Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O YHWH, what has befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.
Remember, Yahweh, what has happened to us; look and see our disgrace.
2 Our inheritance has been turned to strangers, Our houses to foreigners.
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers; our houses to foreigners.
3 Orphans we have been—without a father, our mothers [are] as widows.
We have become orphans, the fatherless, and our mothers are like widows.
4 We have drunk our water for money, Our wood comes for a price.
We must pay silver for the water we drink, and we must pay silver to get our own wood.
5 For our neck we have been pursued, We have labored—there has been no rest for us.
Those who are coming after us are close behind us; we are weary and we can find no rest.
6 [To] Egypt we have given a hand, [To] Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.
We have given ourselves to Egypt and to Assyria to get enough food.
7 Our fathers have sinned—they are not, We have borne their iniquities.
Our fathers sinned, and they are no more, and we bear their iniquities.
8 Servants have ruled over us, There is no deliverer from their hand.
Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
9 With our lives we bring in our bread, Because of the sword of the wilderness.
We get our bread only by risking our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin as an oven has been burning, Because of the raging of the famine.
Our skin has grown as hot as an oven because of the burning heat of hunger.
11 Wives in Zion they have humbled, Virgins—in cities of Judah.
Women are raped in Zion, and virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes have been hanged by their hand, Elderly faces have not been honored.
Princes are hung up by their own hands, and no honor is shown to the elders.
13 They have taken young men to grind, And youths have stumbled with wood.
Young men are forced to grind grain with a millstone, and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.
14 Elderly have ceased from the gate, Young men from their song.
The elders have left the city gate, and the young men have left their music.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased, Our dancing has been turned to mourning.
The joy of our heart has ceased and our dancing has turned into mourning.
16 The crown has fallen [from] our head, Woe [is] now to us, for we have sinned.
The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Our heart has been sick for this, Our eyes have been dim for these.
For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes grow dim
18 For the Mount of Zion—that is desolate, Foxes have gone up on it.
for Mount Zion lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.
19 You, O YHWH, remain for all time, Your throne to generation and generation.
But you, Yahweh, reign forever, and you will sit upon your throne from generation to generation.
20 Why do You forget us forever? You forsake us for [the] length of [our] days!
Why do you forget us forever? Why do you forsake us for so many days?
21 Turn us back, O YHWH, to You, And we turn back, renew our days as of old.
Restore us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be restored. Renew our days as they were long ago—
22 For have You utterly rejected us? You have been angry against us—exceedingly?
unless you have utterly rejected us and you are angry with us beyond measure.
