Lamentations 5

A Prayer to the Lord

5Remember, Lord, what happened to us.

Look and see our disgrace.

²Our land has been turned over to strangers;

our houses have been given to foreigners.

³We are like orphans with no father;

our mothers are like widows.

⁴We have to buy the water we drink;

we must pay for the firewood.

⁵Those who chase after us want to catch us by the neck.

We are tired and find no rest.

⁶We made an agreement with Egypt

and with Assyria to get enough food.

⁷Our ancestors sinned against you, but they are gone;

now we suffer because of their sins.

⁸Slaves have become our rulers,

and no one can save us from them.

⁹We risk our lives to get our food;

we face death in the desert.

¹⁰Our skin is hot like an oven;

we burn with starvation.

¹¹The enemy abused the women of Jerusalem

and the girls in the cities of Judah.

¹²Princes were hung by the hands;

they did not respect our elders.

¹³The young men ground grain at the mill,

and boys stumbled under loads of wood.

¹⁴The elders no longer sit at the city gates;

the young men no longer sing.

¹⁵We have no more joy in our hearts;

our dancing has turned to sadness.

¹⁶The crown has fallen from our head.

How terrible it is because we sinned.

¹⁷Because of this we are afraid,

and now our eyes are dim.

¹⁸Mount Zion is empty,

and wild dogs wander around it.

¹⁹But you rule forever, Lord.

You will be King from now on.

²⁰Why have you forgotten us for so long?

Have you left us forever?

²¹Bring us back to you, Lord, and we will return.

Make our days as they were before,

²²or have you completely rejected us?

Are you so angry with us?