Lamentations 5:10–18

Our skin is hot as an oven

with the burning heat of famine.

Women are raped in Zion,

young women in the towns of Judah.

Princes are hung up by their hands;

no respect is shown to the elders.

Young men are compelled to grind at the mill,

and boys stagger under loads of wood.

The old men have left the city gate,

the young men their music.

The joy of our hearts has ceased;

our dancing has been turned to mourning.

The crown has fallen from our head;

woe to us, for we have sinned!

For this our heart has become sick,

for these things our eyes have grown dim,

for Mount Zion which lies desolate;

jackals prowl over it.

Our skin is hot as an oven,

feverish from hunger.

Women have been violated in Zion,

and virgins in the towns of Judah.

Princes have been hung up by their hands;

elders are shown no respect.

Young men toil at the millstones;

boys stagger under loads of wood.

The elders are gone from the city gate;

the young men have stopped their music.

Joy is gone from our hearts;

our dancing has turned to mourning.

The crown has fallen from our head.

Woe to us, for we have sinned!

Because of this our hearts are faint,

because of these things our eyes grow dim

for Mount Zion, which lies desolate,

with jackals prowling over it.

Our skin is as hot as an oven

from the ravages of hunger.

Women have been raped in Zion,

virgins in the cities of Judah.

Princes have been hung up by their hands;

elders are shown no respect.

Young men labor at millstones;

boys stumble under loads of wood.

The elders have left the city gate,

the young men, their music.

Joy has left our hearts;

our dancing has turned to mourning.

The crown has fallen from our head.

Woe to us, for we have sinned.

Because of this, our heart is sick;

because of these, our eyes grow dim:

because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate

and has jackals prowling in it.

The famine has blackened our skin

as though baked in an oven.

Our enemies rape the women in Jerusalem

and the young girls in all the towns of Judah.

Our princes are being hanged by their thumbs,

and our elders are treated with contempt.

Young men are led away to work at millstones,

and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.

The elders no longer sit in the city gates;

the young men no longer dance and sing.

Joy has left our hearts;

our dancing has turned to mourning.

The garlands have fallen from our heads.

Weep for us because we have sinned.

Our hearts are sick and weary,

and our eyes grow dim with tears.

For Jerusalem is empty and desolate,

a place haunted by jackals.

Our skin is hot like an oven

because of the scorching famine.

They raped women in Zion,

young women in the cities of Judah.

They hang princes by their hand;

they do not show respect before elders.

Young men must carry a hand-mill

and boys stumble under the wood.

Elders are no longer at the gate,

young men no longer play stringed instruments.

The joy of our hearts has stopped;

our circle-dancing has changed to a mourning ceremony.

The crown has fallen from our head;

woe to us, for we have sinned!

Because of this, our heart has become faint,

because of these, our eyes have become dim.

Because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate,

foxes tread on it.

Our skin was black like an oven

Because of the terrible famine.

They ravished the women in Zion,

And the maids in the cities of Judah.

Princes are hanged up by their hand:

The faces of elders were not honoured.

They took the young men to grind,

And the children fell under the wood.

The elders have ceased from the gate,

The young men from their musick.

The joy of our heart is ceased;

Our dance is turned into mourning.

The crown is fallen from our head:

Woe unto us, that we have sinned!

For this our heart is faint;

For these things our eyes are dim.

Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate,

The foxes walk upon it.