Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O Lord, what is come vpon vs: consider, and behold our reproche.
Yahweh, think about what has happened to us. See that we have been disgraced.
2 Our inheritance is turned to the strangers, our houses to the aliants.
Foreigners have seized our property, [and now] they live in our homes.
3 We are fatherles, euen without father, and our mothers are as widowes.
[Our enemies] have killed our fathers; they caused our mothers to become widows.
4 Wee haue drunke our water for money, and our wood is solde vnto vs.
[Now] we are required to pay for water to drink, and we must pay [a lot of money] for firewood.
5 Our neckes are vnder persecution: we are wearie, and haue no rest.
[It is as though] those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted, but they do not allow us to rest.
6 We haue giuen our handes to the Egyptians, and to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.
In order to get enough food [to remain alive], we went to Egypt and Assyria and offered to work [for the people there].
7 Our fathers haue sinned, and are not, and we haue borne their iniquities.
Our ancestors sinned, and now they are dead, but we are being punished for the sins that they committed.
8 Seruants haue ruled ouer vs, none would deliuer vs out of their hands.
[Officials from Babylon] who were [previously] slaves [now] rule over us, and there is no one who can rescue us from their power.
9 Wee gate our bread with the perill of our liues, because of the sword of the wildernesse.
When we roam around in the desert searching for food, we are in danger of being killed, because people there kill strangers with their swords.
10 Our skinne was blacke like as an ouen because of the terrible famine.
Our skin has become hot like [SIM] an oven, and we have a very high fever because we are extremely hungry.
11 They defiled the women in Zion, and the maydes in the cities of Iudah.
[Our enemies] have raped the women in Jerusalem, [and they have done that to] the young women in [all] the towns of Judea.
12 The princes are hanged vp by their hande: the faces of the elders were not had in honour.
[Our enemies] have hanged our leaders, and they do not respect our elders.
13 They tooke the yong men to grinde, and the children fell vnder the wood.
They force our young men to grind [flour] with millstones, and boys stagger while they [are forced to] carry [heavy] loads of firewood.
14 The Elders haue ceased from the gate and the yong men from their songs.
[Our] elders no longer sit at the city gates [to make important decisions]; the young men no longer play their musical [instruments].
15 The ioy of our heart is gone, our daunce is turned into mourning.
We [SYN] are no longer joyful; instead of dancing [joyfully], we now mourn.
16 The crowne of our head is fallen: wo nowe vnto vs, that we haue sinned.
The wreaths [of flowers] have fallen off our heads. Terrible things have happened to us because of the sins that we committed.
17 Therefore our heart is heauy for these things, our eyes are dimme,
We [SYN] are tired and discouraged [IDM], and we cannot see well because our eyes are [full of tears].
18 Because of the mountaine of Zion which is desolate: the foxes runne vpon it.
Jerusalem is [completely] deserted, and jackals/wolves prowl around it.
19 But thou, O Lord, remainest for euer: thy throne is from generation to generation.
But Yahweh, you rule forever! You continue to rule [MTY] from one generation to the next generation.
20 Wherefore doest thou forget vs for euer, and forsake vs so long time?
[So] why [RHQ] have you forgotten us? Why [RHQ] have you abandoned us for a very long time?
21 Turne thou vs vnto thee, O Lord, and we shalbe turned: renue our dayes as of olde.
[Please] enable us to return to you, and enable us to prosper [MTY] as we did previously.
22 But thou hast vtterly reiected vs: thou art exceedingly angry against vs.
Please do that, because we hope that [RHQ] you have not rejected us forever and that [RHQ] you do not continue to be extremely angry with us!
