Lamentations 5

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

Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us: behold, and look on our reproach.

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

Our inheritance has been turned away to aliens, our houses to strangers:

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

we are become orphans, we have no father, our mothers are as widows.

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

We have drunk our water for money; our wood is sold to us [for a burden] on our neck:

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

we have been persecuted, we have laboured, we have had no rest.

6 We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

Egypt gave the hand [to us], Assur to their own satisfaction.

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

Our fathers sinned, [and] are not: we have borne their iniquities.

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

Servants have ruled over us: there is none to ransom [us] out of their hand.

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

We shall bring in our bread with [danger of] our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness.

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

Our skin is blackened like an oven; they are convulsed, because of the storms of famine.

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

They humbled the women in Sion, the virgins in the cities of Juda.

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

Princes were hanged up by their hands: the elders were not honoured.

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

The chosen men lifted up [the voice in] weeping, and the youths fainted under the wood.

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

And the elders ceased from the gate, the chosen men ceased from their music.

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

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

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

The crown has fallen [from] our head: yea, woe to us! for we have sinned.

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

For this has grief come; our heart is sorrowful: for this our eyes are darkened.

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

Over the mountain of Sion, because it is made desolate, foxes have walked therein.

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

But thou, O Lord, shalt dwell for ever; thy throne [shall endure] to generation and generation.

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

Wherefore wilt thou utterly forget us, and abandon us a long time?

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

Turn us, O Lord, to thee, and we shall be turned; and renew our days as before.

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

For thou hast indeed rejected us; thou hast been very wroth against us.