Lamentations 5

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

Remember, O YHWH, what has befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.

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

Our inheritance has been turned to strangers, Our houses to foreigners.

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

Orphans we have been—without a father, our mothers [are] as widows.

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

We have drunk our water for money, Our wood comes for a price.

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

For our neck we have been pursued, We have labored—there has been no rest for us.

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

[To] Egypt we have given a hand, [To] Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

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

Our fathers have sinned—they are not, We have borne their iniquities.

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

Servants have ruled over us, There is no deliverer from their hand.

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

With our lives we bring in our bread, Because of the sword of the wilderness.

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

Our skin as an oven has been burning, Because of the raging of the famine.

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

Wives in Zion they have humbled, Virgins—in cities of Judah.

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

Princes have been hanged by their hand, Elderly faces have not been honored.

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

They have taken young men to grind, And youths have stumbled with wood.

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

Elderly have ceased from the gate, Young men from their song.

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

The joy of our heart has ceased, Our dancing has been turned to mourning.

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

The crown has fallen [from] our head, Woe [is] now to us, for we have sinned.

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

Our heart has been sick for this, Our eyes have been dim for these.

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

For the Mount of Zion—that is desolate, Foxes have gone up on it.

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

You, O YHWH, remain for all time, Your throne to generation and generation.

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

Why do You forget us forever? You forsake us for [the] length of [our] days!

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

Turn us back, O YHWH, to You, And we turn back, renew our days as of old.

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

For have You utterly rejected us? You have been angry against us—exceedingly?