Lamentations 5
1 Yahweh, think about what has happened to us. See that we have been disgraced.
Remember, O Yahweh, what hath befallen us, Look around, and see our reproach:
2 Foreigners have seized our property, [and now] they live in our homes.
Our inheritance, turned over to foreigners, our houses, to aliens.
3 [Our enemies] have killed our fathers; they caused our mothers to become widows.
Orphans, have we become, and fatherless, our mothers, are widows indeed.
4 [Now] we are required to pay for water to drink, and we must pay [a lot of money] for firewood.
Our water—for silver, have we drunk, our wood—for a price, cometh in.
5 [It is as though] those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted, but they do not allow us to rest.
Upon our necks, are our pursuers, We labour, and there is allowed us 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].
To Egypt, have we stretched out our hand, to Assyria, to be satisfied with bread.
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, and, we, their iniquities, have borne.
8 [Officials from Babylon] who were [previously] slaves [now] rule over us, and there is no one who can rescue us from their power.
Slaves, have ruled over us, There is none to set free from 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.
At the risk of our life, do we bring in our bread, because of the sword of the desert.
10 Our skin has become hot like [SIM] an oven, and we have a very high fever because we are extremely hungry.
Our skin, as with a furnace, is scorched, because of the hot winds 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.
Women—in Zion, were ravished, virgins, in the cities of Judah!
12 [Our enemies] have hanged our leaders, and they do not respect our elders.
Princes, by their hand, have been hanged, The faces of elders, not honoured.
13 They force our young men to grind [flour] with millstones, and boys stagger while they [are forced to] carry [heavy] loads of firewood.
Young men, a millstone, have lifted, and, youths, under wood, have staggered.
14 [Our] elders no longer sit at the city gates [to make important decisions]; the young men no longer play their musical [instruments].
Elders, from the gates, have ceased. Young men, from their music.
15 We [SYN] are no longer joyful; instead of dancing [joyfully], we now mourn.
Ceased hath the joy of our hearts, Changed to mourning, our dance.
16 The wreaths [of flowers] have fallen off our heads. Terrible things have happened to us because of the sins that we committed.
Fallen is the crown of our head. Surely 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 cause, faint is our heart, For these things, dimmed are our eyes:
18 Jerusalem is [completely] deserted, and jackals/wolves prowl around it.
Because of Mount Zion, which is desolate, jackals, have gone prowling therein.
19 But Yahweh, you rule forever! You continue to rule [MTY] from one generation to the next generation.
Thou, O Yahweh, unto times age-abiding, dost remain, Thy throne, from generation to generation:
20 [So] why [RHQ] have you forgotten us? Why [RHQ] have you abandoned us for a very long time?
Wherefore shouldst thou perpetually forget us? forsake us, to length of days?
21 [Please] enable us to return to you, and enable us to prosper [MTY] as we did previously.
Bring us back, O Yahweh, unto thyself, and we will come back! Renew our days, as of old;
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 though thou hast not, utterly rejected, us, thou art wroth with us—exceedingly!
