Lamentations 5
1 Remember, Yahweh, what has happened to us; look and see our disgrace.
Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us: behold, and look on our reproach.
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers; our houses to foreigners.
Our inheritance has been turned away to aliens, our houses to strangers:
3 We have become orphans, the fatherless, and our mothers are like widows.
we are become orphans, we have no father, our mothers are as widows.
4 We must pay silver for the water we drink, and we must pay silver to get our own wood.
We have drunk our water for money; our wood is sold to us [for a burden] on our neck:
5 Those who are coming after us are close behind us; we are weary and we can find no rest.
we have been persecuted, we have laboured, we have had no rest.
6 We have given ourselves to Egypt and to Assyria to get enough food.
Egypt gave the hand [to us], Assur to their own satisfaction.
7 Our fathers sinned, and they are no more, and we bear their iniquities.
Our fathers sinned, [and] are not: we have borne their iniquities.
8 Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
Servants have ruled over us: there is none to ransom [us] out of their hand.
9 We get our bread only by risking 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 has grown as hot as an oven because of the burning heat of hunger.
Our skin is blackened like an oven; they are convulsed, because of the storms of famine.
11 Women are raped in Zion, and virgins in the cities of Judah.
They humbled the women in Sion, the virgins in the cities of Juda.
12 Princes are hung up by their own hands, and no honor is shown to the elders.
Princes were hanged up by their hands: the elders were not honored.
13 Young men are forced to grind grain with a millstone, and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.
The chosen men lifted up [the voice in] weeping, and the youths fainted under the wood.
14 The elders have left the city gate, and the young men have left their music.
And the elders ceased from the gate, the chosen men ceased from their music.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased and our dancing has turned into mourning.
The joy of our heart has ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
16 The crown has 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 has become sick, for these things our eyes grow dim
For this has grief come; our heart is sorrowful: for this our eyes are darkened.
18 for Mount Zion lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.
Over the mountain of Sion, because it is made desolate, foxes have walked therein.
19 But you, Yahweh, reign forever, and you will sit upon your throne from generation to generation.
But you, O Lord, shall dwell for ever; your throne [shall endure] to generation and generation.
20 Why do you forget us forever? Why do you forsake us for so many days?
Therefore will you utterly forget us, and abandon us a long time?
21 Restore us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be restored. Renew our days as they were long ago—
Turn us, O Lord, to you, and we shall be turned; and renew our days as before.
22 unless you have utterly rejected us and you are angry with us beyond measure.
For you have indeed rejected us; you have been very angry against us.
