Lamentations 5
1 Remember, O Jehovah, what hath befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.
Remember, LORD, what has come on us. Look, and see our reproach.
2 Our inheritance hath been turned to strangers, Our houses to foreigners.
Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3 Orphans we have been — without a father, our mothers [are] as widows.
We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are as widows.
4 Our water for money we have drunk, Our wood for a price doth come.
We must pay for water to drink. 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 given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Our fathers have sinned — they are not, We their iniquities have borne.
Our fathers sinned, and are no more. 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 no one 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 black like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.
11 Wives in Zion they have humbled, Virgins — in cities of Judah.
They ravished 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 hanged up by their hands. The faces of elders were not honoured.
13 Young men to grind they have taken, And youths with wood have stumbled.
The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood.
14 The aged from the gate have ceased, Young men from their song.
The elders have ceased from the gate, and 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 dance is turned into mourning.
16 Fallen hath the crown [from] our head, Woe [is] now to us, for we have sinned.
The crown has 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 are 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.
You, LORD, remain 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 forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time?
21 Turn us back, O Jehovah, unto Thee, And we turn back, renew our days as of old.
Turn us to yourself, LORD, and we will be turned. Renew our days as of old.
22 For hast Thou utterly rejected us? Thou hast been wroth against us — exceedingly?
But you have utterly rejected us. You are very angry against us.
