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1 | How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed!
the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every
street. |
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2 | The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are
they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of
the potter! |
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3 | Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to
their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel,
like the ostriches in the wilderness. |
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4 | The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his
mouth for thirst: the young children ask bread, and no man
breaketh it unto them. |
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5 | They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets:
they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. |
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6 | For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my
people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom,
that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on
her. |
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7 | Her Nazarites were purer than snow, they were whiter than
milk, they were more ruddy in body than rubies, their
polishing was of sapphire: |
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8 | Their visage is blacker than a coal; they are not known in the
streets: their skin cleaveth to their bones; it is withered,
it is become like a stick. |
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9 | They that be slain with the sword are better than they that be
slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for
want of the fruits of the field. |
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10 | The hands of the pitiful women have sodden their own children:
they were their meat in the destruction of the daughter of my
people. |
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11 | The 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. |
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12 | The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world,
would not have believed that the adversary and the enemy
should have entered into the gates of Jerusalem. |
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13 | For the sins of her prophets, and the iniquities of her
priests, that have shed the blood of the just in the midst of
her, |
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14 | They have wandered as blind men in the streets, they have
polluted themselves with blood, so that men could not touch
their garments. |
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15 | They cried unto them, Depart ye; it is unclean; depart,
depart, touch not: when they fled away and wandered, they said
among the heathen, They shall no more sojourn there. |
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16 | The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more
regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests,
they favoured not the elders. |
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17 | As for us, our eyes as yet failed for our vain help: in our
watching we have watched for a nation that could not save us. |
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18 | They hunt our steps, that we cannot go in our streets: our end
is near, our days are fulfilled; for our end is come. |
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19 | Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of the heaven:
they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in
the wilderness. |
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20 | The breath of our nostrils, the anointed of the LORD, was
taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadow we
shall live among the heathen. |
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21 | Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the
land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through unto thee: thou
shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked. |
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22 | The punishment of thine iniquity is accomplished, O daughter
of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he
will visit thine iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will
discover thy sins. |
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