求耶和华怜悯

耶和华啊,求你顾念我们的遭遇,
看看我们所受的耻辱!
我们的土地被陌生人侵占,
我们的房屋落入外族人手中。
我们成了丧父的孤儿,
我们的母亲成了寡妇。
我们喝水要付钱,
烧的柴要用钱买。
敌人紧追不舍,
我们疲惫不堪,不得安歇。
为了得到食物,
我们向埃及、亚述卑躬屈膝。
我们的祖先犯了罪,
已经逝去,
我们却要承担他们的罪责。
奴仆做了我们的主人,
无人从他们手中解救我们。
旷野中杀机四伏,
我们冒着生命危险才得到粮食。
10 我们因饥饿而发热,
皮肤热如烤炉。
11 妇女在锡安遭强暴,
少女在犹大被奸污。
12 首领双手被吊起来,
老人得不到尊敬。
13 青年被迫推磨,
孩童肩背柴捆,步履蹒跚。
14 老人不再坐在城门口,
青年不再弹琴奏乐。
15 我们心中的快乐消失,
我们的舞蹈变成了哀哭。
16 荣耀的冠冕从我们头上落下。
我们犯了罪,我们有祸了!
17 此情此景使我们黯然神伤,
泪眼模糊。
18 锡安山一片荒凉,
豺狼四处游荡。

19 耶和华啊,你永远掌权,
你的宝座世代长存。
20 你为何永远忘记我们?
为何如此长久地弃绝我们?
21 耶和华啊,求你使我们回到你身边,
让我们归向你,
恢复我们昔日的繁荣!
22 难道你完全弃绝了我们,
仍然向我们大发烈怒吗?

Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;
    look, and see our disgrace.(A)
Our inheritance(B) has been turned over to strangers,(C)
    our homes(D) to foreigners.(E)
We have become fatherless,
    our mothers are widows.(F)
We must buy the water we drink;(G)
    our wood can be had only at a price.(H)
Those who pursue us are at our heels;
    we are weary(I) and find no rest.(J)
We submitted to Egypt and Assyria(K)
    to get enough bread.
Our ancestors(L) sinned and are no more,
    and we bear their punishment.(M)
Slaves(N) rule over us,
    and there is no one to free us from their hands.(O)
We get our bread at the risk of our lives
    because of the sword in the desert.
10 Our skin is hot as an oven,
    feverish from hunger.(P)
11 Women have been violated(Q) in Zion,
    and virgins in the towns of Judah.
12 Princes have been hung up by their hands;
    elders(R) are shown no respect.(S)
13 Young men toil at the millstones;
    boys stagger under loads of wood.
14 The elders are gone from the city gate;
    the young men have stopped their music.(T)
15 Joy is gone from our hearts;
    our dancing has turned to mourning.(U)
16 The crown(V) has fallen from our head.(W)
    Woe to us, for we have sinned!(X)
17 Because of this our hearts(Y) are faint,(Z)
    because of these things our eyes(AA) grow dim(AB)
18 for Mount Zion,(AC) which lies desolate,(AD)
    with jackals prowling over it.

19 You, Lord, reign forever;(AE)
    your throne endures(AF) from generation to generation.
20 Why do you always forget us?(AG)
    Why do you forsake(AH) us so long?
21 Restore(AI) us to yourself, Lord, that we may return;
    renew our days as of old
22 unless you have utterly rejected us(AJ)
    and are angry with us beyond measure.(AK)

Молитва за Божията милост над Израил: „Върни ни към Тебе“

Спомни си, Господи, какво се извърши над нас. Погледни и виж как сме поругани!
Нашето наследство премина в чужди,
нашите къщи – в чужденци.
Останахме сираци, без баща,
а майките ни станаха вдовици.
Пием водата си срещу сребро,
доставяме си дърва с пари.
Бият ни по врата,
трудим се и отдих за нас няма.
(A)Протягаме ръка към египтяни за договор,
към асирийци, за да се нахраним с хляб.
Бащите ни грешиха; няма ги вече,
ние търпим наказание за техните беззакония.
Роби владеят над нас
и няма кой да ни избави от ръцете им.
Хляба си добиваме с опасност за живота
от меч в пустинята.
10 От палещ глад
кожата ни е почерняла като пещ.
11 Враговете безчестят жени в Сион,
девици – в градовете юдейски.
12 Князете бяха обесени от техните вражи ръце,
стареи не бяха почетени.
13 Юноши работят с камъни за стриване на жито
и момчета падат под товари дърва.
14 Старци престанаха да са при градските порти;
младежи не пеят.
15 Свърши се радостта на сърцето ни;
нашето хоро се обърна на плач.
16 Падна венецът от главата ни;
горко ни, тъй като съгрешихме.
17 Затова нашите сърца чезнат,
от това потъмняха нашите очи.
18 (B)Защото чакали се скитат по планината Сион,
която лежи опустошена.
19 (C)Но Ти, Господи, пребъдваш за вечни времена;
Твоят престол пребъдва от род в род.
20 Защо напълно ни забравяш?
Защо ни изоставяш тъй дълго?
21 (D)Възвърни ни към Тебе, Господи, и ще се обърнем;
обнови нашия живот.
22 Нима напълно си ни отхвърлил?
Нима безмерно си се разгневил срещу нас?

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

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

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

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

Our pursuers are upon our necks [like a yoke]; we are weary and are allowed no rest.

We have given the hand [as a pledge of fidelity and submission] to the Egyptians and to the Assyrians [merely] to get food to satisfy [our hunger].

Our fathers sinned and are no more, and [a]we have borne their iniquities.(A)

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

We get our bread at the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness [the wild Arabs, who may attack if we venture into the fields to reap our harvests].

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

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

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

13 Young men carried millstones, and boys fell [staggering] under [burdens of] wood.

14 The elders have ceased from [congregating at] the city’s gate, the young men from their music.

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

16 The crown has fallen from our head [our honor is brought to the dust]! Woe to us, for we have sinned!

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

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

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

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

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

22 Or have You utterly rejected us? [b]Or are You exceedingly angry with us [still]?

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 5:7 Fathers and sons alike are responsible for the calamity that has befallen Jerusalem. The truth of the matter is: this generation too deserved their punishment. “Woe to us, for we have sinned! Because of this our hearts are faint and sick; because of these things our eyes are dim and see darkly” (Lam. 5:16, 17).
  2. Lamentations 5:22 “The Book of Lamentations, like so many of even the saddest of the psalms, does in fact end with the language of hope, a hope that is so little apparent on the first reading of the conclusion to Lamentations that in many Hebrew manuscripts the words of Lam. 5:21 are repeated at the end, right after Lam. 5:22, so that its words of hope and restoration rather than the somber ending of “Or are You exceedingly angry with us [still]?” may be the last to fall upon the ear. A similar expedient is used in the case of Ecclesiastes, Isaiah, and Malachi” (The Cambridge Bible). See also footnote on Jer. 52:34.