Lamentations 5
1 Remember, LORD, what has come on us. Look, and see our reproach.
Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us. Look and see our disgrace!
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
3 We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are as widows.
We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers are widows.
4 We must pay for water to drink. Our wood is sold to us.
We must buy the water we drink; our wood comes at a price.
5 Our pursuers are on our necks. We are weary, and have no rest.
We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest.
6 We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.
7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more. We have borne their iniquities.
Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.
8 Servants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand.
Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands.
9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin is black like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.
Our skin is as hot as an oven with fever from our hunger.
11 They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.
Women have been ravished in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes were hanged up by their hands. The faces of elders were not honoured.
Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders receive no respect.
13 The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood.
Young men toil at millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 The elders have ceased from the gate, and the young men from their music.
The elders have left the city gate; the young men have stopped their music.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased. Our dance is turned into mourning.
Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.
16 The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 For this our heart is faint. For these things our eyes are dim:
Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim—
18 for the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it.
because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes.
19 You, LORD, remain forever. Your throne is from generation to generation.
You, O LORD, reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to generation.
20 Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time?
Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?
21 Turn us to yourself, LORD, and we will be turned. Renew our days as of old.
Restore us to Yourself, O LORD, so we may return; renew our days as of old,
22 But you have utterly rejected us. You are very angry against us.
unless You have utterly rejected us and remain angry with us beyond measure.
