Zion's Glory Turned to Ash
Gold gone dim, princes once whiter than snow now unrecognized in the streets, starving mothers cooking their own children. The poet blames the prophets and priests who shed innocent blood, and says the fire that burned Zion's foundations was our Father's poured-out anger.
4 1How the gold has grown dim, how the purest gold is changed! The sacred stones lie scattered at every street corner. 2The precious children of Zion, once worth their weight in fine gold, how they are now counted as clay pots, the work of a potter's hands! 3Even jackals offer the breast and nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has turned cruel, like ostriches in the wilderness. a a v3 Ostriches were famed in the ancient world for abandoning their eggs and young — a byword for cruelty toward offspring. 4The tongue of the nursing infant sticks to the roof of its mouth from thirst; the children beg for bread, but no one gives them a piece. 5Those who once feasted on delicacies now lie desolate in the streets; those who grew up wearing fine purple now cling to ash heaps. 6The guilt of the daughter of my people is greater than the sin of Sodom, which was overthrown in a moment, though no human hand was laid against her. 7Her princes were purer than snow, whiter than milk; their bodies more rosy than coral, their form like sapphire. 8Now their appearance is blacker than soot; they go unrecognized in the streets. Their skin has shriveled on their bones; it has dried up like wood. 9Those slain by the sword were better off than those slain by hunger, who wasted away, pierced through with hunger for lack of food from the fields. 10The hands of compassionate women boiled their own children; they became their food when the daughter of my people was destroyed. 11Our Father gave full vent to his wrath; he poured out his burning anger and kindled a fire in Zion that consumed her foundations. 12The kings of the earth did not believe, nor did anyone living on earth, that an enemy or a foe could enter the gates of Jerusalem. 13It was for the sins of her prophets and the crimes of her priests, who shed in her midst the blood of the righteous. 14They wandered blind through the streets, defiled with blood, so that no one could touch their garments. 15"Away! Unclean!" people cried at them. "Away! Away! Do not touch!" So they fled and wandered, and among the nations it was said, "They can stay here no longer." 16Our Father's presence has scattered them; he will look on them no longer. No honor was shown to the priests, no favor to the elders. 17Our eyes grew weary watching in vain for help; from our watchtowers we watched for a nation that could not save. 18They stalked our steps so we could not walk in our streets. Our end drew near, our days were numbered, for our end had come. 19Our pursuers were swifter than eagles in the sky; they chased us over the mountains and lay in wait for us in the wilderness. 20Our very life-breath, our Father's anointed, was captured in their pits—the one of whom we said, "Under his shadow we will live among the nations." b b v20 "Under his shadow" is a Hebrew image of shelter — to live in the king's shadow meant to live under his protection. 21Rejoice and be glad, daughter of Edom, you who live in the land of Uz; but the cup of his anger will come to you as well—you will become drunk and strip yourself bare. 22Your punishment is complete, daughter of Zion; he will not prolong your exile. But your guilt, daughter of Edom, he will punish; he will lay bare your sins.
