Lamentations 5
1 Remember, Yahweh, what has happened to us; look and see our disgrace.
Remember, O Lord, what hath occurred to us, look down, and behold our disgrace.
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers; our houses to foreigners.
Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3 We have become orphans, the fatherless, and our mothers are like widows.
Orphans are we become, and [we are] without a father, our mothers are like widows.
4 We must pay silver for the water we drink, and we must pay silver to get our own wood.
Our water have we drunk for money: our wood cometh to us for a purchase price.
5 Those who are coming after us are close behind us; we are weary and we can find no rest.
Up to our necks are we pursued: we are fatigued, and no rest is allowed us.
6 We have given ourselves to Egypt and to Assyria to get enough food.
To Egypt do we stretch out our hand, to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Our fathers sinned, and they are no more, and we bear their iniquities.
Our fathers have sinned, and are no more; but we have indeed to bear their iniquities.
8 Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
Servants rule over us: no one delivereth us out of their hand.
9 We get our bread only by risking our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
At the peril of our life must we bring home our bread, 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 gloweth like an oven, because of the heat of famine.
11 Women are raped in Zion, and virgins in the cities of Judah.
Women have they ravished in Zion, virgins, in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes are hung up by their own hands, and no honor is shown to the elders.
Princes were hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honored.
13 Young men are forced to grind grain with a millstone, and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.
Young men they bore to the mill, and boys stumbled under the wood.
14 The elders have left the city gate, and the young men have left their music.
The elders have ceased from the gate, young men, from their singing.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased and our dancing has turned into mourning.
Ceased hath the joy of our heart: our dance is changed into mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!
Fallen is the crown of our head: woe to us, for we have sinned.
17 For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes grow dim
Because of this is our heart made sick; for these things are our eyes dimmed;
18 for Mount Zion lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.
Because of the mount of Zion which is wasted, foxes walk about on it.
19 But you, Yahweh, reign forever, and you will sit upon your throne from generation to generation.
O thou, Lord, wilt truly abide for ever, thy throne existeth throughout all generations.
20 Why do you forget us forever? Why do you forsake us for so many days?
Wherefore wilt thou forget us for ever! wilt thou forsake us for so long a time?
21 Restore us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be restored. Renew our days as they were long ago—
Cause us to return, O Lord, unto thee, and we will return: renew our days as of old.
22 unless you have utterly rejected us and you are angry with us beyond measure.
For wouldst thou entirely reject us, be wroth with us to the uttermost?
