Lamentations 5
1 Remember, YHWH, what has come on us. Look, and see our disgrace.
Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us: behold, and look on our reproach.
2 Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
Our inheritance has been turned away to aliens, our houses to strangers:
3 We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are like widows.
we are become orphans, we have no father, our mothers are as widows.
4 We have to pay for a drink of water; our wood is sold to us.
We have drunk our water for money; our wood is sold to us [for a burden] on our neck:
5 Our pursuers are on our necks; we are weary, and have no rest.
we have been persecuted, we have laboured, we have had no rest.
6 We have submitted to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians, to get enough bread.
Egypt gave the hand [to us], Assur to their own satisfaction.
7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more; but we have borne their iniquities.
Our fathers sinned, [and] are not: we have borne their iniquities.
8 Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand.
Servants have ruled over us: there is none to ransom [us] out of their hand.
9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
We shall bring in our bread with [danger of] our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness.
10 Our skin is hot like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.
Our skin is blackened like an oven; they are convulsed, because of the storms of famine.
11 They raped the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.
They humbled the women in Sion, the virgins in the cities of Juda.
12 Princes were hung by their hands; elders were shown no respect.
Princes were hanged up by their hands: the elders were not honoured.
13 The young men grind at the mill; the boys stagger under loads of wood.
The chosen men lifted up [the voice in] weeping, and the youths fainted under the wood.
14 The elders have gone from the gate, the young men from their music.
And the elders ceased from the gate, the chosen men ceased from their music.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased; our dancing is turned into mourning.
The joy of our heart has ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
16 The crown is fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned.
The crown has fallen [from] our head: yes, woe to us! for we have sinned.
17 For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes grow dim.
For this has grief come; our heart is sorrowful: for this our eyes are darkened.
18 For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate; the foxes walk on it.
Over the mountain of Sion, because it is made desolate, foxes have walked therein.
19 But you, YHWH, abide forever; your throne is from generation to generation.
But you, O Lord, shall dwell for ever; your throne [shall endure] to generation and generation.
20 Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?
Therefore will you utterly forget us, and abandon us a long time?
21 Restore us to you, YHWH, and we shall be restored; renew our days as in former times,
Turn us, O Lord, to you, and we shall be turned; and renew our days as before.
22 unless you have completely rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.
For you have indeed rejected us; you have been very angry against us.
