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

O Lord, remember what has happened to us. Look, and see our shame!

2 O ur inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.

The land we received from You has been given over to strangers. Our homes have been given to people from other lands.

3 W e are orphans without father; our mothers are as widows.

We have lost our fathers. Our mothers are like those who have lost their husbands.

4 W e have drunk our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.

We have to pay for our drinking water, and we must buy our wood.

5 O ur necks are under persecution; we are become tired and have no rest.

Those who come after us are at our necks. We are tired and cannot rest.

6 W e have given the hand to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians to be satisfied with bread.

We have put out our hands to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

7 O ur fathers have sinned and are dead; and we have borne their chastisements.

Our fathers sinned, and are no more, and we have suffered for their sins.

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

Servants rule over us. There is no one to save us from their hand.

9 W e got our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

We put our lives in danger to get our bread, because of the sword in the desert.

10 O ur skin became black like an oven because of the terrible famine.

Our skin has become as hot as fire because of the burning heat of hunger.

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

They have taken and sinned against the women in Zion, and the young women who have never had a man in the cities of Judah.

12 P rinces were hanged up by their hand; the countenance of the elders was not honoured.

Rulers were hung by their hands. Leaders were not respected.

13 T hey took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.

Young men worked to grind the grain, and boys fell under loads of wood.

14 T he elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their music.

The old men have left the city gate. Young men have stopped playing their music.

15 T he joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.

The joy of our hearts has come to an end. Our dancing has been turned into sorrow.

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

The crown has fallen from our head. It is bad for us, for we have sinned!

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

Because of this our heart is weak. Because of these things our eyes are weak.

18 B ecause of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.

Mount Zion lies in waste, so foxes run all over it.

19 T hou, O LORD, shall remain for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.

O Lord, You rule forever. Your throne will last for all people-to-come.

20 W hy should thou forget us for ever and forsake us for such a long time?

Why do You forget us forever? Why do You leave us alone for so long?

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

Return us to You, O Lord. Bring us back. Make our days as they were before.

22 F or in stepping back thou hast rejected us; thou hast become very angry against us.

Or have You turned away from us forever? Is there no end to Your anger?