Lamentations 5
1 Lord, please remember what's happened to us. Look at us and see how we've been humiliated!
Remember, O YHWH, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.
2 The land we used to own has been handed over to strangers, our houses have been given to foreigners.
Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3 We have lost our fathers, and our mothers are widows.
We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.
4 The water we drink we have to pay for; our firewood comes at a price.
We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.
5 Like animals we're driven along with harnesses around our necks; we're worn out but don't find any rest.
Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.
6 We allied ourselves with Egypt and Assyria so we could have plenty of food.
We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Our forefathers sinned and they're gone, but we're being punished for their sins.
Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.
8 Servants of our conqueror rule over us; no one can save us from their power.
Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.
9 We take our lives in our hands when we look for food, because of the armed raiders in the desert.
We got our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.
10 Our skin is hot like an oven because of the fever caused by hunger.
Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.
11 They raped women in Zion, virgins in the towns of Judah.
They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes have been hung up by their hands; they show elders no respect.
Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
13 Young men are forced to work at hand-mills; boys stagger under bundles of wood.
They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
14 The elders have abandoned their places at the city gate; the young men have given up playing their music.
The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.
15 There's no more happiness for us; our dancing has turned into mourning.
The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head. What a disaster has come upon us because we have sinned!
The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
17 Because of all this, we're sick at heart; because of all these things, we can hardly look;
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.
18 Because of Mount Zion, which has been abandoned, and where only foxes roam.
Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.
19 But you, Lord, live forever! You rule for all generations!
Thou, O YHWH, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.
20 So why have you forgotten us for such a long time? Why have you abandoned us for so many years?
Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
21 Bring us back to you, Lord, so we can be with you again. Please remake our lives like they used to be.
Turn thou us unto thee, O YHWH, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
22 Or have you have completely rejected us? Are you still really furious with us?
But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us...
