGER WHO THEY THEY FLOW AWAY PIERCED THROUGH FROM [THE] PRODUCE<S> OF [THE] FIELD 9Those slain by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, who waste away, pierced with pain because the fields lack produce.
10[THE] HANDS OF WOMEN COMPASSIONATE THEY HAVE BOILED OWN CHILDREN THEIR THEY HAVE BEEN FOR EATING FOR THEM IN [THE] BROKENNESS OF [THE] DAUGHTER OF PEOPLE MY 10The hands of compassionate women have cooked their own children, who became their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11HE HAS COMPLETED YAHWEH <OBJ.> RAGE HIS HE HAS POURED OUT [THE] BURNING OF ANGER HIS AND HE HAS KINDLED A FIRE IN ZION AND IT HAS CONSUMED FOUNDATIONS ITS 11The LORD has exhausted His wrath; He has poured out His fierce anger; He has kindled a fire in Zion, and it has consumed her foundations.
12NOT THEY BELIEVED [THE] KINGS OF [THE] EARTH ALL [THE] INHABITANTS OF [THE] WORLD THAT HE WILL GO OPPONENT AND ENEMY IN [THE] GATES OF JERUSALEM 12The kings of the earth did not believe, nor any people of the world, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem.
13FROM [THE] SINS OF PROPHETS ITS [THE] INIQUITIES OF PRIESTS ITS WHO SHED IN MIDST ITS [THE] BLOOD OF RIGHTEOUS [PEOPLE] 13But this was for the sins of her prophets and the guilt of her priests, who shed the blood of the righteous in her midst.
14THEY WANDERED BLIND [PEOPLE] IN THE STREETS THEY WERE DEFILED BY THE BLOOD IN NOT PEOPLE WERE ABLE PEOPLE TOUCHED <IN> CLOTHES THEIR 14They wandered blind in the streets, defiled by this blood, so that no one dared to touch their garments.
15DEPART UNCLEAN PEOPLE CALLED OUT TO THEM DEPART DEPART MAY NOT YOU TOUCH FOR THEY FLED ALSO THEY WANDERED PEOPLE SAID AMONG THE NATIONS NOT THEY WILL INCREASE TO SOJOURN 15“Go away! Unclean!” men shouted at them. “Away, away! Do not touch us!” So they fled and wandered. Among the nations it was said, “They can stay here no longer.”
16[THE] PRESENCE OF YAHWEH IT SCATTERED THEM NOT HE WILL REPEAT TO PAY ATTENTION TO THEM [THE] FACE OF PRIESTS NOT THEY LIFTED UP AND ELDERS NOT THEY SHOWED FAVOR TO 16The presence of the LORD has scattered them; He regards them no more. The priests are shown no honor; the elders find no favor.
17YET WE THEY FAILED EYES OUR TO HELP OUR FUTILITY IN WATCHTOWER OUR WE WATCHED TO A NATION [WHICH] NOT IT WILL SAVE 17All the while our eyes were failing as we looked in vain for help. We watched from our towers for a nation that could not save us.
18THEY HUNTED STEPS OUR FROM WALKING IN OPEN PLACES OUR IT DREW NEAR END OUR THEY WERE COMPLETED DAYS OUR FOR IT HAD COME END OUR 18They stalked our every step, so that we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our time ran out, for our end had come!
19SWIFT THEY WERE PURSUERS OUR MORE THAN [THE] EAGLES OF HEAVEN ON THE MOUNTAINS THEY HOTLY PURSUED US IN THE WILDERNESS THEY LAY IN WAIT FOR US 19Those who chased us were swifter than the eagles in the sky; they pursued us over the mountains and ambushed us in the wilderness.
20[THE] BREATH OF NOSTRILS OUR [THE] [ONE] ANOINTED OF YAHWEH HE WAS CAPTURED IN PITS THEIR WHOM WE HAD SAID IN SHADOW HIS WE WILL LIVE AMONG THE NATIONS 20The LORD’s anointed, the breath of our life, was captured in their pits. We had said of him, “Under his shadow we will live among the nations.”
21EXULT AND REJOICE O DAUGHTER OF EDOM [WHO] DWELLS IN [THE] LAND OF UZ ALSO TO YOU IT WILL PASS ON A CUP YOU WILL BECOME DRUNK AND YOU MAY STRIP YOURSELF NAKED 21So rejoice and be glad, O Daughter of Edom, you who dwell in the land of Uz. Yet the cup will pass to you as well; you will get drunk and expose yourself.
22IT WILL FINISH INIQUITY YOUR O DAUGHTER OF ZION NOT HE WILL INCREASE TO TAKE INTO EXILE YOU HE WILL PUNISH INIQUITY YOUR O DAUGHTER OF EDOM HE WILL MAKE KNOWN ON SINS YOUR 22O Daughter of Zion, your punishment is complete; He will not prolong your exile.*NoteCloseOr He will not exile you again But He will punish your iniquity, O Daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins.