Dual PanelThe Horrors of the Attack on Jerusalem
1See how the gold has turned dark, how the pure gold has changed. There are jewels scattered all around at every street corner.
2The precious people of Zion were once worth more than gold. But now they are treated like something worthless, like the cheap clay jars a potter makes.
3Even a wild dog feeds her babies. Even the jackal lets her pups suck at her breast. But my people neglect their young, like ostriches in the desert.
4Babies are so thirsty their tongues stick to the roof of their mouths. Young children ask for bread, but no one gives them any.
5Those who ate rich food are now dying in the streets. Those who grew up wearing nice red clothes now pick through garbage piles.
6The sin of my people was very great— greater than the sins of Sodom and Gomorrah. Those cities were destroyed suddenly, but not by any human hand.
7Some of the men of Judah were dedicated to God in a special way. They were purer than snow, whiter than milk. Their skin glowed with color like coral, and their beards shined like sapphire.
8But now their faces are blacker than soot. No one even recognizes them in the streets. Their skin is wrinkled over their bones. Their skin is like wood.
9It was better for those who were killed by the sword than for those who died of hunger. Those starving people were sad and hurt. They died because they got no food from the field.
10Then even nice women cooked their own children. The children were food for their mothers. This happened when my people were destroyed.
11The LORD used all of his anger. He poured out all his anger. He made a fire in Zion that burned it down to the foundations.
12The kings of the earth could not believe what had happened. The people of the world could not believe what had happened. They could not believe that enemies would be able to come through the city gates of Jerusalem.
13This happened because the prophets of Jerusalem sinned. This happened because the priests of Jerusalem did evil things. They were shedding the blood of good people in the city of Jerusalem.
14The prophets and priests walked around like blind men in the streets. They had become dirty with blood. No one could even touch their clothes because they were dirty.
15People shouted, “Go away! Go away! Don’t touch us.” They wandered around and had no home. People in other nations said, “We don’t want them to live with us.”
16The LORD himself destroyed them. He didn’t look after them anymore. He didn’t respect the priests. He was not friendly to the elders of Judah.
17We have worn out our eyes looking for help, but no help comes. We kept on looking for a nation to save us. We kept watch from our watchtower, but no nation came to us.
18Our enemies hunted us all the time. We could not even go out into the streets. Our end came near. Our time was up. Our end came!
19The men who chased us were faster than eagles in the sky. They chased us into the mountains. They hid in the desert to catch us.
20The king was very important to us. He was like the breath we breathe, but he was trapped by them. The LORD himself chose the king, and we said this about the king, “We will live in his shadow. He protects us from the nations.”
21Be happy, people of Edom. Be happy, you who live in the land of Uz. But remember, the cup of the Lord’s anger will come around to you too. When you drink from that cup, you will get drunk and strip off all your clothes.
22Your punishment is complete, Zion. You will not go into captivity again. But the Lord will punish your sins, people of Edom. He will uncover your sins.