WHEN LEADERSHIP FAILS
Key verse: 13
NIV
4 [a]How the gold has lost its luster,
the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
at every street corner.(A)
2 How the precious children of Zion,(B)
once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay,
the work of a potter’s hands!
3 Even jackals offer their breasts
to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
like ostriches in the desert.(C)
4 Because of thirst(D) the infant’s tongue
sticks to the roof of its mouth;(E)
the children beg for bread,
but no one gives it to them.(F)
5 Those who once ate delicacies
are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple(G)
now lie on ash heaps.(H)
6 The punishment of my people
is greater than that of Sodom,(I)
which was overthrown in a moment
without a hand turned to help her.
7 Their princes were brighter than snow
and whiter than milk,
their bodies more ruddy than rubies,
their appearance like lapis lazuli.
8 But now they are blacker(J) than soot;
they are not recognized in the streets.
Their skin has shriveled on their bones;(K)
it has become as dry as a stick.
9 Those killed by the sword are better off
than those who die of famine;(L)
racked with hunger, they waste away
for lack of food from the field.(M)
10 With their own hands compassionate women
have cooked their own children,(N)
who became their food
when my people were destroyed.
11 The Lord has given full vent to his wrath;(O)
he has poured out(P) his fierce anger.(Q)
He kindled a fire(R) in Zion
that consumed her foundations.(S)
12 The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor did any of the peoples of the world,
that enemies and foes could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.(T)
13 But it happened because of the sins of her prophets
and the iniquities of her priests,(U)
who shed within her
the blood(V) of the righteous.
14 Now they grope through the streets
as if they were blind.(W)
They are so defiled with blood(X)
that no one dares to touch their garments.
15 “Go away! You are unclean!” people cry to them.
“Away! Away! Don’t touch us!”
When they flee and wander(Y) about,
people among the nations say,
“They can stay here no longer.”(Z)
16 The Lord himself has scattered them;
he no longer watches over them.(AA)
The priests are shown no honor,
the elders(AB) no favor.(AC)
17 Moreover, our eyes failed,
looking in vain(AD) for help;(AE)
from our towers we watched
for a nation(AF) that could not save us.
18 People stalked us at every step,
so we could not walk in our streets.
Our end was near, our days were numbered,
for our end had come.(AG)
19 Our pursuers were swifter
than eagles(AH) in the sky;
they chased us(AI) over the mountains
and lay in wait for us in the desert.(AJ)
20 The Lord’s anointed,(AK) our very life breath,
was caught in their traps.(AL)
We thought that under his shadow(AM)
we would live among the nations.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, the verses of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
Cross references
- Lamentations 4:1 : Eze 7:19
- Lamentations 4:2 : Isa 51:18
- Lamentations 4:3 : S Job 39:16
- Lamentations 4:4 : S Dt 28:48; S 2Ki 18:31
- Lamentations 4:4 : S Ps 22:15
- Lamentations 4:4 : La 2:11, 12
- Lamentations 4:5 : Jer 6:2
- Lamentations 4:5 : S Isa 3:26; Am 6:3-7
- Lamentations 4:6 : S Ge 19:25
- Lamentations 4:8 : S Job 30:28
- Lamentations 4:8 : Ps 102:3-5; S La 3:4
- Lamentations 4:9 : S 2Ki 25:3
- Lamentations 4:9 : S Jer 15:2; S 16:4; La 5:10
- Lamentations 4:10 : S Lev 26:29; Dt 28:53-57; Jer 19:9; La 2:20; Eze 5:10
- Lamentations 4:11 : S Job 20:23
- Lamentations 4:11 : S 2Ch 34:21
- Lamentations 4:11 : Na 1:6; Zep 2:2; 3:8
- Lamentations 4:11 : Jer 17:27
- Lamentations 4:11 : S Dt 32:22; S Jer 7:20; Eze 22:31
- Lamentations 4:12 : S 1Ki 9:9; S Jer 21:13
- Lamentations 4:13 : Jer 5:31; 6:13; Eze 22:28; Mic 3:11
- Lamentations 4:13 : S 2Ki 21:16
- Lamentations 4:14 : S Isa 59:10
- Lamentations 4:14 : Jer 19:4
- Lamentations 4:15 : S Jer 44:14
- Lamentations 4:15 : Lev 13:46; Mic 2:10
- Lamentations 4:16 : Isa 9:14-16
- Lamentations 4:16 : La 5:12
- Lamentations 4:16 : S La 2:6
- Lamentations 4:17 : S Ge 15:18; S Isa 20:5; Eze 29:16
- Lamentations 4:17 : S La 1:7
- Lamentations 4:17 : Jer 37:7
- Lamentations 4:18 : Eze 7:2-12; Am 8:2
- Lamentations 4:19 : S Dt 28:49
- Lamentations 4:19 : S Lev 26:36; Isa 5:26-28
- Lamentations 4:19 : Jer 52:7
- Lamentations 4:20 : S 1Sa 26:9; 2Sa 19:21
- Lamentations 4:20 : Jer 39:5; Eze 12:12-13; 19:4, 8
- Lamentations 4:20 : S Ps 91:1
- Lamentations 4:21 : S Ge 10:23
- Lamentations 4:21 : S Ps 16:5; S Jer 25:15
- Lamentations 4:21 : Isa 34:6-10; S 63:6; Eze 35:15; Am 1:11-12; Ob 1:16; Hab 2:16
- Lamentations 4:22 : Isa 40:2; Jer 33:8
- Lamentations 4:22 : S Ps 137:7; Eze 25:12-14; Mal 1:4
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway
ESV
The Holy Stones Lie Scattered
4 (A)How the gold has grown dim,
how the pure gold is changed!
The holy stones lie scattered
(B)at the head of every street.
2 The precious sons of Zion,
worth their weight in (C)fine gold,
how they are regarded as (D)earthen pots,
the work of a potter's hands!
3 Even jackals offer the breast;
they nurse their young;
but the daughter of my people has become cruel,
like the ostriches in the wilderness.
4 The tongue of the nursing infant (E)sticks
to the roof of its mouth for thirst;
(F)the children beg for food,
but no one gives to them.
5 Those who once feasted on delicacies
perish in the streets;
(G)those who were brought up in purple
embrace ash heaps.
6 (H)For the chastisement[a] of the daughter of my people has been greater
than the punishment[b] of Sodom,
(I)which was overthrown in a moment,
and no hands were wrung for her.[c]
7 Her princes were purer than snow,
whiter than milk;
their bodies were more ruddy than coral,
the beauty of their form[d] was like sapphire.[e]
8 (J)Now their face is blacker than soot;
they are not recognized in the streets;
their skin has shriveled on their bones;
it has become as dry as wood.
9 Happier were the victims of the sword
than the victims of hunger,
who wasted away, pierced
by lack of the fruits of the field.
10 (K)The hands of (L)compassionate women
(M)have boiled their own children;
(N)they became their food
during the destruction of the daughter of my people.
11 (O)The Lord gave full vent to his wrath;
he poured out his hot anger,
and (P)he kindled a fire in Zion
that consumed its foundations.
12 (Q)The kings of the earth did not believe,
nor any of the inhabitants of the world,
that foe or enemy could enter
the gates of Jerusalem.
13 This was for (R)the sins of her prophets
and (S)the iniquities of her priests,
who shed in the midst of her
the blood of the righteous.
14 (T)They wandered, blind, through the streets;
they were so defiled with blood
(U)that no one was able to touch
their garments.
15 “Away! (V)Unclean!” people cried at them.
“Away! Away! Do not touch!”
So they became fugitives and wanderers;
people said among the nations,
“They shall stay with us no longer.”
16 (W)The Lord himself[f] has scattered them;
he will regard them no more;
(X)no honor was shown to the priests,
(Y)no favor to the elders.
17 (Z)Our eyes failed, ever watching
(AA)vainly for help;
in our watching we watched
for (AB)a nation which could not save.
18 (AC)They dogged our steps
so that we could not walk in our streets;
(AD)our end drew near; our days were numbered,
for our end had come.
19 Our pursuers were (AE)swifter
than the eagles in the heavens;
they chased us on the mountains;
they lay in wait for us in the wilderness.
20 (AF)The breath of our nostrils, (AG)the Lord's anointed,
was captured (AH)in their pits,
of whom we said, (AI)“Under his shadow
we shall live among the nations.”
21 (AJ)Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of Edom,
you who dwell in (AK)the land of Uz;
but to you also (AL)the cup shall pass;
you shall become drunk and strip yourself bare.
22 (AM)The punishment of your iniquity, O daughter of Zion, is accomplished;
he will keep you in exile no longer;[g]
but (AN)your iniquity, O daughter of Edom, he will punish;
he will uncover your sins.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 4:6 Or iniquity
- Lamentations 4:6 Or sin
- Lamentations 4:6 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Lamentations 4:7 The meaning of the Hebrew is uncertain
- Lamentations 4:7 Hebrew lapis lazuli
- Lamentations 4:16 Hebrew The face of the Lord
- Lamentations 4:22 Or he will not exile you again
Cross references
- Lamentations 4:1 : [Isa. 1:22; Jer. 6:30]
- Lamentations 4:1 : ch. 2:19
- Lamentations 4:2 : Ps. 19:10
- Lamentations 4:2 : See Jer. 19:11
- Lamentations 4:4 : Ps. 22:15
- Lamentations 4:4 : [ch. 2:11]
- Lamentations 4:5 : [2 Sam. 1:24]
- Lamentations 4:6 : Matt. 10:15; Luke 10:12
- Lamentations 4:6 : Gen. 19:25; 2 Pet. 2:6; Jude 7
- Lamentations 4:8 : ch. 5:10; Job 30:30; [Ps. 119:83]
- Lamentations 4:10 : See Jer. 19:9
- Lamentations 4:10 : [1 Kgs. 3:26; Isa. 49:15]
- Lamentations 4:10 : [2 Kgs. 6:29]
- Lamentations 4:10 : Deut. 28:57
- Lamentations 4:11 : Ezek. 5:13
- Lamentations 4:11 : See Jer. 17:27
- Lamentations 4:12 : [Isa. 52:15; 53:1]
- Lamentations 4:13 : [ch. 2:20]; See Jer. 5:31; 23:21
- Lamentations 4:13 : [ch. 2:20]; See Jer. 5:31; 23:21
- Lamentations 4:14 : [Isa. 59:10]
- Lamentations 4:14 : [Num. 19:16]
- Lamentations 4:15 : [Lev. 13:45]
- Lamentations 4:16 : ch. 2:17
- Lamentations 4:16 : [Isa. 24:2]
- Lamentations 4:16 : ch. 5:12
- Lamentations 4:17 : Ps. 119:82, 123; [Jer. 3:23]
- Lamentations 4:17 : Ps. 119:82, 123; [Jer. 3:23]
- Lamentations 4:17 : Jer. 37:7, 8
- Lamentations 4:18 : ch. 3:52
- Lamentations 4:18 : Ezek. 7:2, 3, 6; Amos 8:2
- Lamentations 4:19 : Jer. 4:13; [2 Sam. 1:23; Hab. 1:8]
- Lamentations 4:20 : [Gen. 2:7]
- Lamentations 4:20 : [ch. 2:9; 2 Kgs. 25:5, 6]
- Lamentations 4:20 : [Ezek. 12:13; 17:20; 19:4, 8]
- Lamentations 4:20 : [Judg. 9:15; Ezek. 31:6, 17]
- Lamentations 4:21 : [ch. 1:21]
- Lamentations 4:21 : Job 1:1; Jer. 25:20
- Lamentations 4:21 : See Jer. 25:15, 16
- Lamentations 4:22 : [Isa. 40:2]
- Lamentations 4:22 : Obad. 10
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
The city of Jerusalem was once like pure gold. But because of their sin, they had grown dim. The people of Zion, once worth their weight in gold, became like cheap pottery. Infants can find no milk to drink. Children roam the streets begging for food that does not exist. People who were once wealthy now were dying homeless in the streets. The punishment that Jerusalem underwent seemed worse even than the destruction of Sodom. The princes of the city, once ruddy, with the beauty of sapphire, were now unrecognizable, their skin shriveled. Many must have felt they would have been better off if they had perished in the invasion of the Babylonians. This is the picture of the full vent of God’s wrath on sin.
What happened to Jerusalem was unbelievable, even to Judah’s enemies. How could an army invade the great city of Jerusalem? It was because the Babylonian invasion was God’s punishment for the sin of Judah. Even her spiritual leaders, the prophets and priests, sinned. They all had blood on their hands. Jerusalem was looking for other nations to come and save her. But no one could. So, the Lord drove them into exile. But their exile would be only for a time. People truly need spiritual leaders to show them the way to God.
Prayer: Father, without shepherds, we cannot but sin grievously against you. Send us spiritual leaders to show the way to you.
One Word: Lord, raise up faithful spiritual leaders!