Chapter 4

  How is the gold become dim! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out at the head of every street.  

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  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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  Even the sea-monsters draw out the breast, they nurse their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness.  

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  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 to them.  

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  They that fed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills.  

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

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  The hands of the pitiful women have boiled their own children: they were their food in the destruction of the daughter of my people.  

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  The LORD hath accomplished his fury; he hath poured out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath devoured her foundations.  

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

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  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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  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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  They cried to 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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  The anger of the LORD hath divided them; he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they favored not the elders.  

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  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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  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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  Our persecutors are swifter than the eagles of heaven: they pursued us upon the mountains, they laid wait for us in the wilderness.  

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  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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  Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup also shall pass through to thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thyself naked.  

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  The punishment of thy iniquity is accomplished, O daughter of Zion; he will no more carry thee away into captivity: he will visit thy iniquity, O daughter of Edom; he will disclose thy sins.  

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