Lamentations 5

¹Remember, O Lord, what is come vpon vs: consider, and behold our reproche.

²Our inheritance is turned to the strangers, our houses to the aliants.

³We are fatherles, euen without father, and our mothers are as widowes.

⁴Wee haue drunke our water for money, and our wood is solde vnto vs.

⁵Our neckes are vnder persecution: we are wearie, and haue no rest.

⁶We haue giuen our handes to the Egyptians, and to Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

⁷Our fathers haue sinned, and are not, and we haue borne their iniquities.

⁸Seruants haue ruled ouer vs, none would deliuer vs out of their hands.

⁹Wee gate our bread with the perill of our liues, because of the sword of the wildernesse.

¹⁰Our skinne was blacke like as an ouen because of the terrible famine.

¹¹They defiled the women in Zion, and the maydes in the cities of Iudah.

¹²The princes are hanged vp by their hande: the faces of the elders were not had in honour.

¹³They tooke the yong men to grinde, and the children fell vnder the wood.

¹⁴The Elders haue ceased from the gate and the yong men from their songs.

¹⁵The ioy of our heart is gone, our daunce is turned into mourning.

¹⁶The crowne of our head is fallen: wo nowe vnto vs, that we haue sinned.

¹⁷Therefore our heart is heauy for these things, our eyes are dimme,

¹⁸Because of the mountaine of Zion which is desolate: the foxes runne vpon it.

¹⁹But thou, O Lord, remainest for euer: thy throne is from generation to generation.

²⁰Wherefore doest thou forget vs for euer, and forsake vs so long time?

²¹Turne thou vs vnto thee, O Lord, and we shalbe turned: renue our dayes as of olde.

²²But thou hast vtterly reiected vs: thou art exceedingly angry against vs.

¹Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.

²Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.

³We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.

⁴We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.

⁵Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.

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

⁷Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.

⁸Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.

⁹We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

¹⁰Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.

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

¹²Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.

¹³They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.

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

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

¹⁶The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!

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

¹⁸Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.

¹⁹Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.

²⁰Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?

²¹Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

²²But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.