The Babylonian Exile

Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.

O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.

O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.

Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.

Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:

The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.

Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.

Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.

Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.

Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.

How is the golde become so dimme? the most fine golde is changed, and the stones of the Sanctuarie are scattered in the corner of euery streete.

The noble men of Zion coparable to fine golde, howe are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, euen the worke of the handes of the potter!

Euen the dragons draw out the breastes, and giue sucke to their yong, but the daughter of my people is become cruell like the ostriches in the wildernesse.

The tongue of the sucking childe cleaueth to the roofe of his mouth for thirst: the yong children aske bread, but no man breaketh it vnto them.

They that did feede delicately, perish in the streetes: they that were brought vp in skarlet, embrace the dongue.

For the iniquitie of the daughter of my people is become greater then the sinne of Sodom, that was destroyed as in a moment, and none pitched campes against her.

Her Nazarites were purer then the snowe, and whiter then ye milke: they were more ruddie in bodie, then the redde precious stones; they were like polished saphir.

Nowe their visage is blacker then a cole: they can not knowe them in the streetes: their skinne cleaueth to their bones: it is withered like a stocke.

They that be slaine with the sword are better, then they that are killed with hunger: for they fade away as they were striken through for the fruites of the fielde.

The hands of the pitifull women haue sodden their owne children, which were their meate in the destruction of the daughter of my people.

The Lord hath accomplished his indignation: he hath powred out his fierce wrath, he hath kindled a fire in Zion, which hath deuoured the foundations thereof.

The Kings of the earth, and all the inhabitants of the world would not haue beleeued that the aduersarie and the enemie should haue entred into the gates of Ierusalem:

For the sinnes of her Prophets, and the iniquities of her Priests, that haue shed the blood of the iust in the middes of her.

They haue wandred as blinde men in the streetes, and they were polluted with blood, so that they would not touch their garments.

But they cried vnto them, Depart, ye polluted, depart, depart, touch not: therefore they fled away, and wandered: they haue sayd among the heathen, They shall no more dwell there.