Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O Yahweh, what hath befallen us, Look around, and see our reproach:
Remember, Yahweh, 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 orphans, the fatherless, and our mothers are like widows.
4 Our water—for silver, have we drunk, our wood—for a price, cometh in.
We must pay silver for the water we drink, and we must pay silver to get our own wood.
5 Upon our necks, are our pursuers, We labour, and there is allowed us no rest.
Those who are coming after us are close behind us; we are weary and we can find no rest.
6 To Egypt, have we stretched out our hand, to Assyria, to be satisfied with bread.
We have given ourselves to Egypt and to Assyria to get enough food.
7 Our fathers, sinned, and are not, and, we, their iniquities, have borne.
Our fathers sinned, and they are no more, and we bear their iniquities.
8 Slaves, have ruled over us, There is none to set free from their hand.
Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
9 At the risk of our life, do we bring in our bread, because of the sword of the desert.
We get our bread only by risking 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 has grown as hot as an oven because of the burning heat of hunger.
11 Women—in Zion, were ravished, virgins, in the cities of Judah!
Women are raped in Zion, and virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes, by their hand, have been hanged, The faces of elders, not honoured.
Princes are hung up by their own hands, and no honor is shown to the elders.
13 Young men, a millstone, have lifted, and, youths, under wood, have staggered.
Young men are forced to grind grain with a millstone, and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.
14 Elders, from the gates, have ceased. Young men, from their music.
The elders have left the city gate, and the young men have left their music.
15 Ceased hath the joy of our hearts, Changed to mourning, our dance.
The joy of our heart has ceased and our dancing has turned into 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:
For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes grow dim
18 Because of Mount Zion, which is desolate, jackals, have gone prowling therein.
for Mount Zion lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.
19 Thou, O Yahweh, unto times age-abiding, dost remain, Thy throne, from generation to generation:
But you, Yahweh, reign forever, and you will sit upon your throne from generation to generation.
20 Wherefore shouldst thou perpetually forget us? forsake us, to length of days?
Why do you forget us forever? Why do you forsake us for so many days?
21 Bring us back, O Yahweh, unto thyself, and we will come 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 though thou hast not, utterly rejected, us, thou art wroth with us—exceedingly!
unless you have utterly rejected us and you are angry with us beyond measure.
