Lamentations 5

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

6 To Egypt, have we stretched out our hand, to Assyria, 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, sinned, and are not, and, we, their iniquities, have borne.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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