Lamentations 5

1 Remember, O Lord, what is come vpon vs: consider, and behold our reproche.

Remember, O Yahweh, what hath befallen us, Look around, and see our reproach:

2 Our inheritance is turned to the strangers, our houses to the aliants.

Our inheritance, turned over to foreigners, our houses, to aliens.

3 We are fatherles, euen without father, and our mothers are as widowes.

Orphans, have we become, and fatherless, our mothers, are widows indeed.

4 Wee haue drunke our water for money, and our wood is solde vnto vs.

Our water—for silver, have we drunk, our wood—for a price, cometh in.

5 Our neckes are vnder persecution: we are wearie, and haue no rest.

Upon our necks, are our pursuers, We labour, and there is allowed us no rest.

6 We haue giuen our handes to the Egyptians, and to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

To Egypt, have we stretched out our hand, to Assyria, to be satisfied with bread.

7 Our fathers haue sinned, and are not, and we haue borne their iniquities.

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

8 Seruants haue ruled ouer vs, none would deliuer vs out of their hands.

Slaves, have ruled over us, There is none to set free from their hand.

9 Wee gate our bread with the perill of our liues, because of the sword of the wildernesse.

At the risk of our life, do we bring in our bread, because of the sword of the desert.

10 Our skinne was blacke like as an ouen because of the terrible famine.

Our skin, as with a furnace, is scorched, because of the hot winds of famine.

11 They defiled the women in Zion, and the maydes in the cities of Iudah.

Women—in Zion, were ravished, virgins, in the cities of Judah!

12 The princes are hanged vp by their hande: the faces of the elders were not had in honour.

Princes, by their hand, have been hanged, The faces of elders, not honoured.

13 They tooke the yong men to grinde, and the children fell vnder the wood.

Young men, a millstone, have lifted, and, youths, under wood, have staggered.

14 The Elders haue ceased from the gate and the yong men from their songs.

Elders, from the gates, have ceased. Young men, from their music.

15 The ioy of our heart is gone, our daunce is turned into mourning.

Ceased hath the joy of our hearts, Changed to mourning, our dance.

16 The crowne of our head is fallen: wo nowe vnto vs, that we haue sinned.

Fallen is the crown of our head. Surely woe to us, for we have sinned.

17 Therefore our heart is heauy for these things, our eyes are dimme,

For this cause, faint is our heart, For these things, dimmed are our eyes:

18 Because of the mountaine of Zion which is desolate: the foxes runne vpon it.

Because of Mount Zion, which is desolate, jackals, have gone prowling therein.

19 But thou, O Lord, remainest for euer: thy throne is from generation to generation.

Thou, O Yahweh, unto times age-abiding, dost remain, Thy throne, from generation to generation:

20 Wherefore doest thou forget vs for euer, and forsake vs so long time?

Wherefore shouldst thou perpetually forget us? forsake us, to length of days?

21 Turne thou vs vnto thee, O Lord, and we shalbe turned: renue our dayes as of olde.

Bring us back, O Yahweh, unto thyself, and we will come back! Renew our days, as of old;

22 But thou hast vtterly reiected vs: thou art exceedingly angry against vs.

For though thou hast not, utterly rejected, us, thou art wroth with us—exceedingly!