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

Remember, O Jehovah, what hath befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.

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 hath been turned to strangers, Our houses to foreigners.

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

Orphans we have been -- without a father, our mothers as widows.

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

Our water for money we have drunk, Our wood for a price doth come.

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

For our neck we have been pursued, We have laboured -- there hath been no rest for us.

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

Egypt we have given a hand, Asshur, to be satisfied with bread.

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

Our fathers have sinned -- they are not, We their iniquities have borne.

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

Servants have ruled over us, A deliverer there is none from their hand.

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

With our lives we bring in our bread, 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 as an oven hath been burning, Because of the raging of the 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.

Wives in Zion they have humbled, Virgins -- in cities of Judah.

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

Princes by their hand have been hanged, The faces of elders have not been honoured.

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

Young men to grind they have taken, And youths with wood have stumbled.

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

The aged from the gate have ceased, Young men from their song.

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

Ceased hath the joy of our heart, Turned to mourning hath been our dancing.

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

Fallen hath the crown our head, Wo now to us, for we have sinned.

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

For this hath our heart been sick, For these have our eyes been dim.

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

For the mount of Zion -- that is desolate, Foxes have gone up on it.

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

Thou, O Jehovah, to the age remainest, Thy throne to generation and generation.

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

Why for ever dost Thou forget us? Thou forsakest us for length of days!

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

Turn us back, O Jehovah, unto Thee, And we turn back, renew our days as of old.

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

For hast Thou utterly rejected us? Thou hast been wroth against us -- exceedingly?