Lamentations 5

1 Keep in mind, O Lord, what has come to us: take note and see our shame.

Remember, LORD, what has come on us. Look, and see our disgrace.

2 Our heritage is given up to men of strange lands, our houses to those who are not our countrymen.

Our inheritance is turned over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.

3 We are children without fathers, our mothers are like widows.

We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are like widows.

4 We give money for a drink of water, we get our wood for a price.

We have to pay for a drink of water; our wood is sold to us.

5 Our attackers are on our necks: overcome with weariness, we have no rest.

Our pursuers are on our necks; we are weary, and have no rest.

6 We have given our hands to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians so that we might have enough bread.

We have submitted to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians, to get enough bread.

7 Our fathers were sinners and are dead; and the weight of their evil-doing is on us.

Our fathers sinned, and are no more; but we have borne their iniquities.

8 Servants are ruling over us, and there is no one to make us free from their hands.

Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand.

9 We put our lives in danger to get our bread, because of the sword of the waste land.

We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.

10 Our skin is heated like an oven because of our burning heat from need of food.

Our skin is hot like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.

11 They took by force the women in Zion, the virgins in the towns of Judah.

They raped the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.

12 Their hands put princes to death by hanging: the faces of old men were not honoured.

Princes were hung by their hands; elders were shown no respect.

13 The young men were crushing the grain, and the boys were falling under the wood.

The young men grind at the mill; the boys stagger under loads of wood.

14 The old men are no longer seated in the doorway, and the music of the young men has come to an end.

The elders have gone from the gate, the young men from their music.

15 The joy of our hearts is ended; our dancing is changed into sorrow.

The joy of our heart has ceased; our dancing is turned into mourning.

16 The crown has been taken from our head: sorrow is ours, for we are sinners.

The crown is fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned.

17 Because of this our hearts are feeble; for these things our eyes are dark;

For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes grow dim.

18 Because of the mountain of Zion which is a waste; jackals go over it.

For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate; the foxes walk on it.

19 You, O Lord, are seated as King for ever; the seat of your power is eternal.

But you, LORD, abide forever; your throne is from generation to generation.

20 Why have we gone from your memory for ever? why have you been turned away from us for so long?

Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?

21 Make us come back to you, O Lord, and let us be turned; make our days new again as in the past.

Restore us to you, LORD, and we shall be restored; renew our days as in former times,

22 But you have quite given us up; you are full of wrath against us.

unless you have completely rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.