Lamentations 5
Wycliffe Bible
5 Lord, have thou mind what befell to us (Lord, remember what hath happened to us); see thou, and behold our shame.
2 Our heritage is turned to aliens, our houses be turned to strangers. (Our inheritance is turned, or given, over to foreigners, our houses be turned over to strangers.)
3 We be made fatherless children without (a) father; our mothers be as widows (our mothers be like widows).
4 We drank our water for money, we bought our wood for silver. (We must buy our water to drink with money, and we must buy our wood to burn with silver.)
5 We were driven by our heads, and rest was not given to faint men. (The yoke is upon our necks, and rest is not given to the weary.)
6 We gave (the) hand to Egypt, and to Assyrians, that we should be [ful]filled with bread. (We put forth our hands to Egypt, and to Assyria, for food to eat.)
7 Our fathers sinned, and be not, and we bare the wickednesses of them (Our forefathers sinned, and be not, and we carry their wickednesses.)
8 Servants were lords of us, and none was, that again-bought from the hand of them. (Servants be our lords, and there is no one who can rescue us from their hands.)
9 In our lives we brought bread to us, from the face of [the] sword in desert. (Risking our lives, we brought in food for us, from the face of the sword in the wilderness.)
10 Our skin is burnt as a furnace, of the face of tempests of hunger. (Our skin is burned like from a furnace, from being buffeted by the tempests of hunger.)
11 They made low (the) women in Zion, and (the) virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes were hanged [up] by the hand; they were not ashamed of the faces of eld men. (Our leaders were hung up by their hands; no one showed any honour to the old men, or the elders.)
13 They misused young waxing men unchastely, and children fell down in (the) tree. (They used the young men unchastely, and children fell down under loads of wood.)
14 Eld men failed from [the] gates; young men failed from the quire of singers. (Old men no longer sit at the city gates; young men no longer sing in the choir.)
15 The joy of our heart failed; our song is turned into mourning.
16 The crown of our head fell down (The crowns have fallen from our heads); woe to us! for we (all have) sinned.
17 Therefore our heart is made sorrowful, therefore our eyes be made dark.
18 For the hill of Zion, for it perished; foxes went in it. (For Mount Zion, for it hath perished; and now foxes run all over it.)
19 But thou, Lord, shalt dwell without end; thy seat shall dwell in generation and into generation. (But thou, Lord, shalt live forever; thy throne shall remain for all generations.)
20 Why shalt thou forget us [into] without end, shalt thou forsake us into [the] length of days? (Why hast thou forgotten us for so long, shalt thou abandon us forever?)
21 Lord, convert thou us to thee, and we shall be converted; make thou new our days, as at the beginning. (Lord, turn thou us back to thee, and we shall come back to thee; renew thou our days, like at the beginning.)
22 But thou casting away hast cast away us; thou art wroth against us greatly. (But thou casting away hath cast us away; thou still hath great anger against us.)
Lamentations 5
New King James Version
Prayer for Restoration
5 Remember, (A)O Lord, what has come upon us;
Look, and behold (B)our reproach!
2 (C)Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens,
And our houses to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans and waifs,
Our mothers are like (D)widows.
4 We pay for the water we drink,
And our wood comes at a price.
5 (E)They pursue at our [a]heels;
We labor and have no rest.
6 (F)We have given our hand (G)to the Egyptians
And the (H)Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7 (I)Our fathers sinned and are no more,
But we bear their iniquities.
8 Servants rule over us;
There is none to deliver us from their hand.
9 We get our bread at the risk of our lives,
Because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin is hot as an oven,
Because of the fever of famine.
11 They (J)ravished the women in Zion,
The maidens in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes were hung up by their hands,
And elders were not respected.
13 Young men (K)ground at the millstones;
Boys staggered under loads of wood.
14 The elders have ceased gathering at the gate,
And the young men from their (L)music.
15 The joy of our heart has ceased;
Our dance has turned into (M)mourning.
16 (N)The crown has fallen from our head.
Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Because of this our heart is faint;
(O)Because of these things our eyes grow dim;
18 Because of Mount Zion which is (P)desolate,
With foxes walking about on it.
19 You, O Lord, (Q)remain forever;
(R)Your throne from generation to generation.
20 (S)Why do You forget us forever,
And forsake us for so long a time?
21 (T)Turn us back to You, O Lord, and we will be [b]restored;
Renew our days as of old,
22 Unless You have utterly rejected us,
And are very angry with us!
Footnotes
- Lamentations 5:5 Lit. necks
- Lamentations 5:21 returned
Lamentations 5
English Standard Version
Restore Us to Yourself, O Lord
5 (A)Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;
look, and see (B)our disgrace!
2 (C)Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are like widows.
4 We must pay for the water we drink;
the wood we get must be bought.
5 (D)Our pursuers are at our necks;
we are weary; we are given no rest.
6 We have given the hand to (E)Egypt, and to (F)Assyria,
to get bread enough.
7 Our fathers sinned, and are no more;
(G)and we bear their iniquities.
8 (H)Slaves rule over us;
there is none to deliver us from their hand.
9 (I)We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 (J)Our skin is hot as an oven
with (K)the burning heat of famine.
11 Women are raped in Zion,
young women in the towns of Judah.
12 (L)Princes are hung up by their hands;
(M)no respect is shown to the elders.
13 Young men are compelled to (N)grind at the mill,
and boys stagger (O)under loads of wood.
14 (P)The old men have left the city gate,
the young men (Q)their music.
15 (R)The joy of our hearts has ceased;
(S)our dancing has been turned to mourning.
16 (T)The crown has fallen from our head;
woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 For this (U)our heart has become sick,
for these things (V)our eyes have grown dim,
18 for Mount Zion which lies desolate;
(W)jackals prowl over it.
19 (X)But you, O Lord, reign forever;
your throne endures to all generations.
20 (Y)Why do you forget us forever,
why do you forsake us for so many days?
21 (Z)Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!
Renew our days as of old—
22 (AA)unless you have utterly rejected us,
and you remain exceedingly angry with us.
2001 by Terence P. Noble
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. ESV Text Edition: 2025.

