Lamentations 4
(1) Israel Lost its Luster
The once-shiny gold has changed and grown so dark! The special gemstones* have spilled out on every street corner. People used to compare Jerusalem’s finest sons used to gold, but now they’re regarded as clay pots that made by a common potter.
Even dragons nurse their young, but the daughter of my people has become cruel to her offspring like a wild ostrich. Her infant’s tongue sticks to the roof of its mouth from being so parched. Her children ask for food, but no one gives them any. Her people who formerly ate delicacies now find themselves empty-handed in the streets. Those who grew up established in crimson now live in the dump. The daughter of my people is more corrupt than Sodom—which was overturned in an instant and didn’t receive a single helping hand.
Jerusalem’s finest people used to be brighter than snow, and whiter than milk. Their frame was more polished than the reddest of rubies. They used to shine like sapphires… but now they’ve faded to black—completely unrecognizable to the public. Their skin has shriveled up over their bones and dried out like a dead branch.
It would have been better for them to be pierced by the sword than pierced with starvation, because issues start gushing out when there’s not enough food. Compassionate women cooked their own children and ate them—that’s how broken the daughter of my people has become.
The Existing One’s anger has been spent. He poured out His fierce anger and lit Jerusalem ablaze, consuming its foundation. The world and its kings never thought the enemy could breech Jerusalem’s gates like this.
(13) Prophets and Priests Corrupted
Jerusalem’s prophets have committed crimes, and her priests have been corrupted. Both have shed innocent blood and now blindly stagger around in the streets. They were defiled with blood, which prevented anyone else from even touching their clothes. It’s as if they told everyone,
“Get away! We’re impure! Stay away! Don’t touch us!”
So they kept everyone else away and continued staggering about.
People in other countries said,
“We should ban those guys from even living in our neighborhoods.”
(16) Other Countries Laugh at Israel
The Existing One has scattered Israel, so now He won’t pay attention to them anymore. They didn’t honor their priests or consider their elders.
Our eyes have failed us, because looking for help was useless. We were looking to a nation that couldn’t save us. The enemy tracked our footprints, so we couldn’t go out in public. Our end was approaching, and our time was up. Our enemies chased us down quicker than an eagle in flight, pushing us to the mountains and waiting in the wilderness to ambush us. Even though we were nominated by the Existing One, the trenches they dug knocked the wind out of our lungs. We had even said,
“God’s shade will preserve our lives in the midst of the other countries.”
So, to daughter of Edom in the woodlands [Esau’s descendants]: you can go ahead and celebrate—but just know that the cup will eventually be passed to you. Soon enough, you’ll find yourself drunk and naked. The consequences of your crimes are coming to an end, oh daughter of Jerusalem. God won’t expose your nakedness any more—but He WILL tend to your corruption, daughter of Edom! He’ll expose your corruption.
*Israel is compared to gemstones that have tarnished. The priests used to use gemstones to represent each tribe.