Lamentations 5

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1Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us; look, and see our disgrace.

2Our inheritance has been turned over to aliens, our homes to foreigners.

3We have become orphans and fatherless, our mothers like widows.

4We must buy the water we drink; our wood can be had only at a price.

5Those who pursue us are at our heels; we are weary and find no rest.

6We submitted to Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

7Our fathers sinned and are no more, and we bear their punishment.

8Slaves rule over us, and there is none to free us from their hands.

9We get our bread at the risk of our lives because of the sword in the desert.

10Our skin is hot as an oven, feverish from hunger.

11Women have been ravished in Zion, and virgins in the towns of Judah.

12Princes have been hung up by their hands; elders are shown no respect.

13Young men toil at the millstones; boys stagger under loads of wood.

14The elders are gone from the city gate; the young men have stopped their music.

15Joy is gone from our hearts; our dancing has turned to mourning.

16The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!

17Because of this our hearts are faint, because of these things our eyes grow dim

18for Mount Zion, which lies desolate, with jackals prowling over it.

19You, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.

20Why do you always forget us? Why do you forsake us so long?

21Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may return; renew our days as of old

22unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.

Commentary

5:1-16 Is any afflicted? Let him pray; and let him in prayer pour out his complaint to God. The people of God do so here; they complain not of evils feared, but of evils felt. If penitent and patient under what we suffer for the sins of our fathers, we may expect that He who punishes, will return in mercy to us. They acknowledge, Woe unto us that we have sinned! All our woes are owing to our own sin and folly. Though our sins and God's just displeasure cause our sufferings, we may hope in his pardoning mercy, his sanctifying grace, and his kind providence. But the sins of a man's whole life will be punished with vengeance at last, unless he obtains an interest in Him who bare our sins in his own body on the tree.

4. water for money—The Jews were compelled to pay the enemy for the water of their own cisterns after the overthrow of Jerusalem; or rather, it refers to their sojourn in Babylon; they had to pay tax for access to the rivers and fountains. Thus, "our" means the water which we need, the commonest necessary of life.our wood—In Judea each one could get wood without pay; in Babylon, "our wood," the wood we need, must be paid for.

5. Literally, "On our necks we are persecuted"; that is, Men tread on our necks (Ps 66:12; Isa 51:23; compare Jos 10:24). The extremest oppression. The foe not merely galled the Jews face, back, and sides, but their neck. A just retribution, as they had been stiff in neck against the yoke of God (2Ch 30:8, Margin; Ne 9:29; Isa 48:4).

8. Servants … ruled … us—Servants under the Chaldean governors ruled the Jews (Ne 5:15). Israel, once a "kingdom of priests" (Ex 19:6), is become like Canaan, "a servant of servants," according to the curse (Ge 9:25).

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Translations8 · 5

AMHEVG አቤቱ፥ የሆነብንን አስብ፤ ተመልከት ስድባችንንም እይ። አማርኛ BCV ኦ እግዚኣብሄር፥ ነቲ ዝወረደና ዘክር፤ ቈላሕ በል እሞ ንውርደትና ጠምቶ። ትግርኛ GAZBIB Yaa Waaqayyo wanta nu irra ga'e yaadadhu! Kunoo, yeellaasifamuu keenyas ilaali! Afaan Oromoo BCV GIZ ተዘከር እግዚኦ ምንተ ኮነ ለነ ነጽር ወርኢ እግዚኦ ኀሳረነ። giz GAZGAZ Yaa Waaqayyo wanta nu irra ga'e yaadadhu! Kunoo, yeellaasifamuu keenyas ilaali! Afaan Oromoo BCV aksum ኦ እግዚኣብሄር፥ ነቲ ዝወረደና ዘክር፤ ቈላሕ በል እሞ ንውርደትና ጠምቶ። ትግርኛ AMHNIV እግዚአብሔር ሆይ፤ በእኛ ላይ የደረሰውን አስብ፤ ውርደታችንን እይ፤ ተመልከትም። አማርኛ SWAHSUV Ee Bwana, kumbuka yaliyotupata; Utazame na kuiona aibu yetu. Kiswahili