Lamentations 5
1 Lord, please remember what's happened to us. Look at us and see how we've been humiliated!
Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.
2 The land we used to own has been handed over to strangers, our houses have been given to foreigners.
Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers.
3 We have lost our fathers, and our mothers are widows.
We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure modris ben as widewis.
4 The water we drink we have to pay for; our firewood comes at a price.
We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.
5 Like animals we're driven along with harnesses around our necks; we're worn out but don't find any rest.
We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not youun to feynt men.
6 We allied ourselves with Egypt and Assyria so we could have plenty of food.
We yauen hond to Egipt, and to Assiriens, that we schulden be fillid with breed.
7 Our forefathers sinned and they're gone, but we're being punished for their sins.
Oure fadris synneden, and ben not, and we baren the wickidnessis of hem.
8 Servants of our conqueror rule over us; no one can save us from their power.
Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that ayenbouyte fro the hond of hem.
9 We take our lives in our hands when we look for food, because of the armed raiders in the desert.
In oure lyues we brouyten breed to vs, fro the face of swerd in desert.
10 Our skin is hot like an oven because of the fever caused by hunger.
Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur.
11 They raped women in Zion, virgins in the towns of Judah.
Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda.
12 Princes have been hung up by their hands; they show elders no respect.
Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men.
13 Young men are forced to work at hand-mills; boys stagger under bundles of wood.
Thei mysusiden yonge wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree.
14 The elders have abandoned their places at the city gate; the young men have given up playing their music.
Elde men failiden fro yatis; yonge men failiden of the queer of singeris.
15 There's no more happiness for us; our dancing has turned into mourning.
The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song is turned in to mourenyng.
16 The crown has fallen from our head. What a disaster has come upon us because we have sinned!
The coroun of oure heed fellen doun; wo to vs! for we synneden.
17 Because of all this, we're sick at heart; because of all these things, we can hardly look;
Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iyen ben maad derk.
18 Because of Mount Zion, which has been abandoned, and where only foxes roam.
For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis yeden in it.
19 But you, Lord, live forever! You rule for all generations!
But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in generacioun and in to generacioun.
20 So why have you forgotten us for such a long time? Why have you abandoned us for so many years?
Whi schalt thou foryete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies?
21 Bring us back to you, Lord, so we can be with you again. Please remake our lives like they used to be.
Lord, conuerte thou vs to thee, and we schal be conuertid; make thou newe oure daies, as at the bigynnyng.
22 Or have you have completely rejected us? Are you still really furious with us?
But thou castynge awei hast cast awei vs; thou art wrooth ayens vs greetli.
