Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O YHWH, what has befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.
Remember, LORD, what has come on us. Look, and see our reproach.
2 Our inheritance has been turned to strangers, Our houses to foreigners.
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3 Orphans we have been—without a father, our mothers [are] as widows.
We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are as widows.
4 We have drunk our water for money, Our wood comes for a price.
We must pay for water to drink. Our wood is sold to us.
5 For our neck we have been pursued, We have labored—there has been no rest for us.
Our pursuers are on our necks. We are weary, and have no rest.
6 [To] Egypt we have given a hand, [To] Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.
We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Our fathers have sinned—they are not, We have borne their iniquities.
Our fathers sinned, and are no more. We have borne their iniquities.
8 Servants have ruled over us, There is no deliverer from their hand.
Servants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand.
9 With our lives we bring in our bread, Because of the sword of the wilderness.
We get our bread at the peril of 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 is black like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.
11 Wives in Zion they have humbled, Virgins—in cities of Judah.
They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes have been hanged by their hand, Elderly faces have not been honored.
Princes were hanged up by their hands. The faces of elders were not honored.
13 They have taken young men to grind, And youths have stumbled with wood.
The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood.
14 Elderly have ceased from the gate, Young men from their song.
The elders have ceased from the gate, and the young men from their music.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased, Our dancing has been turned to mourning.
The joy of our heart has ceased. Our dance is 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 is faint. For these things our eyes are dim:
18 For the Mount of Zion—that is desolate, Foxes have gone up on it.
for the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it.
19 You, O YHWH, remain for all time, Your throne to generation and generation.
You, LORD, remain forever. Your throne is 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, and forsake us for so long a time?
21 Turn us back, O YHWH, to You, And we turn back, renew our days as of old.
Turn us to yourself, LORD, and we will be turned. Renew our days as of old.
22 For have You utterly rejected us? You have been angry against us—exceedingly?
But you have utterly rejected us. You are very angry against us.
