Lamentations 5:1-10 - Compare All Versions

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“Remember, GOD, all we’ve been through. Study our plight, the black mark we’ve made in history. Our precious land has been given to outsiders, our homes to strangers. Orphans we are, not a father in sight, and our mothers no better than widows. We have to pay to drink our own water. Even our firewood comes at a price. We’re nothing but slaves, bullied and bowed, worn out and without any rest. We sold ourselves to Assyria and Egypt just to get something to eat. Our parents sinned and are no more, and now we’re paying for the wrongs they did. Slaves rule over us; there’s no escape from their grip. We risk our lives to gather food in the bandit-infested desert. Our skin has turned black as an oven, dried out like old leather from the famine. Our wives were raped in the streets in Zion, and our virgins in the cities of Judah. They hanged our princes by their hands, dishonored our elders. Strapping young men were put to women’s work, mere boys forced to do men’s work. The city gate is empty of wise elders. Music from the young is heard no more. All the joy is gone from our hearts. Our dances have turned into dirges. The crown of glory has toppled from our head. Woe! Woe! Would that we’d never sinned! Because of all this we’re heartsick; we can’t see through the tears. On Mount Zion, wrecked and ruined, jackals pace and prowl. And yet, GOD, you’re sovereign still, your throne intact and eternal. So why do you keep forgetting us? Why dump us and leave us like this? Bring us back to you, GOD—we’re ready to come back. Give us a fresh start. As it is, you’ve cruelly disowned us. You’ve been so very angry with us.”

Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: Consider, and behold our reproach. Our inheritance is turned to strangers, Our houses to aliens. We are orphans and fatherless, Our mothers are as widows. We have drunken our water for money; Our wood is sold unto us. Our necks are under persecution: We labour, and have no rest. We have given the hand to the Egyptians, And to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers have sinned, and are not; And we have borne their iniquities. Servants have ruled over us: There is none that doth deliver us out of their hand. We gat our bread with the peril of our lives Because of the sword of the wilderness. Our skin was black like an oven Because of the terrible famine.

Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; Look, and see our reproach! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, Our houses to aliens. We have become orphans without a father, Our mothers are like widows. We have to pay for our drinking water, Our wood comes to us at a price. Our pursuers are at our necks; We are worn out, there is no rest for us. We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. Our fathers sinned, and are no more; It is we who have borne their iniquities. Slaves rule over us; There is no one to deliver us from their hand. We get our bread at the risk of our lives Because of the sword in the wilderness. Our skin has become as hot as an oven, Because of the burning heat of famine.

Remember, LORD, what happened to us. Look and see our disgrace. Our land has been turned over to strangers; our houses have been given to foreigners. We are like orphans with no father; our mothers are like widows. We have to buy the water we drink; we must pay for the firewood. Those who chase after us want to catch us by the neck. We are tired and find no rest. We made an agreement with Egypt and with Assyria to get enough food. Our ancestors sinned against you, but they are gone; now we suffer because of their sins. Slaves have become our rulers, and no one can save us from them. We risk our lives to get our food; we face death in the desert. Our skin is hot like an oven; we burn with starvation.

Remember, O Jehovah, what is come upon us: Behold, and see our reproach. Our inheritance is turned unto strangers, Our houses unto aliens. We are orphans and fatherless; Our mothers are as widows. We have drunken our water for money; Our wood is sold unto us. Our pursuers are upon our necks: We are weary, and have no rest. We have given the hand to the Egyptians, And to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers sinned, and are not; And we have borne their iniquities. Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand. We get our bread at the peril of our lives, Because of the sword of the wilderness. Our skin is black like an oven, Because of the burning heat of famine.

Remember, LORD, what has happened to us; look, and see our disgrace. Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. We have become fatherless, our mothers are widows. We must buy the water we drink; our wood can be had only at a price. Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are weary and find no rest. We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. Our ancestors sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment. Slaves rule over us, and there is no one to free us from their hands. We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the desert. Our skin is hot as an oven, feverish from hunger.

Remember, O LORD, what has come upon us; Look, and behold our reproach! Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens, And our houses to foreigners. We have become orphans and waifs, Our mothers are like widows. We pay for the water we drink, And our wood comes at a price. They pursue at our heels; We labor and have no rest. We have given our hand to the Egyptians And the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers sinned and are no more, But we bear their iniquities. Servants rule over us; There is none to deliver us from their hand. We get our bread at the risk of our lives, Because of the sword in the wilderness. Our skin is hot as an oven, Because of the fever of famine.

O LORD, remember what has come upon us; Look, and see our reproach (national disgrace)! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, Our houses to foreigners. We have become orphans without a father; Our mothers are like widows. We have to pay for our drinking water; Our wood comes to us at a price. Our pursuers are at our necks; We are worn out, there is no rest for us. We have given the hand [as a pledge of fidelity and submission] to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread. Our fathers sinned, and are no more; It is we who have carried their sin. [Is 65:7; Jer 16:11, 12; 31:29; Ezek 18:2-4] Servants rule over us; There is no one to rescue us out of their hand. [Neh 5:15] We get our bread at the risk of our lives Because of the sword [of the Arabs] in the wilderness [who may attack if we go out to harvest the crop]. Our skin is as hot as [the heat of] an oven Because of the burning heat of [the fever of] famine.

LORD, remember what has happened to us. See how we have been disgraced! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. We are orphaned and fatherless. Our mothers are widowed. We have to pay for water to drink, and even firewood is expensive. Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are exhausted but are given no rest. We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough food to survive. Our ancestors sinned, but they have died— and we are suffering the punishment they deserved! Slaves have now become our masters; there is no one left to rescue us. We hunt for food at the risk of our lives, for violence rules the countryside. The famine has blackened our skin as though baked in an oven.

YAHWEH, remember all that we’ve endured; look and see our disgrace. Our inheritance has passed to strangers, our homes to foreigners. We have no fathers; we are orphans, and our mothers are widows. We have to pay for drinking water, and our firewood comes at a steep price. Our pursuers are breathing down our necks; we are exhausted and allowed no rest. We made a pact with Egypt and Assyria just to have enough food to eat. Our ancestors sinned, and they are no more; and now we suffer their punishment. Slaves rule over us; there is no one to rescue us from them. We risk our lives to earn our bread because of armed gangs in the wilderness. Our skin is scorched from the heat of famine.

Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace! Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our homes to foreigners. We have become orphans, fatherless; our mothers are like widows. We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought. Our pursuers are at our necks; we are weary; we are given no rest. We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to get bread enough. Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities. Slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us from their hand. We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness. Our skin is hot as an oven with the burning heat of famine.