Terrors of the Besieged City
ﬡ Aleph
1 How the gold has become tarnished,
the fine gold become dull!
The stones of the templeI lie scattered
at the head of every street.n
ב Beth
once worth their weight in pure goldo—
how they are regarded as clay jars,
the work of a potter’s hands!
ג Gimel
3 Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young,
but my dear people have become cruel
like ostrichesp in the wilderness.
ד Daleth
clings to the roof of his mouth from thirst.q
Infants beg for food,
but no one gives them any.
ה He
5 Those who used to eat delicacies
are destitute in the streets;
those who were reared in purple garmentsr
huddle in trash heaps.
ו Waw
6 The punishment of my dear people
is greater than that of Sodom,s
which was overthrown in an instant
without a hand laid on it.
ז Zayin
7 Her dignitaries were brighter than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodiesJ were more ruddy than coral,
their appearance like lapis lazuli.
ח Cheth
8 Now they appear darker than soot;t
they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become dry like wood.
ט Teth
9 Those slain by the sword are better off
than those slain by hunger,
who waste away, pierced with pain
because the fields lack produce.
י Yod
10 The hands of compassionate women
have cooked their own children;u
they became their food
during the destruction of my dear people.v
כ Kaph
11 The LORD has exhausted his wrath,
poured out his burning anger;
he has ignited a fire in Zion,
and it has consumed her foundations.w
ל Lamed
and all the world’s inhabitants did not believe
that an enemy or adversary
could enter Jerusalem’s gates.x
מ Mem
13 Yet it happened because of the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,
who shed the blood of the righteous within her.y
נ Nun
in the streets,z
defiled by this blood,a
so that no one dared
to touch their garments.
ס Samek
15 “Stay away! Unclean! ” people shouted at them.
“Away, away! Don’t touch us! ”b
So they wandered aimlessly.c
It was said among the nations,
“They can stay here no longer.”
פ Pe
16 The LORD himself has scattered them;
he no longer watches over them.
The priests are not respected;
the elders find no favor.
ע Ayin
17 All the while our eyes were failing
as we looked in vain for help;d
we watched from our towers
for a nation that would not save us.
צ Tsade
18 Our steps were closely followed
so that we could not walk in our streets.
Our end approached;e our time ran out.
Our end had come!
ק Qoph
19 Those who chased us were swifter
than eagles in the sky;f
they relentlessly pursued us over the mountains
and ambushed us in the wilderness.
ר Resh
20 The LORD’S anointed, the breath of our life,K,g
was captured in their traps.
We had said about him,
“We will live under his protection among the nations.”
שׂ Sin
21 So rejoice and be glad, Daughter Edom,h
you resident of the land of Uz!i
Yet the cupj will pass to you as well;
you will get drunk and expose yourself.
ת Taw
22 Daughter Zion, your punishment is complete;
he will not lengthen your exile.L
But he will punish your iniquity, Daughter Edom,
and will expose your sins.k