Lamentations 5
Amplified Bible, Classic Edition
5 O Lord, [earnestly] remember what has come upon us! Look down and see our reproach (our national disgrace)!
2 Our inheritance has fallen over to strangers, our houses to foreigners.
3 We have become orphans and fatherless; our mothers are like widows.
4 We have had to pay money to drink the water that belongs to us; our [own] wood is sold to us.
5 Our pursuers are upon our necks [like a yoke]; we are weary and are allowed no rest.
6 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].
7 Our fathers sinned and are no more, and [a]we have borne their iniquities.(A)
8 Servants and slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us out of their hands.(B)
9 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
- 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).
- 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.
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.
Copyright © 1954, 1958, 1962, 1964, 1965, 1987 by The Lockman Foundation
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.
