Lamentations 5
1 Remember, LORD, what has come on us. Look, and see our reproach.
Remember, Yahweh, 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 orphans, the fatherless, and our mothers are like widows.
4 We must pay for water to drink. Our wood is sold to us.
We must pay silver for the water we drink, and we must pay silver to get our own wood.
5 Our pursuers are on our necks. We are weary, and have no rest.
Those who are coming after us are close behind us; we are weary and we can find no rest.
6 We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
We have given ourselves to Egypt and to Assyria to get enough food.
7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more. We have borne their iniquities.
Our fathers sinned, and they are no more, and we bear their iniquities.
8 Servants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand.
Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to deliver us from their hand.
9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
We get our bread only by risking 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 has grown as hot as an oven because of the burning heat of hunger.
11 They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.
Women are raped in Zion, and virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes were hanged up by their hands. The faces of elders were not honoured.
Princes are hung up by their own hands, and no honor is shown to the elders.
13 The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood.
Young men are forced to grind grain with a millstone, and boys stagger under heavy 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, and the young men have left their music.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased. Our dance is turned into mourning.
The joy of our heart has ceased and our dancing has 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; woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 For this our heart is faint. For these things our eyes are dim:
For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes grow dim
18 for the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it.
for Mount Zion lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.
19 You, LORD, remain forever. Your throne is from generation to generation.
But you, Yahweh, reign forever, and you will sit upon your throne from generation to generation.
20 Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time?
Why do you forget us forever? Why do you forsake us for so many days?
21 Turn us to yourself, LORD, and we will be turned. Renew our days as of old.
Restore us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be restored. Renew our days as they were long ago—
22 But you have utterly rejected us. You are very angry against us.
unless you have utterly rejected us and you are angry with us beyond measure.
