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Lamentations 5
Expanded Bible
Lamentations 5
Expanded Bible
A Prayer to the Lord
5 Remember, Lord, what happened to us [C a call to God for help and revenge].
Look and see our ·disgrace [scorn].
2 Our ·land [L inheritance] has been turned over to strangers;
our houses have been given to foreigners.
3 We are like orphans with no father;
our mothers are like widows [C defenseless and vulnerable].
4 We have to buy the water we drink;
·we must pay for the firewood [L our wood comes with a price].
5 ·Those who chase after us want to catch us [L We are pursued] by the neck.
We are ·tired [exhausted] and find no rest.
6 We ·made an agreement with [L gave a hand to] Egypt
and with Assyria to get enough food [Is. 28:1—33:24; Jer. 2:35].
7 Our ·ancestors [fathers] sinned against you, but they are ·gone [L no more];
now we ·suffer because of their sins [L bear their iniquity].
8 ·Slaves [Servants] ·have become our rulers [L rule over us; Prov. 19:10; 30:21–22; Eccl. 10:5–7; Is. 24:2],
and no one can ·save us from them [L tear them off us].
9 We risk our lives to get our ·food [bread];
·we face death in the desert [L because of the sword in the wilderness; C fields were outside the walls of the city where the enemy camped].
10 Our skin is ·hot [or black] like an oven;
·we burn with [from the heat/fever of] ·starvation [famine].
11 ·The enemy [L They] ·abused [violated; raped] the women ·of Jerusalem [L in Zion; C the location of the Temple]
and the ·girls [L virgins] in the ·cities [towns] of Judah.
12 Princes were hung by the hands;
they did not respect our ·elders [or old men].
13 The young men ·ground grain at the mill [are forced to grind],
and boys stumbled under loads of wood.
14 The ·elders [or old men] ·no longer sit at the city [L have left the] gates [C the center of government and business];
the young men no longer sing.
15 ·We have no more joy in [L Joy has left] our hearts;
our dancing has turned to ·sadness [mourning].
16 The crown has fallen from our head.
·How terrible it is [L Woe to us] because we sinned.
17 Because of this ·we are afraid [L our hearts are sick],
and now our eyes ·are dim [grow dark; Ps. 69:23].
18 Mount Zion [C Jerusalem] is ·empty [desolate],
and ·wild dogs [jackals] wander around it [Jer. 9:11; 10:22].
19 But you ·rule [sit; C as king] forever, Lord.
·You will be King [L Your throne] ·from now on [L from generation to generation].
20 Why have you forgotten us for so long?
Have you ·left [abandoned; forsaken] us ·forever [L for length of days]?
21 Bring us back to you, Lord, and we will ·return [be restored].
·Make [L Renew] our days as they were before,
22 or have you completely rejected us?
Are you so angry with us?
Lamentations 5
La Bible du Semeur
Lamentations 5
La Bible du Semeur
Cinquième élégie : prière
Souviens-toi, Eternel !
5 Considère, Eternel, ╵tout ce qui nous est arrivé !
Regarde et vois ╵l’opprobre que nous subissons !
2 Notre patrimoine est passé ╵aux mains des étrangers,
et nos habitations à d’autres.
3 Nous sommes devenus ╵des orphelins de père,
nos mères sont comme des veuves.
4 Nous devons payer même ╵pour l’eau que nous buvons.
Nous rentrons notre bois ╵à prix d’argent.
5 Nous sommes pourchassés ╵par nos persécuteurs ╵qui sont sur notre dos,
nous sommes épuisés. ╵Pas de répit pour nous !
6 Nous tendons les mains vers l’Egypte,
vers l’Assyrie, ╵pour avoir à manger.
7 Or, nos ancêtres ont péché, ╵mais ils ont disparu,
et c’est nous qui portons ╵la peine de leurs fautes.
8 Nous sommes dominés ╵par des esclaves
et il n’y a personne ╵pour nous en délivrer.
9 Notre pain, nous le rapportons ╵en risquant notre vie,
en affrontant l’épée ╵des brigands du désert[a].
10 Notre peau est brûlante ╵comme si on l’avait ╵passée dans la fournaise,
tant la faim nous consume.
11 Ils ont déshonoré ╵des femmes dans Sion,
des jeunes filles dans les villes ╵du pays de Juda.
12 Ils ont pendu de leurs mains des ministres
et ils n’ont eu aucun égard ╵pour les responsables du peuple[b].
13 Des jeunes gens ╵portent la meule,
et des enfants trébuchent ╵sous les fardeaux de bois[c].
14 Les responsables ont cessé ╵de siéger à la porte[d]
et les adolescents ╵ont délaissé leurs chants.
15 La joie a disparu ╵de notre cœur,
le deuil a remplacé nos danses.
16 La couronne est tombée ╵de notre tête.
Malheur à nous, ╵car nous avons péché.
17 Oui, si notre cœur souffre,
si nos yeux sont plongés ╵dans les ténèbres,
18 c’est que le mont Sion ╵a été dévasté
et les renards y rôdent.
Fais-nous revenir à toi !
19 Toi, Eternel, ╵tu règnes pour toujours
et ton trône subsiste ╵à travers tous les âges.
20 Pourquoi nous oublierais-tu pour toujours ?
Pourquoi nous délaisserais-tu ╵aussi longtemps ?
21 Ah ! fais-nous revenir à toi, ╵ô Eternel !
Ainsi nous reviendrons à toi.
Renouvelle pour nous ╵les jours des anciens temps[e] !
22 Nous rejetterais-tu ╵définitivement ?
Serais-tu irrité ╵contre nous à l’excès[f] ?
Footnotes
- 5.9 Des bandes de pillards vivant dans le désert profitent de l’absence de forces de l’ordre pour se livrer à des razzias.
- 5.12 les responsables du peuple: voir 4.16 et note.
- 5.13 Deux tâches imposées aux prisonniers de guerre, trop dures pour les enfants et les jeunes (voir Ex 11.5 ; Jg 16.21).
- 5.14 Le lieu habituel des réunions et des délibérations (Ps 9.14-15 ; Jb 5.4).
- 5.21 Voir Jr 31.18.
- 5.22 Autre traduction : tu es irrité contre nous à l’excès !
Lamentations 5
New International Version
Lamentations 5
New International Version
5 Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;
look, and see our disgrace.(A)
2 Our inheritance(B) has been turned over to strangers,(C)
our homes(D) to foreigners.(E)
3 We have become fatherless,
our mothers are widows.(F)
4 We must buy the water we drink;(G)
our wood can be had only at a price.(H)
5 Those who pursue us are at our heels;
we are weary(I) and find no rest.(J)
6 We submitted to Egypt and Assyria(K)
to get enough bread.
7 Our ancestors(L) sinned and are no more,
and we bear their punishment.(M)
8 Slaves(N) rule over us,
and there is no one to free us from their hands.(O)
9 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)
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La Bible du Semeur (BDS)
La Bible Du Semeur (The Bible of the Sower) Copyright © 1992, 1999 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.