5 Lord , please remember the trouble that has happened to us.
Look at us, because we are ashamed.
2 Strangers have taken the land that our ancestors gave to us.
Foreign people live in our homes.
3 We are children whose fathers have died.
Our mothers no longer have husbands.
4 We must pay money for the water that we drink.
We must buy wood for our fires.
5 Our enemies cause us to work like animals.
But the work is too difficult
and they will not let us rest.
6 We gave ourselves to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians,
so that we could get food to eat.
7 Our ancestors sinned, but they are dead.
Now we have the troubles that you caused because of them.
You punished us because of their sin. [ b ]
8 Slaves now rule us.
And there is nobody to save us from their power.
9 We meet danger when we work in the fields. [ c ]
Enemies are everywhere and they want to kill us.
10 Our skin feels as if we are burning.
We are so hungry that we are ill.
11 Enemies do what they want with the women in Zion.
They are cruel to the young women in Judah's cities.
12 They hang our leaders by their hands.
And they are cruel to our old men too.
13 They took the young men to make flour for them, like slaves.
Our boys have to carry heavy bags of wood.
14 Our enemies no longer let our old men decide things. [ d ]
The old men cannot say what is right or fair for us.
And the young men have stopped their music.
15 We are not happy any longer.
Instead, we are very sad,
so we do not dance any longer.
16 And we have no king in Jerusalem any longer.
We have sinned, so it will be very bad for us.
17 So our bodies feel ill and we feel ill deep inside us.
Our eyes are very tired and we cannot hope for good things any longer.
18 We are so sad because they destroyed Zion's walls and buildings.
Wild animals walk on them now.
19 But you, Lord , will be king for ever.
You will always rule us.
20 Tell us why you have forgotten us.
Tell us why you have left us alone for so long.
21 Help us to come back to you, Lord .
Let us be great again, like we were long ago.
22 Please do that, unless you have turned away from us completely.
Do not continue to be angry with us more than we can take. [ e ]
5 Remember, Lord , what happened to us.
Look and see our shame.
2 Our land has been turned over to strangers.
Our houses have been given to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans.
We have no father.
Our mothers have become like widows.
4 We have to buy the water that we drink.
We have to pay for the wood that we use.
5 We are forced to wear a yoke on our necks.
We get tired, and we have no rest.
6 We made an agreement with Egypt.
We also made an agreement with Assyria to get enough bread.
7 Our ancestors sinned against you, and now they are dead.
And we are suffering because of their sins.
8 Slaves have become our rulers.
No one can save us from them.
9 We risk our lives to get food.
There are men in the desert with swords.
10 Our skin is hot like an oven.
We have a high fever because of our hunger.
11 The enemy raped the women of Zion.
They raped the women in the cities of Judah.
12 The enemy hanged our princes.
They didn’t honor our elders.
13 The enemy made our young men grind grain at the mill.
Our young men stumbled under loads of wood.
14 The elders no longer sit at the gates of the city.
The young men no longer make music.
15 We have no more joy in our hearts.
Our dancing has changed to crying for the dead.
16 The crown has fallen from our head.
Things have gone bad for us because we sinned.
17 For this reason, our hearts have become sick,
and our eyes cannot see clearly.
18 Mount Zion is a wasteland.
Foxes run around on Mount Zion.
19 But you rule forever, Lord .
Your kingly chair lasts forever and ever.
20 You seem to have forgotten us forever.
You seem to have left us alone for such a long time.
21 Bring us back to you, Lord .
We will gladly come back to you.
Make our lives as they were before.
22 You were very angry with us.
Have you completely rejected us?
5 Remember, O Lord , what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.
2 Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3 We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.
4 We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.
5 Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.
6 We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.
8 Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.
9 We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.
10 Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.
11 They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
14 The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.
15 The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
16 The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
17 For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.
18 Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.
19 Thou, O Lord , remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.
20 Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
21 Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord , and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
22 But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.
5 Remember, Lord , what has come upon us;
Look, and see our ( A ) disgrace!
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to ( B ) strangers,
Our ( C ) houses to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans, ( D ) without a father;
Our mothers are like widows.
4 [ a ] We have to pay for our drinking ( E ) water,
Our wood comes to us at a price.
5 [ b ] Our pursuers are at our necks;
We are worn out, we are given ( F ) no rest.
6 We have [ c ] submitted to ( G ) Egypt and Assyria [ d ] to get enough bread.
7 Our ( H ) fathers sinned, and are gone;
It is we who have been burdened with the punishment for their wrongdoings.
8 ( I ) Slaves rule over us;
There is ( J ) no one to rescue us from their hand.
9 We get our bread [ e ] at the ( K ) risk of our lives
Because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin has become as ( L ) hot as an oven,
Because of the ravages of hunger.
11 They violated the ( M ) women in Zion,
The virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Leaders were hung by their hands;
[ f ] ( N ) Elders were not respected.
13 Young men [ g ] ( O ) worked at the grinding mill,
And youths ( P ) staggered under loads of wood.
14 Elders are absent from the gate,
Young men from their ( Q ) music.
15 The joy of our hearts has ( R ) ended;
Our dancing has been turned into mourning.
16 The ( S ) crown has fallen from our head;
( T ) Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Because of this our ( U ) heart is faint,
Because of these things our ( V ) eyes are dim;
18 Because of ( W ) Mount Zion which lies desolate,
( X ) Jackals prowl in it.
19 ( Y ) You, Lord , [ h ] rule forever;
Your ( Z ) throne is from generation to generation.
20 Why will You ( AA ) forget us forever?
Why do You abandon us for [ i ] so long?
21 ( AB ) Restore us to You, Lord , so that we may be restored;
Renew ( AC ) our days as of old,
22 Unless ( AD ) You have utterly rejected us
And are exceedingly ( AE ) angry with us.
5 Remember, Lord , what has happened to us;
look, and see our disgrace. ( A )
2 Our inheritance ( B ) has been turned over to strangers, ( C )
our homes ( D ) to foreigners. ( E )
3 We have become fatherless,
our mothers are widows. ( F )
4 We must buy the water we drink; ( G )
our wood can be had only at a price. ( H )
5 Those who pursue us are at our heels;
we are weary ( I ) and find no rest. ( J )
6 We submitted to Egypt and Assyria ( K )
to get enough bread.
7 Our ancestors ( L ) sinned and are no more,
and we bear their punishment. ( M )
8 Slaves ( N ) rule over us,
and there is no one to free us from their hands. ( O )
9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives
because of the sword in the desert.
10 Our skin is hot as an oven,
feverish from hunger. ( P )
11 Women have been violated ( Q ) in Zion,
and virgins in the towns of Judah.
12 Princes have been hung up by their hands;
elders ( R ) are shown no respect. ( S )
13 Young men toil at the millstones;
boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 The elders are gone from the city gate;
the young men have stopped their music. ( T )
15 Joy is gone from our hearts;
our dancing has turned to mourning. ( U )
16 The crown ( V ) has fallen from our head. ( W )
Woe to us, for we have sinned! ( X )
17 Because of this our hearts ( Y ) are faint, ( Z )
because of these things our eyes ( AA ) grow dim ( AB )
18 for Mount Zion, ( AC ) which lies desolate, ( AD )
with jackals prowling over it.
19 You, Lord , reign forever; ( AE )
your throne endures ( AF ) from generation to generation.
20 Why do you always forget us? ( AG )
Why do you forsake ( AH ) us so long?
21 Restore ( AI ) us to yourself, Lord , that we may return;
renew our days as of old
22 unless you have utterly rejected us ( AJ )
and are angry with us beyond measure. ( AK )
