Lamentations 5:7–13

7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more;

and we bear their iniquities.

8 Slaves rule over us;

there is none to deliver us from their hand.

9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives,

because of the sword in the wilderness.

10 Our skin is hot as an oven

with the burning heat of famine.

11 Women are raped in Zion,

young women in the towns of Judah.

12 Princes are hung up by their hands;

no respect is shown to the elders.

13 Young men are compelled to grind at the mill,

and boys stagger under loads of wood.

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.

7 Our ancestors sinned, but they have died—

and we are suffering the punishment they deserved!

8 Slaves have now become our masters;

there is no one left to rescue us.

9 We hunt for food at the risk of our lives,

for violence rules the countryside.

10 The famine has blackened our skin

as though baked in an oven.

11 Our enemies rape the women in Jerusalem

and the young girls in all the towns of Judah.

12 Our princes are being hanged by their thumbs,

and our elders are treated with contempt.

13 Young men are led away to work at millstones,

and boys stagger under heavy loads of wood.

7 Our fathers sinned and are no more,

But we bear their iniquities.

8 Servants rule over us;

There is none to deliver us from their hand.

9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives,

Because of the sword in the wilderness.

10 Our skin is hot as an oven,

Because of the fever of famine.

11 They ravished the women in Zion,

The maidens in the cities of Judah.

12 Princes were hung up by their hands,

And elders were not respected.

13 Young men ground at the millstones;

Boys staggered under loads of wood.

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

now we suffer because of their sins.

8 Slaves have become our rulers,

and no one can save us from them.

9 We risk our lives to get our food;

we face death in the desert.

10 Our skin is hot like an oven;

we burn with starvation.

11 The enemy abused the women of Jerusalem

and the girls in the cities of Judah.

12 Princes were hung by the hands;

they did not respect our elders.

13 The young men ground grain at the mill,

and boys stumbled under loads of wood.

7 Our fathers sinned, and are not;

And we have borne their iniquities.

8 Servants rule over us:

There is none to deliver us out of their hand.

9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives,

Because of the sword of the wilderness.

10 Our skin is black like an oven,

Because of the burning heat of famine.

11 They ravished the women in Zion,

The virgins in the cities of Judah.

12 Princes were hanged up by their hand:

The faces of elders were not honored.

13 The young men bare the mill;

And the children stumbled under the wood.

7 Our fathers have sinned, and they are not; and we bear their iniquities. 8 Bondmen rule over us: there is no deliverer out of their hand. 9 We have to get our bread at the risk of our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness. 10 Our skin gloweth like an oven, because of the burning heat of the famine. 11 They have ravished the women in Zion, the maids in the cities of Judah. 12 Princes were hanged up by their hand; the faces of elders were not honoured. 13 The young men have borne the mill, and the youths have stumbled under the wood.

7 Our ancestors sinned. 

Now they are gone, 

⸤but⸥ we have to take the punishment for their wickedness. 

8 Slaves rule us. 

There is no one to rescue us from them. 

9 To get our food, we have to risk our lives 

in the heatof the desert. 

10 Our skin is as hot as an oven from the burning heat of starvation. 

11 Women in Zion are raped, so are the girls in the cities of Judah. 

12 ⸤Our⸥ leaders are hung by their hands. 

⸤Our⸥ older leaders are shown no respect. 

13 ⸤Our⸥ young men work at the mill, 

and ⸤our⸥ boys stagger under loads of wood. 

7 Our fathers sinned; they no longer exist,

but we bear their punishment.

8 Slaves rule over us;

no one rescues us from their hands.

9 We secure our food at the risk of our lives

because of the sword in the wilderness.

10 Our skin is as hot as an oven

from the ravages of hunger.

11 Women are raped in Zion,

girls in the cities of Judah.

12 Princes are hung up by their hands;

elders are shown no respect.

13 Young men labor at millstones;

boys stumble under loads of wood.

7 Our ancestors sinned; they are no more,

and we bear their iniquities.

8 Slaves rule over us;

there is no one to deliver us from their hand.

9 We get our bread at the peril of our lives,

because of the sword in the wilderness.

10 Our skin is black as an oven

from the scorching heat of famine.

11 Women are raped in Zion,

young women in the towns of Judah.

12 Princes are hung up by their hands;

no respect is shown to the elders.

13 Young men are compelled to grind,

and boys stagger under loads of wood.

7 Our fathers have sinned, they are no more;

we bear their iniquity.

8 Slaves rule over us;

there is no one to deliver us from their hand.

9 We risk our life for food

because of the sword of the desert.

10 Our skin is hot like an oven

because of the scorching famine.

11 They raped women in Zion,

young women in the cities of Judah.

12 They hang princes by their hand;

they do not show respect before elders.

13 Young men must carry a hand-mill

and boys stumble under the wood.

7 Our people before us sinned.

And they are now dead.

We are being punished because of their sins.

8 Slaves rule over us.

No one can set us free

from their powerful hands.

9 We put our lives in danger just to get some bread to eat.

Robbers in the desert might kill us with their swords.

10 Our skin is as hot as an oven.

We are so hungry we’re burning up with fever.

11 Our women have been raped in Zion.

Our virgins have been raped in the towns of Judah.

12 Our princes have been hung up by their hands.

No one shows our elders any respect.

13 Our young men are forced to grind grain at the mill.

Our boys almost fall down

as they carry heavy loads of wood.

7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more;

It is we who have borne their iniquities.

8 Slaves rule over us;

There is no one to deliver us from their hand.

9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives

Because of the sword in the wilderness.

10 Our skin has become as hot as an oven,

Because of the burning heat of famine.

11 They ravished the women in Zion,

The virgins in the cities of Judah.

12 Princes were hung by their hands;

Elders were not respected.

13 Young men worked at the grinding mill,

And youths stumbled under loads of wood.