A Prayer for Mercy
5 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;
Look, and see our (A)reproach!
2 Our inheritance has been turned over to (B)strangers,
Our (C)houses to aliens.
3 We have become orphans (D)without a father,
Our mothers are like widows.
4 [a]We have to pay for our drinking (E)water,
Our wood comes to us at a price.
5 [b]Our pursuers are at our necks;
We are worn out, there is (F)no rest for us.
6 We have [c]submitted to (G)Egypt and Assyria [d]to get enough bread.
7 Our (H)fathers sinned, and are no more;
It is we who have borne their iniquities.
8 (I)Slaves rule over us;
There is (J)no one to deliver us from their hand.
9 We get our bread [e]at the (K)risk of our lives
[f]Because of the sword in the wilderness.
10 Our skin has become as (L)hot as an oven,
Because of [g]the burning heat of famine.
11 They ravished the (M)women in Zion,
The virgins in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes were hung by their hands;
[h](N)Elders were not respected.
13 Young men [i](O)worked at the grinding mill,
And youths (P)stumbled under loads of wood.
14 Elders [j]are gone from the gate,
Young men from their (Q)music.
15 The joy of our hearts has (R)ceased;
Our dancing has been turned into mourning.
16 The (S)crown has fallen from our head;
(T)Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17 Because of this our (U)heart is faint,
Because of these things our (V)eyes are dim;
18 Because of (W)Mount Zion which lies desolate,
(X)Foxes prowl in it.
19 (Y)You, O Lord, [k]rule forever;
Your (Z)throne is from generation to generation.
20 Why do You (AA)forget us forever?
Why do You forsake us [l]so long?
21 (AB)Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored;
Renew (AC)our days as of old,
22 Unless (AD)You have utterly rejected us
And are exceedingly (AE)angry with us.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 5:4 Lit We drink our water for silver
- Lamentations 5:5 Lit We have been pursued upon
- Lamentations 5:6 Lit given the hand to
- Lamentations 5:6 Lit to be satisfied with
- Lamentations 5:9 Lit with our soul
- Lamentations 5:9 Or In the face of
- Lamentations 5:10 Or the ravages of hunger
- Lamentations 5:12 Lit The faces of elders
- Lamentations 5:13 Lit carry
- Lamentations 5:14 Lit have ceased
- Lamentations 5:19 Lit sit
- Lamentations 5:20 Lit to length of days
Cross references
- Lamentations 5:1 : Ps 44:13-16
- Lamentations 5:2 : Is 1:7; Hos 8:7, 8
- Lamentations 5:2 : Zeph 1:13
- Lamentations 5:3 : Ex 22:24; Jer 15:8; 18:21
- Lamentations 5:4 : Is 3:1
- Lamentations 5:5 : Neh 9:36, 37
- Lamentations 5:6 : Hos 9:3; 12:1
- Lamentations 5:7 : Jer 14:20; 16:12
- Lamentations 5:8 : Neh 5:15
- Lamentations 5:8 : Ps 7:2; Zech 11:6
- Lamentations 5:9 : Jer 40:9-12
- Lamentations 5:10 : Job 30:30; Lam 4:8
- Lamentations 5:11 : Is 13:16; Zech 14:2
- Lamentations 5:12 : Is 47:6; Lam 4:16
- Lamentations 5:13 : Judg 16:21
- Lamentations 5:13 : Jer 7:18
- Lamentations 5:14 : Is 24:8; Jer 7:34
- Lamentations 5:15 : Jer 25:10; Amos 8:10
- Lamentations 5:16 : Job 19:9; Ps 89:39; Jer 13:18
- Lamentations 5:16 : Is 3:9-11
- Lamentations 5:17 : Is 1:5
- Lamentations 5:17 : Job 17:7; Lam 2:11
- Lamentations 5:18 : Mic 3:12
- Lamentations 5:18 : Neh 4:3
- Lamentations 5:19 : Ps 102:12, 25-27
- Lamentations 5:19 : Ps 45:6
- Lamentations 5:20 : Ps 13:1; 44:24
- Lamentations 5:21 : Ps 80:3; Jer 31:18
- Lamentations 5:21 : Is 60:20-22
- Lamentations 5:22 : Ps 60:1, 2; Jer 7:29
- Lamentations 5:22 : Is 64:9