Lamentations 5

1 Remember, Yahweh, what has happened to us; look and see our disgrace.

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

2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers; our houses to foreigners.

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

3 We have become orphans, the fatherless, and our mothers are like widows.

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

4 We must pay silver for the water we drink, and we must pay silver to get our own wood.

We have drunk our water for money; our wood cometh to us for price.

5 Those who are coming after us are close behind us; we are weary and we can find no rest.

To our very necks we are pursued; we labour, and have no rest.

6 We have given ourselves to Egypt and to Assyria to get enough food.

We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to have bread enough;

7 Our fathers sinned, and they are no more, and we bear their iniquities.

Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.

8 Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to deliver us from their hand.

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

9 We get our bread only by risking our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.

We get our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

10 Our skin has grown as hot as an oven because of the burning heat of hunger.

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

11 Women are raped in Zion, and virgins in the cities of Judah.

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

12 Princes are hung up by their own hands, and no honor is shown to the elders.

Princes are hanged up by their hand; the faces of elders are not honoured.

13 Young men are forced to grind grain with a millstone, and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.

The young men have borne the mill, and the children have stumbled under the wood.

14 The elders have left the city gate, and the young men have left their music.

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

15 The joy of our heart has ceased and our dancing has turned into mourning.

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

16 The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!

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

17 For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes grow dim

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

18 for Mount Zion lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.

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

19 But you, Yahweh, reign forever, and you will sit upon your throne from generation to generation.

Thou, O LORD, art enthroned for ever, Thy throne is from generation to generation.

20 Why do you forget us forever? Why do you forsake us for so many days?

Wherefore dost Thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?

21 Restore us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be restored. Renew our days as they were long ago—

Turn Thou us unto Thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

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

Thou canst not have utterly rejected us, and be exceeding wroth against us!