Lamentations 5
1 Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.
Remember, O Jehovah, what is come upon us! Look down and behold our reproach!
2 Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers.
Our inheritance is fallen to strangers, Our houses to aliens.
3 We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure modris ben as widewis.
We are orphans; we are without a father; Our mothers are as widows.
4 We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.
Our water we drink for money; Our wood is sold to us.
5 We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not youun to feynt men.
With the yoke upon our necks, we are driven; We are wearied, and have no rest.
6 We yauen hond to Egipt, and to Assiriens, that we schulden be fillid with breed.
We have given the hand to the Egyptians, And to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Oure fadris synneden, and ben not, and we baren the wickidnessis of hem.
Our fathers sinned; they are no more, And we bear their iniquities.
8 Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that ayenbouyte fro the hond of hem.
Servants rule over us; There is none that delivereth out of their hand.
9 In oure lyues we brouyten breed to vs, fro the face of swerd in desert.
With the peril of our lives we get our bread, Because of the sword of the wilderness.
10 Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur.
Our skin is parched like an oven Because of the burnings of hunger.
11 Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda.
Matrons in Zion have they ravished, And maidens in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men.
Princes were hanged up by their hand; The faces of the elders were not honored.
13 Thei mysusiden yonge wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree.
Young men carried millstones, And boys fell under burdens of wood.
14 Elde men failiden fro yatis; yonge men failiden of the queer of singeris.
The elders sit no more at the gate; The young men have ceased from their music.
15 The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song is turned in to mourenyng.
The joy of our heart is at an end; 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 unto us, that we have sinned!
17 Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iyen ben maad derk.
For this is our heart faint, For these things our eyes are dim;
18 For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis yeden in it.
On account of mount Zion, which is desolate; Foxes roam over it.
19 But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in generacioun and in to generacioun.
But thou, O Jehovah, sittest as king forever; Thy throne endureth from generation to generation.
20 Whi schalt thou foryete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies?
Wherefore dost thou wholly forget us, And abandon us, for so long a time?
21 Lord, conuerte thou vs to thee, and we schal be conuertid; make thou newe oure daies, as at the bigynnyng.
Turn us again to thee, O Jehovah, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old!
22 But thou castynge awei hast cast awei vs; thou art wrooth ayens vs greetli.
For shouldst thou utterly reject us? Shouldst thou be so exceedingly wroth against us?
