Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O Yahweh, what hath befallen us, Look around, and see our reproach:
Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us. Look and see our disgrace!
2 Our inheritance, turned over to foreigners, our houses, to aliens.
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
3 Orphans, have we become, and fatherless, our mothers, are widows indeed.
We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers are widows.
4 Our water—for silver, have we drunk, our wood—for a price, cometh in.
We must buy the water we drink; our wood comes at a price.
5 Upon our necks, are our pursuers, We labour, and there is allowed us no rest.
We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest.
6 To Egypt, have we stretched out our hand, to Assyria, to be satisfied with bread.
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.
7 Our fathers, sinned, and are not, and, we, their iniquities, have borne.
Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.
8 Slaves, have ruled over us, There is none to set free from their hand.
Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands.
9 At the risk of our life, do we bring in our bread, because of the sword of the desert.
We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin, as with a furnace, is scorched, because of the hot winds of famine.
Our skin is as hot as an oven with fever from our hunger.
11 Women—in Zion, were ravished, virgins, in the cities of Judah!
Women have been ravished in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes, by their hand, have been hanged, The faces of elders, not honoured.
Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders receive no respect.
13 Young men, a millstone, have lifted, and, youths, under wood, have staggered.
Young men toil at millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 Elders, from the gates, have ceased. Young men, from their music.
The elders have left the city gate; the young men have stopped their music.
15 Ceased hath the joy of our hearts, Changed to mourning, our dance.
Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.
16 Fallen is the crown of our head. Surely woe to us, for we have sinned.
The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 For this cause, faint is our heart, For these things, dimmed are our eyes:
Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim—
18 Because of Mount Zion, which is desolate, jackals, have gone prowling therein.
because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes.
19 Thou, O Yahweh, unto times age-abiding, dost remain, Thy throne, from generation to generation:
You, O LORD, reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to generation.
20 Wherefore shouldst thou perpetually forget us? forsake us, to length of days?
Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?
21 Bring us back, O Yahweh, unto thyself, and we will come back! Renew our days, as of old;
Restore us to Yourself, O LORD, so we may return; renew our days as of old,
22 For though thou hast not, utterly rejected, us, thou art wroth with us—exceedingly!
unless You have utterly rejected us and remain angry with us beyond measure.
