Lamentations 5
1 Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.
Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider and behold our reproach.
2 Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers.
Our inheritance is turned to aliens: our houses to strangers.
3 We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure modris ben as widewis.
We are become orphans without a father: our mothers are as widows.
4 We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.
We have drunk our water for money: we have bought our wood.
5 We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not youun to feynt men.
We were dragged by the necks, we were weary and no rest was given 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, that we might 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 borne their iniquities.
8 Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that ayenbouyte fro the hond of hem.
Servants have ruled over us: there was none to redeem us out of their hand.
9 In oure lyues we brouyten breed to vs, fro the face of swerd in desert.
We fetched our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the desert.
10 Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur.
Our skin was burnt as an oven, by reason of the violence of the famine.
11 Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda.
They oppressed the women in Sion, and the virgins in the cities of Juda.
12 Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men.
The princes were hanged up by their hand: they did not respect the persons of the ancient.
13 Thei mysusiden yonge wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree.
They abused the young men indecently: and the children fell under the wood.
14 Elde men failiden fro yatis; yonge men failiden of the queer of singeris.
The ancients have ceased from the gates: the young men from the choir of the singers.
15 The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song is turned in to mourenyng.
The joy of our heart is ceased, our dancing is turned into mourning.
16 The coroun of oure heed fellen doun; wo to vs! for we synneden.
The crown is fallen from our head woe to us, because we have sinned.
17 Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iyen ben maad derk.
Therefore is our heart sorrowful, therefore are our eyes become dim,
18 For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis yeden in it.
For mount Sion, because it is destroyed, foxes have walked upon it.
19 But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in generacioun and in to generacioun.
But thou, O Lord, shalt remain for ever, thy throne from generation to generation.
20 Whi schalt thou foryete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies?
Why wilt thou forget us for ever? why wilt thou 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 thee, 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 thou hast utterly rejected us, thou art exceedingly angry against us.
