Lamentations 5

1 Remember, O what is LORD, come upon us: behold, and see our reproach.

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

2 Our inheritance is turned unto strangers, our houses unto aliens.

Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.

3 We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.

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

4 We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.

We must pay for water to drink. Our wood is sold to us.

5 Our pursuers are upon our necks: we are weary, and have no rest.

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

6 We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, 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, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.

Our fathers sinned, and are no more. We have borne their iniquities.

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

Servants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand.

9 We get our bread with the peril of our lives 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 is black like an oven because of the burning heat of famine.

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

11 They ravished the women in Zion, the maidens in the cities of Judah.

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

12 Princes were hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.

Princes were hanged up by their hands. The faces of elders were not honored.

13 The young men bare the mill, and the children stumbled under the wood.

The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood.

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

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

15 The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.

The joy of our heart has ceased. Our dance is turned into mourning.

16 The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us! for we have sinned.

The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!

17 For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim;

For this our heart is faint. For these things our eyes are dim:

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

for the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it.

19 Thou, O LORD, abidest for ever; thy throne is from generation to generation.

You, LORD, remain forever. Your throne is from generation to generation.

20 Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, [and] forsake us so long time?

Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time?

21 Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

Turn us to yourself, LORD, and we will be turned. Renew our days as of old.

22 But thou hast utterly rejected us, thou art very wroth against us.

But you have utterly rejected us. You are very angry against us.