Lamentations 5
1 Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.
Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us. Consider and look kindly upon our disgrace.
2 Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers.
Our inheritance has been turned over to foreigners; our houses to outsiders.
3 We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure modris ben as widewis.
We have become orphans without a father; our mothers are like widows.
4 We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.
We paid for our drinking water. We acquired our wood for a price.
5 We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not youun to feynt men.
We were dragged by our necks. Being weary, no rest was given to us.
6 We yauen hond to Egipt, and to Assiriens, that we schulden be fillid with breed.
We have given our hand to Egypt and to the Assyrians, so that we may be satisfied with bread.
7 Oure fadris synneden, and ben not, and we baren the wickidnessis of hem.
Our fathers have sinned, and are not. And we have carried their iniquities.
8 Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that ayenbouyte fro the hond of hem.
Servants have become rulers over us. There was no one to redeem us from their hand.
9 In oure lyues we brouyten breed to vs, fro the face of swerd in desert.
We obtained our bread at the risk of our lives, before the face of the sword, in the wilderness.
10 Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur.
Our skin was burned, as if by an oven, before the face of the tempest of the famine.
11 Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda.
They humiliated the women in Zion and the virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men.
The leaders were suspended by their hand. They were not ashamed before the faces of the elders.
13 Thei mysusiden yonge wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree.
They have sexually abused the adolescents, and the children were corrupted in the wood.
14 Elde men failiden fro yatis; yonge men failiden of the queer of singeris.
The elders have ceased from the gates, the youths from the choir of the psalms.
15 The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song is turned in to mourenyng.
The gladness of our heart has failed, our singing has been turned into mourning.
16 The coroun of oure heed fellen doun; wo to vs! for we synneden.
The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned.
17 Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iyen ben maad derk.
Because of this, our heart became gloomy; for this reason, our eyes have been darkened:
18 For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis yeden in it.
because of mount Zion, because it was ruined. Foxes have wandered upon it.
19 But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in generacioun and in to generacioun.
But you, O Lord, shall remain for eternity, your throne from generation to generation.
20 Whi schalt thou foryete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies?
Why would you forget us forever? Why would you forsake us for a long time?
21 Lord, conuerte thou vs to thee, and we schal be conuertid; make thou newe oure daies, as at the bigynnyng.
Convert us, O Lord, to you, and we shall be converted. Renew our days, as from the beginning.
22 But thou castynge awei hast cast awei vs; thou art wrooth ayens vs greetli.
But you have utterly rejected us; you are vehemently angry against us.
