Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider and behold our reproach.
Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us. Look and see our disgrace!
2 Our inheritance is turned to aliens: our houses to strangers.
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
3 We are become orphans without a father: our mothers are as widows.
We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers are widows.
4 We have drunk our water for money: we have bought our wood.
We must buy the water we drink; our wood comes at a price.
5 We were dragged by the necks, we were weary and no rest was given us.
We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest.
6 We have given our hand to Egypt, and to the Assyrians, that we might be satisfied with bread.
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.
7 Our fathers have sinned, and are not: and we have borne their iniquities.
Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.
8 Servants have ruled over us: there was none to redeem us out of their hand.
Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands.
9 We fetched our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the desert.
We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin was burnt as an oven, by reason of the violence of the famine.
Our skin is as hot as an oven with fever from our hunger.
11 They oppressed the women in Sion, and the virgins in the cities of Juda.
Women have been ravished in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 The princes were hanged up by their hand: they did not respect the persons of the ancient.
Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders receive no respect.
13 They abused the young men indecently: and the children fell under the wood.
Young men toil at millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 The ancients have ceased from the gates: the young men from the choir of the singers.
The elders have left the city gate; the young men have stopped their music.
15 The joy of our heart is ceased, our dancing is turned into mourning.
Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.
16 The crown is fallen from our head woe to us, because we have sinned.
The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Therefore is our heart sorrowful, therefore are our eyes become dim,
Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim—
18 For mount Sion, because it is destroyed, foxes have walked upon it.
because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes.
19 But thou, O Lord, shalt remain for ever, thy throne from generation to generation.
You, O LORD, reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to generation.
20 Why wilt thou forget us for ever? why wilt thou forsake us for a long time?
Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?
21 Convert us, O Lord, to thee, and we shall be converted: renew our days, as from the beginning.
Restore us to Yourself, O LORD, so we may return; renew our days as of old,
22 But thou hast utterly rejected us, thou art exceedingly angry against us.
unless You have utterly rejected us and remain angry with us beyond measure.
