Lamentations 5
1 Yahweh, think about what has happened to us. See that we have been disgraced.
Remember, O Jehovah, what hath befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.
2 Foreigners have seized our property, [and now] they live in our homes.
Our inheritance hath been turned to strangers, Our houses to foreigners.
3 [Our enemies] have killed our fathers; they caused our mothers to become widows.
Orphans we have been — without a father, our mothers [are] as widows.
4 [Now] we are required to pay for water to drink, and we must pay [a lot of money] for firewood.
Our water for money we have drunk, Our wood for a price doth come.
5 [It is as though] those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted, but they do not allow us to rest.
For our neck we have been pursued, We have laboured — there hath been no rest for us.
6 In order to get enough food [to remain alive], we went to Egypt and Assyria and offered to work [for the people there].
[To] Egypt we have given a hand, [To] Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Our ancestors sinned, and now they are dead, but we are being punished for the sins that they committed.
Our fathers have sinned — they are not, We their iniquities have borne.
8 [Officials from Babylon] who were [previously] slaves [now] rule over us, and there is no one who can rescue us from their power.
Servants have ruled over us, A deliverer there is none from their hand.
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.
With our lives we bring in our bread, Because of the sword of the wilderness.
10 Our skin has become hot like [SIM] an oven, and we have a very high fever because we are extremely hungry.
Our skin as an oven hath been burning, Because of the raging of the famine.
11 [Our enemies] have raped the women in Jerusalem, [and they have done that to] the young women in [all] the towns of Judea.
Wives in Zion they have humbled, Virgins — in cities of Judah.
12 [Our enemies] have hanged our leaders, and they do not respect our elders.
Princes by their hand have been hanged, The faces of elders have not been honoured.
13 They force our young men to grind [flour] with millstones, and boys stagger while they [are forced to] carry [heavy] loads of firewood.
Young men to grind they have taken, And youths with wood have stumbled.
14 [Our] elders no longer sit at the city gates [to make important decisions]; the young men no longer play their musical [instruments].
The aged from the gate have ceased, Young men from their song.
15 We [SYN] are no longer joyful; instead of dancing [joyfully], we now mourn.
Ceased hath the joy of our heart, Turned to mourning hath been our dancing.
16 The wreaths [of flowers] have fallen off our heads. Terrible things have happened to us because of the sins that we committed.
Fallen hath the crown [from] our head, Woe [is] now to us, for we have sinned.
17 We [SYN] are tired and discouraged [IDM], and we cannot see well because our eyes are [full of tears].
For this hath our heart been sick, For these have our eyes been dim.
18 Jerusalem is [completely] deserted, and jackals/wolves prowl around it.
For the mount of Zion — that is desolate, Foxes have gone up on it.
19 But Yahweh, you rule forever! You continue to rule [MTY] from one generation to the next generation.
Thou, O Jehovah, to the age remainest, Thy throne to generation and generation.
20 [So] why [RHQ] have you forgotten us? Why [RHQ] have you abandoned us for a very long time?
Why for ever dost Thou forget us? Thou forsakest us for length of days!
21 [Please] enable us to return to you, and enable us to prosper [MTY] as we did previously.
Turn us back, O Jehovah, unto Thee, And we turn back, renew our days as of old.
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!
For hast Thou utterly rejected us? Thou hast been wroth against us — exceedingly?
