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

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

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

Our inheritance has fallen over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.

3 W e have lost our fathers. Our mothers are like those who have lost their husbands.

We have become orphans and fatherless; our mothers are like widows.

4 W e have to pay for our drinking water, and we must buy our wood.

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

5 T hose who come after us are at our necks. We are tired and cannot rest.

Our pursuers are upon our necks; we are weary and are allowed no rest.

6 W e have put out our hands to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

We have given the hand to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians to get food to satisfy.

7 O ur fathers sinned, and are no more, and we have suffered for their sins.

Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we have borne their iniquities.

8 S ervants rule over us. There is no one to save us from their hand.

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

9 W e put our lives in danger to get our bread, because of the sword in the desert.

We get our bread at the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

10 O ur skin has become as hot as fire because of the burning heat of hunger.

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

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

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

12 R ulers were hung by their hands. Leaders were not respected.

They hung princes by their hands; the persons of elders were not respected.

13 Y oung men worked to grind the grain, and boys fell under loads of wood.

Young men carried millstones, and boys fell under wood.

14 T he old men have left the city gate. Young men have stopped playing their music.

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

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

Ceased is the joy of our hearts; our dancing has turned into mourning.

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

The crown has fallen from our head! Woe to us, for we have sinned!

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

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

18 M ount Zion lies in waste, so foxes run all over it.

As for Mount Zion, which lies desolate, the jackals prowl over it!

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

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

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

Why do You forget us forever? Why do You forsake us so long?

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

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

22 O r have You turned away from us forever? Is there no end to Your anger?

Or have You utterly rejected us? Or are You exceedingly angry with us ?