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Lamentations 4 - King James 1611 bible

Lamentations 4

¹How is the gold become dimme! how is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuarie are powred out in the top of euery streete.

²The precious sonnes of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the worke of the hands of the potter!

³Euen the sea-monsters draw out the breast, they giue sucke to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruell, like the ostriches in the wildernesse.

⁴The tongue of the sucking child cleaueth to the roofe of his mouth for thirst: the young children aske bread, and no man breaketh it vnto them.

⁵They that did feede delicatly, are desolate in the streetes: they that were brought vp in scarlet, embrace dounghilles.

⁶For the punishment of the iniquitie of the daughter of my people, is greater then the punishment of the sinne of Sodom, that was ouerthrowen as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her.

⁷Her Nazarites were purer then snow, they were whiter then milke, they were more ruddie in body then rubies, their polishing was of Saphir.

⁸Their visage is blacker then a cole: they are not knowen in the streets: their skinne cleaueth to their bones: it is withered, it is become like a sticke.

⁹They that bee slaine with the sword, are better then they that be slain with hunger: for these pine away, stricken through for want of the fruits of the field.

¹⁰The hands of the pitifull women haue sodden their owne children, they were their meate in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

¹¹The Lord hath accomplished his furie, he hath powred out his fierce anger, and hath kindled a fire in Zion, and it hath deuoured the foundations thereof.

¹²The kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world would not haue beleeued, that the aduersarie and the enemie should haue entred into the gates of Ierusalem.

¹³For the sinnes of her prophets, and the iniquities of her priests, that haue shed the blood of the iust in the middest of her:

¹⁴They haue wandred as blind men in the streetes, they haue polluted themselues with blood, so that men could not touch their garments.

¹⁵They cryed vnto them; Depart yee, it is vncleane, depart, depart, touch not, when they fled away and wandred: they said among the heathen, They shall no more soiourne there.

¹⁶The anger of the Lord hath diuided them, he will no more regard them: they respected not the persons of the priests, they fauoured not the elders.

¹⁷As for vs, our eyes as yet failed for our vaine helpe: in our watching we haue watched for a nation that could not saue vs.

¹⁸They hunt our steps that we cannot goe in our streets: our end is neere, our dayes are fulfilled, for our ende is come.

¹⁹Our persecutours are swifter then the eagles of the heauen: they pursued vs vpon the mountaines, they laide waite for vs in the wildernesse.

²⁰The breath of our nostrels, the anointed of the Lord was taken in their pits, of whom we said, Under his shadowe we shall liue among the heathen.

²¹Reioyce and be glad, O daughter of Edom, that dwellest in the lande of Uz, the cup also shall passe through vnto thee: thou shalt be drunken, and shalt make thy selfe naked.

²²The punishment of thine iniquitie is accomplished, O daughter of Zion, he will no more carie thee away into captiuitie: hee will visit thine iniquitie, O daughter of Edom, hee will discouer thy sinnes.