Lamentations 5
1 Yahweh, think about what has happened to us. See that we have been disgraced.
Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.
2 Foreigners have seized our property, [and now] they live in our homes.
Oure eritage is turned to aliens, oure housis ben turned to straungers.
3 [Our enemies] have killed our fathers; they caused our mothers to become widows.
We ben maad fadirles children with out fadir; oure modris ben as widewis.
4 [Now] we are required to pay for water to drink, and we must pay [a lot of money] for firewood.
We drunken oure watir for monei, we bouyten oure trees for siluer.
5 [It is as though] those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted, but they do not allow us to rest.
We weren dryuun bi oure heedis, and reste was not youun to feynt men.
6 In order to get enough food [to remain alive], we went to Egypt and Assyria and offered to work [for the people there].
We yauen hond to Egipt, and to Assiriens, that we schulden be fillid with breed.
7 Our ancestors sinned, and now they are dead, but we are being punished for the sins that they committed.
Oure fadris synneden, and ben not, and we baren the wickidnessis of hem.
8 [Officials from Babylon] who were [previously] slaves [now] rule over us, and there is no one who can rescue us from their power.
Seruauntis weren lordis of vs, and noon was, that ayenbouyte fro the hond of hem.
9 When we roam around in the desert searching for food, we are in danger of being killed, because people there kill strangers with their swords.
In oure lyues we brouyten breed to vs, fro the face of swerd in desert.
10 Our skin has become hot like [SIM] an oven, and we have a very high fever because we are extremely hungry.
Oure skynne is brent as a furneis, of the face of tempestis of hungur.
11 [Our enemies] have raped the women in Jerusalem, [and they have done that to] the young women in [all] the towns of Judea.
Thei maden low wymmen in Sion, and virgyns in the citees of Juda.
12 [Our enemies] have hanged our leaders, and they do not respect our elders.
Princes weren hangid bi the hond; thei weren not aschamed of the faces of elde men.
13 They force our young men to grind [flour] with millstones, and boys stagger while they [are forced to] carry [heavy] loads of firewood.
Thei mysusiden yonge wexynge men vnchastli, and children fellen doun in tree.
14 [Our] elders no longer sit at the city gates [to make important decisions]; the young men no longer play their musical [instruments].
Elde men failiden fro yatis; yonge men failiden of the queer of singeris.
15 We [SYN] are no longer joyful; instead of dancing [joyfully], we now mourn.
The ioie of oure herte failide; oure song is turned in to mourenyng.
16 The wreaths [of flowers] have fallen off our heads. Terrible things have happened to us because of the sins that we committed.
The coroun of oure heed fellen doun; wo to vs! for we synneden.
17 We [SYN] are tired and discouraged [IDM], and we cannot see well because our eyes are [full of tears].
Therfor oure herte is maad soreuful, therfor oure iyen ben maad derk.
18 Jerusalem is [completely] deserted, and jackals/wolves prowl around it.
For the hil of Sion, for it perischide; foxis yeden in it.
19 But Yahweh, you rule forever! You continue to rule [MTY] from one generation to the next generation.
But thou, Lord, schal dwelle with outen ende; thi seete schal dwelle in generacioun and in to generacioun.
20 [So] why [RHQ] have you forgotten us? Why [RHQ] have you abandoned us for a very long time?
Whi schalt thou foryete vs with outen ende, schalt thou forsake vs in to lengthe of daies?
21 [Please] enable us to return to you, and enable us to prosper [MTY] as we did previously.
Lord, conuerte thou vs to thee, and we schal be conuertid; make thou newe oure daies, as at the bigynnyng.
22 Please do that, because we hope that [RHQ] you have not rejected us forever and that [RHQ] you do not continue to be extremely angry with us!
But thou castynge awei hast cast awei vs; thou art wrooth ayens vs greetli.
