CHAPTER 4
1 How is gold made dark, the best colour is changed? the stones of the saintuary be scattered in the head of all streets.
2 The noble sons of Zion, and clothed with the best gold, how be they areckoned into earthen vessels, into the work of the hands of a potter?
3 But also lamias or lamiae made naked their teats, gave milk to their whelps; the daughter of my people is cruel, as an ostrich in desert.
4 The tongue of the sucking child cleaved to his palate in thirst; little children asked for bread, and none was that brake to them.
5 They that ate lustfully, perished in ways; they that were nourished in cradles, embraced turds.
6 And the wickedness of the daughter of my people is made more than the sin of men of Sodom, that was destroyed in a moment, and hands took not therein.
7 Nazarites thereof were whiter than snow, shininger than milk; ruddier than eld [or old] ivory, fairer than sapphire.
8 The face of them was made blacker than coals, and they were not known in streets; the skin cleaved to their bones, it dried, and was made as a stick.
9 It was better to men slain with sword, than to men slain with hunger; for these men waxed rotten, they were wasted of the barrenness of [the] earth.
10 The hands of merciful women seethed their children; they were made the meats of those women in the sorrow of the daughter of my people.
11 The Lord [ful] filled his strong vengeance, he shedded out the ire [or he poured out the wrath] of his indignation; and the Lord kindled a fire in Zion, and it devoured the foundaments thereof.
12 The kings of [the] earth, and all the dwellers of the world believed not, that an adversary and [the] enemy should enter in by the gates of Jerusalem.
13 For the sins of the prophets thereof, and for [the] wickednesses of priests thereof, that shedded out the blood of just [or rightwise] men in the midst thereof.
14 Blind men erred in streets, they were defouled in blood; and when they might not go, they held their hems.
15 They cried to them, Depart away, ye defouled men, depart ye, go ye away, do not ye touch; forsooth they chided, and were stirred; they said among heathen men, God shall no more add to, that he dwell among them.
16 The face of the Lord parted them, he shall no more lay to, that he behold them; they were not ashamed of the faces of priests, neither they had mercy on eld [or old] men.
17 The while we stood yet, our eyes failed to our vain help; when we beheld attentive to a folk, that might not save us.
18 Our steps were slidery in the way of our streets; our end nighed, our days were [ful] filled, for our end came.
19 Our pursuers were swifter than the eagles of heaven; they pursued us on [the] hills [or mountains], they setted ambushments to us in desert.
20 The spirit of our mouth, Christ the Lord, was taken in our sins; to whom we said, We shall live in thy shadow among heathen men.
21 Thou daughter of Edom, make joy, and be glad, that dwellest in the land of Uz; the cup shall come also to thee, thou shalt be made drunken, and shalt be made bare.
22 Thou daughter of Zion, thy wickedness is [ful] filled; he shall not add more, that he make thee to pass over again into captivity; thou daughter of Edom, he shall visit thy wicked-ness, he shall uncover thy sins.