A Prayer for Mercy: BIBLE, New American Standard Bible == BIBLE-CENTER

Lamentations, Chapter 5

Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us;
Look, and see our reproach!

Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
Our houses to aliens.

We have become orphans without a father,
Our mothers are like widows.

⁴

^aWe have to pay for our drinking water,
Our wood comes to us at a price.

⁵

^bOur pursuers are at our necks;
We are worn out, there is no rest for us.

⁶

We have^csubmitted to Egypt and Assyria^dto get enough bread.

⁷

Our fathers sinned, and are no more;
It is we who have borne their iniquities.

⁸

Slaves rule over us;
There is no one to deliver us from their hand.

⁹

We get our bread^eat the risk of our lives
^fBecause of the sword in the wilderness.

¹⁰

Our skin has become as hot as an oven,
Because of^gthe burning heat of famine.

¹¹

They ravished the women in Zion,
The virgins in the cities of Judah.

¹²

Princes were hung by their hands;
^hElders were not respected.

¹³

Young menⁱworked at the grinding mill,
And youths stumbled under loads of wood.

¹⁴

Elders^jare gone from the gate,
Young men from their music.

¹⁵

The joy of our hearts has ceased;
Our dancing has been turned into mourning.

¹⁶

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

¹⁷

Because of this our heart is faint,
Because of these things our eyes are dim;

¹⁸

Because of Mount Zion which lies desolate,
Foxes prowl in it.

¹⁹

You, O LORD,^krule forever;
Your throne is from generation to generation.

²⁰

Why do You forget us forever?
Why do You forsake us^lso long?

²¹

Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored;
Renew our days as of old,

²²

Unless You have utterly rejected us
And are exceedingly angry with us.


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