Lamentations 5
1 Yahweh, think about what has happened to us. See that we have been disgraced.
Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us: behold, and look on our reproach.
2 Foreigners have seized our property, [and now] they live in our homes.
Our inheritance has been turned away to aliens, our houses to strangers:
3 [Our enemies] have killed our fathers; they caused our mothers to become widows.
we are become orphans, we have no father, our mothers are as widows.
4 [Now] we are required to pay for water to drink, and we must pay [a lot of money] for firewood.
We have drunk our water for money; our wood is sold to us [for a burden] on our neck:
5 [It is as though] those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted, but they do not allow us to rest.
we have been persecuted, we have laboured, we have had no rest.
6 In order to get enough food [to remain alive], we went to Egypt and Assyria and offered to work [for the people there].
Egypt gave the hand [to us], Assur to their own satisfaction.
7 Our ancestors sinned, and now they are dead, but we are being punished for the sins that they committed.
Our fathers sinned, [and] are not: we have borne their iniquities.
8 [Officials from Babylon] who were [previously] slaves [now] rule over us, and there is no one who can rescue us from their power.
Servants have ruled over us: there is none to ransom [us] out of their hand.
9 When we roam around in the desert searching for food, we are in danger of being killed, because people there kill strangers with their swords.
We shall bring in our bread with [danger of] our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness.
10 Our skin has become hot like [SIM] an oven, and we have a very high fever because we are extremely hungry.
Our skin is blackened like an oven; they are convulsed, because of the storms of famine.
11 [Our enemies] have raped the women in Jerusalem, [and they have done that to] the young women in [all] the towns of Judea.
They humbled the women in Sion, the virgins in the cities of Juda.
12 [Our enemies] have hanged our leaders, and they do not respect our elders.
Princes were hanged up by their hands: the elders were not honored.
13 They force our young men to grind [flour] with millstones, and boys stagger while they [are forced to] carry [heavy] loads of firewood.
The chosen men lifted up [the voice in] weeping, and the youths fainted under the wood.
14 [Our] elders no longer sit at the city gates [to make important decisions]; the young men no longer play their musical [instruments].
And the elders ceased from the gate, the chosen men ceased from their music.
15 We [SYN] are no longer joyful; instead of dancing [joyfully], we now mourn.
The joy of our heart has ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
16 The wreaths [of flowers] have fallen off our heads. Terrible things have happened to us because of the sins that we committed.
The crown has fallen [from] our head: yes, woe to us! for we have sinned.
17 We [SYN] are tired and discouraged [IDM], and we cannot see well because our eyes are [full of tears].
For this has grief come; our heart is sorrowful: for this our eyes are darkened.
18 Jerusalem is [completely] deserted, and jackals/wolves prowl around it.
Over the mountain of Sion, because it is made desolate, foxes have walked therein.
19 But Yahweh, you rule forever! You continue to rule [MTY] from one generation to the next generation.
But you, O Lord, shall dwell for ever; your throne [shall endure] to generation and generation.
20 [So] why [RHQ] have you forgotten us? Why [RHQ] have you abandoned us for a very long time?
Therefore will you utterly forget us, and abandon us a long time?
21 [Please] enable us to return to you, and enable us to prosper [MTY] as we did previously.
Turn us, O Lord, to you, and we shall be turned; and renew our days as before.
22 Please do that, because we hope that [RHQ] you have not rejected us forever and that [RHQ] you do not continue to be extremely angry with us!
For you have indeed rejected us; you have been very angry against us.
