Lamentations 5

1 Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us. Look and see our disgrace!

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

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

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

3 We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers are widows.

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

4 We must buy the water we drink; our wood comes at a price.

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

5 We are closely pursued; we are weary and find no rest.

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

6 We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

6 We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

7 Our fathers sinned and are no more, but we bear their punishment.

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

8 Slaves rule over us; there is no one to deliver us from their hands.

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

9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the wilderness.

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

10 Our skin is as hot as an oven with fever from our hunger.

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

11 Women have been ravished in Zion, virgins in the cities of Judah.

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

12 Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders receive no respect.

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

13 Young men toil at millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.

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

14 The elders have left the city gate; the young men have stopped their music.

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

15 Joy has left our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.

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

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

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

17 Because of this, our hearts are faint; because of these, our eyes grow dim—

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

18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate, patrolled by foxes.

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

19 You, O LORD, reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to generation.

19 You, Yahweh, remain forever. Your throne is from generation to generation.

20 Why have You forgotten us forever? Why have You forsaken us for so long?

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

21 Restore us to Yourself, O LORD, so we may return; renew our days as of old,

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

22 unless You have utterly rejected us and remain angry with us beyond measure.

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