Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O Jehovah, what hath befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.
Remember, YHWH, what has come on us. Look, and see our disgrace.
2 Our inheritance hath been turned to strangers, Our houses to foreigners.
Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
3 Orphans we have been — without a father, our mothers [are] as widows.
We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are like widows.
4 Our water for money we have drunk, Our wood for a price doth come.
We have to pay for a drink of water; our wood is sold to us.
5 For our neck we have been pursued, We have laboured — there hath been no rest for us.
Our pursuers are on our necks; we are weary, and have no rest.
6 [To] Egypt we have given a hand, [To] Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.
We have submitted to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians, to get enough bread.
7 Our fathers have sinned — they are not, We their iniquities have borne.
Our fathers sinned, and are no more; but we have borne their iniquities.
8 Servants have ruled over us, A deliverer there is none from their hand.
Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand.
9 With our lives we bring in our bread, Because of the sword of the wilderness.
We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin as an oven hath been burning, Because of the raging of the famine.
Our skin is hot like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.
11 Wives in Zion they have humbled, Virgins — in cities of Judah.
They raped the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes by their hand have been hanged, The faces of elders have not been honoured.
Princes were hung by their hands; elders were shown no respect.
13 Young men to grind they have taken, And youths with wood have stumbled.
The young men grind at the mill; the boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 The aged from the gate have ceased, Young men from their song.
The elders have gone from the gate, the young men from their music.
15 Ceased hath the joy of our heart, Turned to mourning hath been our dancing.
The joy of our heart has ceased; our dancing is turned into mourning.
16 Fallen hath the crown [from] our head, Woe [is] now to us, for we have sinned.
The crown is fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned.
17 For this hath our heart been sick, For these have our eyes been dim.
For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes grow dim.
18 For the mount of Zion — that is desolate, Foxes have gone up on it.
For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate; the foxes walk on it.
19 Thou, O Jehovah, to the age remainest, Thy throne to generation and generation.
But you, YHWH, abide forever; your throne is from generation to generation.
20 Why for ever dost Thou forget us? Thou forsakest us for length of days!
Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?
21 Turn us back, O Jehovah, unto Thee, And we turn back, renew our days as of old.
Restore us to you, YHWH, and we shall be restored; renew our days as in former times,
22 For hast Thou utterly rejected us? Thou hast been wroth against us — exceedingly?
unless you have completely rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.
