Lamentations 5
1 Remember, Yahweh, what has happened to us; look and see our disgrace.
Yahweh, think about what has happened to us. See that we have been disgraced.
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers; our houses to foreigners.
Foreigners have seized our property, [and now] they live in our homes.
3 We have become orphans, the fatherless, and our mothers are like widows.
[Our enemies] have killed our fathers; they caused our mothers to become widows.
4 We must pay silver for the water we drink, and we must pay silver to get our own wood.
[Now] we are required to pay for water to drink, and we must pay [a lot of money] for firewood.
5 Those who are coming after us are close behind us; we are weary and we can find no rest.
[It is as though] those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted, but they do not allow us to rest.
6 We have given ourselves to Egypt and to Assyria to get enough food.
In order to get enough food [to remain alive], we went to Egypt and Assyria and offered to work [for the people there].
7 Our fathers sinned, and they are no more, and we bear their iniquities.
Our ancestors sinned, and now they are dead, but we are being punished for the sins that they committed.
8 Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
[Officials from Babylon] who were [previously] slaves [now] rule over us, and there is no one who can rescue us from their power.
9 We get our bread only by risking our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
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.
10 Our skin has grown as hot as an oven because of the burning heat of hunger.
Our skin has become hot like [SIM] an oven, and we have a very high fever because we are extremely hungry.
11 Women are raped in Zion, and virgins in the cities of Judah.
[Our enemies] have raped the women in Jerusalem, [and they have done that to] the young women in [all] the towns of Judea.
12 Princes are hung up by their own hands, and no honor is shown to the elders.
[Our enemies] have hanged our leaders, and they do not respect our elders.
13 Young men are forced to grind grain with a millstone, and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.
They force our young men to grind [flour] with millstones, and boys stagger while they [are forced to] carry [heavy] loads of firewood.
14 The elders have left the city gate, and the young men have left their music.
[Our] elders no longer sit at the city gates [to make important decisions]; the young men no longer play their musical [instruments].
15 The joy of our heart has ceased and our dancing has turned into mourning.
We [SYN] are no longer joyful; instead of dancing [joyfully], we now mourn.
16 The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!
The wreaths [of flowers] have fallen off our heads. Terrible things have happened to us because of the sins that we committed.
17 For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes grow dim
We [SYN] are tired and discouraged [IDM], and we cannot see well because our eyes are [full of tears].
18 for Mount Zion lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.
Jerusalem is [completely] deserted, and jackals/wolves prowl around it.
19 But you, Yahweh, reign forever, and you will sit upon your throne from generation to generation.
But Yahweh, you rule forever! You continue to rule [MTY] from one generation to the next generation.
20 Why do you forget us forever? Why do you forsake us for so many days?
[So] why [RHQ] have you forgotten us? Why [RHQ] have you abandoned us for a very long time?
21 Restore us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be restored. Renew our days as they were long ago—
[Please] enable us to return to you, and enable us to prosper [MTY] as we did previously.
22 unless you have utterly rejected us and you are angry with us beyond measure.
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!
