Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us. Look and see our disgrace!
Remember, O Lord, what hath occurred to us, look down, and behold our disgrace.
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3 We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers are widows.
Orphans are we become, and [we are] without a father, our mothers are like widows.
4 We must buy the water we drink; our wood comes at a price.
Our water have we drunk for money: our wood cometh to us for a purchase price.
5 We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest.
Up to our necks are we pursued: we are fatigued, and no rest is allowed us.
6 We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.
To Egypt do we stretch out our hand, to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.
Our fathers have sinned, and are no more; but we have indeed to bear their iniquities.
8 Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands.
Servants rule over us: no one delivereth us out of their hand.
9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the wilderness.
At the peril of our life must we bring home our bread, because of the sword of the wilderness.
10 Our skin is as hot as an oven with fever from our hunger.
Our skin gloweth like an oven, because of the heat of famine.
11 Women have been ravished in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah.
Women have they ravished in Zion, virgins, in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders receive no respect.
Princes were hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honored.
13 Young men toil at millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.
Young men they bore to the mill, and boys stumbled under the wood.
14 The elders have left the city gate; the young men have stopped their music.
The elders have ceased from the gate, young men, from their singing.
15 Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.
Ceased hath the joy of our heart: our dance is changed into mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
Fallen is the crown of our head: woe to us, for we have sinned.
17 Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim—
Because of this is our heart made sick; for these things are our eyes dimmed;
18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes.
Because of the mount of Zion which is wasted, foxes walk about on it.
19 You, O LORD, reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to generation.
O thou, Lord, wilt truly abide for ever, thy throne existeth throughout all generations.
20 Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?
Wherefore wilt thou forget us for ever! wilt thou forsake us for so long a time?
21 Restore us to Yourself, O LORD, so we may return; renew our days as of old,
Cause us to return, O Lord, unto thee, and we will return: renew our days as of old.
22 unless You have utterly rejected us and remain angry with us beyond measure.
For wouldst thou entirely reject us, be wroth with us to the uttermost?
