Lamentationes 5
1 Recordare Domine quid acciderit nobis: intuere, et respice opprobrium nostrum.
Yahweh, think about what has happened to us. See that we have been disgraced.
2 Hæreditas nostra versa est ad alienos: domus nostræ ad extraneos.
Foreigners have seized our property, [and now] they live in our homes.
3 Pupilli facti sumus absque patre, matres nostræ quasi viduæ.
[Our enemies] have killed our fathers; they caused our mothers to become widows.
4 Aquam nostram pecunia bibimus: ligna nostra pretio comparavimus.
[Now] we are required to pay for water to drink, and we must pay [a lot of money] for firewood.
5 Cervicibus nostris minabamur, lassis non dabatur requies.
[It is as though] those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted, but they do not allow us to rest.
6 Ægypto dedimus manum, et Assyriis ut saturaremur pane.
In order to get enough food [to remain alive], we went to Egypt and Assyria and offered to work [for the people there].
7 Patres nostri peccaverunt, et non sunt: et nos iniquitates eorum portavimus.
Our ancestors sinned, and now they are dead, but we are being punished for the sins that they committed.
8 Servi dominati sunt nostri: non fuit qui redimeret de manu eorum.
[Officials from Babylon] who were [previously] slaves [now] rule over us, and there is no one who can rescue us from their power.
9 In animabus nostris afferebamus panem nobis, a facie gladii in deserto.
When we roam around in the desert searching for food, we are in danger of being killed, because people there kill strangers with their swords.
10 Pellis nostra, quasi clibanus exusta est a facie tempestatum famis.
Our skin has become hot like [SIM] an oven, and we have a very high fever because we are extremely hungry.
11 Mulieres in Sion humiliaverunt, et virgines in civitatibus Iuda.
[Our enemies] have raped the women in Jerusalem, [and they have done that to] the young women in [all] the towns of Judea.
12 Principes manu suspensi sunt: facies senum non erubuerunt.
[Our enemies] have hanged our leaders, and they do not respect our elders.
13 Adolescentibus impudice abusi sunt: et pueri in ligno corruerunt.
They force our young men to grind [flour] with millstones, and boys stagger while they [are forced to] carry [heavy] loads of firewood.
14 Senes defecerunt de portis: iuvenes de choro psallentium.
[Our] elders no longer sit at the city gates [to make important decisions]; the young men no longer play their musical [instruments].
15 Defecit gaudium cordis nostri: versus est in luctum chorus noster.
We [SYN] are no longer joyful; instead of dancing [joyfully], we now mourn.
16 Cecidit corona capitis nostri: væ nobis, quia peccavimus.
The wreaths [of flowers] have fallen off our heads. Terrible things have happened to us because of the sins that we committed.
17 Propterea mœstum factum est cor nostrum, ideo contenebrati sunt oculi nostri.
We [SYN] are tired and discouraged [IDM], and we cannot see well because our eyes are [full of tears].
18 Propter montem Sion quia disperiit, vulpes ambulaverunt in eo.
Jerusalem is [completely] deserted, and jackals/wolves prowl around it.
19 Tu autem Domine in æternum permanebis, solium tuum in generationem et generationem.
But Yahweh, you rule forever! You continue to rule [MTY] from one generation to the next generation.
20 Quare in perpetuum oblivisceris nostri? derelinques nos in longitudine dierum?
[So] why [RHQ] have you forgotten us? Why [RHQ] have you abandoned us for a very long time?
21 Converte nos Domine ad te, et convertemur: innova dies nostros, sicut a principio.
[Please] enable us to return to you, and enable us to prosper [MTY] as we did previously.
22 Sed proiiciens repulisti nos, iratus es contra nos vehementer.
Please do that, because we hope that [RHQ] you have not rejected us forever and that [RHQ] you do not continue to be extremely angry with us!
