Lamentations 5

1 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us. Consider and look kindly upon our disgrace.

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

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

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

3 We have become orphans without a father; our mothers are like widows.

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

4 We paid for our drinking water. We acquired our wood for a price.

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

5 We were dragged by our necks. Being weary, no rest was given to us.

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

6 We have given our hand to Egypt and to the Assyrians, so that we may be satisfied with bread.

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

7 Our fathers have sinned, and are not. And we have carried their iniquities.

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

8 Servants have become rulers over us. There was no one to redeem us from their hand.

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

9 We obtained our bread at the risk of our lives, before the face of the sword, in the wilderness.

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

10 Our skin was burned, as if by an oven, before the face of the tempest of the famine.

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

11 They humiliated the women in Zion and the virgins in the cities of Judah.

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

12 The leaders were suspended by their hand. They were not ashamed before the faces of the elders.

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

13 They have sexually abused the adolescents, and the children were corrupted in the wood.

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

14 The elders have ceased from the gates, the youths from the choir of the psalms.

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

15 The gladness of our heart has failed, our singing has been turned into mourning.

The joy of our heart has ceased; our dancing 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 to us, for we have sinned.

17 Because of this, our heart became gloomy; for this reason, our eyes have been darkened:

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

18 because of mount Zion, because it was ruined. Foxes have wandered upon it.

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

19 But you, O Lord, shall remain for eternity, your throne from generation to generation.

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

20 Why would you forget us forever? Why would you forsake us for a long time?

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

21 Convert us, O Lord, to you, and we shall be converted. Renew our days, as from the beginning.

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

22 But you have utterly rejected us; you are vehemently angry against us.

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