1 O Lord, remember what has come upon us! Look down and see our reproach (our national disgrace)!

¶ Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us; look, and behold our reproach.

2 O ur inheritance has fallen over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.

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

3 W e have become orphans and fatherless; our mothers are like widows.

We are orphans without father; our mothers are as widows.

4 W e have had to pay money to drink the water that belongs to us; our wood is sold to us.

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

5 O ur pursuers are upon our necks; we are weary and are allowed no rest.

Our necks are under persecution; we are become tired and have no rest.

6 W e have given the hand to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians to get food to satisfy.

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

7 O ur fathers sinned and are no more, and we have borne their iniquities.

Our fathers have sinned and are dead; and we have borne their chastisements.

8 S ervants and slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us out of their hands.

Slaves have ruled over us: there was no one to deliver us out of their hand.

9 W e get our bread at the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

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

10 O ur skin glows and is parched as from an oven because of the burning heat of famine.

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

11 T hey ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.

They ravished the women in Zion and the virgins in the cities of Judah.

12 T hey hung princes by their hands; the persons of elders were not respected.

Princes were hanged up by their hand; the countenance of the elders was not honoured.

13 Y oung men carried millstones, and boys fell under wood.

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

14 T he elders have ceased from the city’s gate, the young men from their music.

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

15 C eased is the joy of our hearts; our dancing has turned into mourning.

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

16 T he crown has fallen from our head! Woe to us, for we have sinned!

The crown is fallen from our head; woe now unto us, for we have sinned!

17 B ecause of this our hearts are faint and sick; because of these things our eyes are dim and see darkly.

¶ For this our heart is saddened; for these things our eyes are become dim.

18 A s for Mount Zion, which lies desolate, the jackals prowl over it!

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

19 B ut You, O Lord, remain and reign forever; Your throne endures from generation to generations.

Thou, O LORD, shall remain for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.

20 W hy do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long?

Why should thou forget us for ever and forsake us for such a long time?

21 T urn us to Yourself, O Lord, and we shall be turned and restored! Renew our days as of old!—

Turn us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as at the beginning.

22 O r have You utterly rejected us? Or are You exceedingly angry with us ?

For in stepping back thou hast rejected us; thou hast become very angry against us.