'Precious' in the Bible

In the days of her affliction and homelessnessJerusalem remembers all her precious thingsThat she had from the days of old,When her people fell into the hand of the adversary,And no one helped her,The enemy saw her,They mocked at her downfall.

The adversary has spread out his handOver all her precious and desirable things;For she has seen the [Gentile] nations enter her sanctuary (the Jerusalem temple)—The ones whom You commandedThat they should not enter into Your congregation [not even in the outer courts].

All her people groan, seeking bread;They have exchanged their desirable and precious things for foodTo restore their lives.“See, O Lord, and considerHow despised and repulsive I have become!”

The [noble and] precious sons of Zion,[Once] worth their weight in fine gold,How they are regarded [merely] as earthen jars,The work of a potter’s hands!