1 How is the gold become dim, Changed the best -- the pure gold? Poured out are stones of the sanctuary At the head of all out-places.

1 אֵיכָה֙ יוּעַ֣ם זָהָ֔ב יִשְׁנֶ֖א הַכֶּ֣תֶם הַטֹּ֑וב תִּשְׁתַּפֵּ֙כְנָה֙ אַבְנֵי־קֹ֔דֶשׁ בְּרֹ֖אשׁ כָּל־חוּצֹֽות׃

2 The precious sons of Zion, Who are comparable with fine gold, How have they been reckoned earthen bottles, Work of the hands of a potter.

2 בְּנֵ֤י צִיֹּון֙ הַיְקָרִ֔ים הַמְסֻלָּאִ֖ים בַּפָּ֑ז אֵיכָ֤ה נֶחְשְׁבוּ֙ לְנִבְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶשׂ מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֥י יֹוצֵֽר׃

3 Even dragons have drawn out the breast, They have suckled their young ones, The daughter of my people is become cruel, Like the ostriches in a wilderness.

3 גַּם־ תַּנִּין תַּנִּים֙ חָ֣לְצוּ שַׁ֔ד הֵינִ֖יקוּ גּוּרֵיהֶ֑ן בַּת־עַמִּ֣י לְאַכְזָ֔ר כִּי עֵנִים כַּיְעֵנִ֖ים בַּמִּדְבָּֽר׃

4 Cleaved hath the tongue of a suckling unto his palate with thirst, Infants asked bread, a dealer out they have none.

4 דָּבַ֨ק לְשֹׁ֥ון יֹונֵ֛ק אֶל־חִכֹּ֖ו בַּצָּמָ֑א עֹֽולָלִים֙ שָׁ֣אֲלוּ לֶ֔חֶם פֹּרֵ֖שׂ אֵ֥ין לָהֶֽם׃

5 Those eating of dainties have been desolate in out-places, Those supported on scarlet have embraced dunghills.

5 הָאֹֽכְלִים֙ לְמַ֣עֲדַנִּ֔ים נָשַׁ֖מּוּ בַּחוּצֹ֑ות הָאֱמֻנִים֙ עֲלֵ֣י תֹולָ֔ע חִבְּק֖וּ אַשְׁפַּתֹּֽות׃

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.

6 וַיִּגְדַּל֙ עֲוֹ֣ן בַּת־עַמִּ֔י מֵֽחַטַּ֖את סְדֹ֑ם הַֽהֲפוּכָ֣ה כְמֹו־רָ֔גַע וְלֹא־חָ֥לוּ בָ֖הּ יָדָֽיִם׃

7 Purer were her Nazarites than snow, Whiter than milk, ruddier of body than rubies, Of sapphire their form.

7 זַכּ֤וּ נְזִירֶ֙יהָ֙ מִשֶּׁ֔לֶג צַח֖וּ מֵחָלָ֑ב אָ֤דְמוּ עֶ֙צֶם֙ מִפְּנִינִ֔ים סַפִּ֖יר גִּזְרָתָֽם׃

8 Darker than blackness hath been their visage, They have not been known in out-places, Cleaved hath their skin unto their bone, It hath withered -- it hath been as wood.

8 חָשַׁ֤ךְ מִשְּׁחֹור֙ תָּֽאֳרָ֔ם לֹ֥א נִכְּר֖וּ בַּחוּצֹ֑ות צָפַ֤ד עֹורָם֙ עַל־עַצְמָ֔ם יָבֵ֖שׁ הָיָ֥ה כָעֵֽץ׃

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.

9 טֹובִ֤ים הָיוּ֙ חַלְלֵי־חֶ֔רֶב מֵֽחַלְלֵ֖י רָעָ֑ב שֶׁ֣הֵ֤ם יָז֙וּבוּ֙ מְדֻקָּרִ֔ים מִתְּנוּבֹ֖ת שָׂדָֽי׃

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.

10 יְדֵ֗י נָשִׁים֙ רַחֲמָ֣נִיֹּ֔ות בִּשְּׁל֖וּ יַלְדֵיהֶ֑ן הָי֤וּ לְבָרֹות֙ לָ֔מֹו בְּשֶׁ֖בֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃

11 Completed hath Jehovah His fury, He hath poured out the fierceness of His anger, And he kindleth a fire in Zion, And it devoureth her foundations.

11 כִּלָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ אֶת־חֲמָתֹ֔ו שָׁפַ֖ךְ חֲרֹ֣ון אַפֹּ֑ו וַיַּצֶּת־אֵ֣שׁ בְּצִיֹּ֔ון וַתֹּ֖אכַל יְסֹודֹתֶֽיהָ׃

12 Believe not did the kings of earth, And any of the inhabitants of the world, That come would an adversary and enemy Into the gates of Jerusalem.

12 לֹ֤א הֶאֱמִ֙ינוּ֙ מַלְכֵי־אֶ֔רֶץ וְכֹל כֹּ֖ל יֹשְׁבֵ֣י תֵבֵ֑ל כִּ֤י יָבֹא֙ צַ֣ר וְאֹויֵ֔ב בְּשַׁעֲרֵ֖י יְרוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

13 Because of the sins of her prophets, The iniquities of her priests, Who are shedding in her midst the blood of the righteous,

13 מֵֽחַטֹּ֣את נְבִיאֶ֔יהָ עֲוֹנֹ֖ות כֹּהֲנֶ֑יהָ הַשֹּׁפְכִ֥ים בְּקִרְבָּ֖הּ דַּ֥ם צַדִּיקִֽים׃

14 They have wandered naked in out-places, They have been polluted with blood, Without `any' being able to touch their clothing,

14 נָע֤וּ עִוְרִים֙ בַּֽחוּצֹ֔ות נְגֹֽאֲל֖וּ בַּדָּ֑ם בְּלֹ֣א יֽוּכְל֔וּ יִגְּע֖וּ בִּלְבֻשֵׁיהֶֽם׃

15 `Turn aside -- unclean,' they called to them, `Turn aside, turn aside, touch not,' For they fled -- yea, they have wandered, They have said among nations: `They do not add to sojourn.'

15 ס֣וּרוּ טָמֵ֞א קָ֣רְאוּ לָ֗מֹו ס֤וּרוּ ס֙וּרוּ֙ אַל־תִּגָּ֔עוּ כִּ֥י נָצ֖וּ גַּם־נָ֑עוּ אָֽמְרוּ֙ בַּגֹּויִ֔ם לֹ֥א יֹוסִ֖יפוּ לָגֽוּר׃

16 The face of Jehovah hath divided them, He doth not add to behold them, The face of priests they have not lifted up, Elders they have not favoured.

16 פְּנֵ֤י יְהוָה֙ חִלְּקָ֔ם לֹ֥א יֹוסִ֖יף לְהַבִּיטָ֑ם פְּנֵ֤י כֹהֲנִים֙ לֹ֣א נָשָׂ֔אוּ זְקֵנִים וּזְקֵנִ֖ים^m לֹ֥א חָנָֽנוּ׃

17 While we exist -- consumed are our eyes for our vain help, In our watch-tower we have watched for a nation `that' saveth not.

17 עֹודֵינָה עֹודֵ֙ינוּ֙ תִּכְלֶ֣ינָה עֵינֵ֔ינוּ אֶל־עֶזְרָתֵ֖נוּ הָ֑בֶל בְּצִפִּיָּתֵ֣נוּ צִפִּ֔ינוּ אֶל־גֹּ֖וי לֹ֥א יֹושִֽׁעַ׃

18 They have hunted our steps from going in our broad-places, Near hath been our end, fulfilled our days, For come hath our end.

18 צָד֣וּ צְעָדֵ֔ינוּ מִלֶּ֖כֶת בִּרְחֹבֹתֵ֑ינוּ קָרַ֥ב קִצֵּ֛ינוּ מָלְא֥וּ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כִּי־בָ֥א קִצֵּֽינוּ׃

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.

19 קַלִּ֤ים הָיוּ֙ רֹדְפֵ֔ינוּ מִנִּשְׁרֵ֖י שָׁמָ֑יִם עַל־הֶהָרִ֣ים דְּלָקֻ֔נוּ בַּמִּדְבָּ֖ר אָ֥רְבוּ לָֽנוּ׃

20 The breath of our nostrils -- the anointed of Jehovah, Hath been captured in their pits, of whom we said: `In his shadow we do live among nations.'

20 ר֤וּחַ אַפֵּ֙ינוּ֙ מְשִׁ֣יחַ יְהוָ֔ה נִלְכַּ֖ד בִּשְׁחִיתֹותָ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֣ר אָמַ֔רְנוּ בְּצִלֹּ֖ו נִֽחְיֶ֥ה בַגֹּויִֽם׃

21 Joy and rejoice, O daughter of Edom, Dwelling in the land of Uz, Even unto thee pass over doth a cup, Thou art drunk, and makest thyself naked.

21 שִׂ֤ישִׂי וְשִׂמְחִי֙ בַּת־אֱדֹ֔ום יֹושַׁבְתִּי יֹושֶׁ֖בֶת בְּאֶ֣רֶץ ע֑וּץ גַּם־עָלַ֙יִךְ֙ תַּעֲבָר־כֹּ֔וס תִּשְׁכְּרִ֖י וְתִתְעָרִֽי׃

22 Completed `is' thy iniquity, daughter of Zion, He doth not add to remove thee, He hath inspected thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom, He hath removed `thee' because of thy sins!

22 תַּם־עֲוֹנֵךְ֙ בַּת־צִיֹּ֔ון לֹ֥א יֹוסִ֖יף לְהַגְלֹותֵ֑ךְ פָּקַ֤ד עֲוֹנֵךְ֙ בַּת־אֱדֹ֔ום גִּלָּ֖ה עַל־חַטֹּאתָֽיִךְ׃