Lamentations 5
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Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.
2 Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3 We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.
4 We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.
5 Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.
6 We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7 Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.
8 Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.
9 We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.
10 Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.
11 They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
12 Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
14 The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.
15 The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
16 The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
17 For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.
18 Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.
19 Thou, O Lord, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.
20 Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
21 Turn thou us unto thee, O Lord, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
22 But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Lamentations 5:1-22
Restore Us to Yourself, O Lord
1Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;
look, and see our disgrace!
2Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
3We have become orphans, fatherless;
our mothers are like widows.
4We must pay for the water we drink;
the wood we get must be bought.
5Our pursuers are at our necks;
we are weary; we are given no rest.
6We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria,
to get bread enough.
7Our fathers sinned, and are no more;
and we bear their iniquities.
8Slaves rule over us;
there is none to deliver us from their hand.
9We get our bread at the peril of our lives,
because of the sword in the wilderness.
10Our skin is hot as an oven
with the burning heat of famine.
11Women are raped in Zion,
young women in the towns of Judah.
12Princes are hung up by their hands;
no respect is shown to the elders.
13Young men are compelled to grind at the mill,
and boys stagger under loads of wood.
14The old men have left the city gate,
the young men their music.
15The joy of our hearts has ceased;
our dancing has been turned to mourning.
16The crown has fallen from our head;
woe to us, for we have sinned!
17For this our heart has become sick,
for these things our eyes have grown dim,
18for Mount Zion which lies desolate;
jackals prowl over it.
19But you, O Lord, reign forever;
your throne endures to all generations.
20Why do you forget us forever,
why do you forsake us for so many days?
21Restore us to yourself, O Lord, that we may be restored!
Renew our days as of old—
22unless you have utterly rejected us,
and you remain exceedingly angry with us.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Lamentations 5:1-22
1Remember, Lord, what has happened to us;
look, and see our disgrace.
2Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,
our homes to foreigners.
3We have become fatherless,
our mothers are 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 ancestors sinned and are no more,
and we bear their punishment.
8Slaves rule over us,
and there is no one 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 violated 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, 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, Lord, that we may return;
renew our days as of old
22unless you have utterly rejected us
and are angry with us beyond measure.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
At the time of grief in our lives we should turn to God in prayer.
The prophet ends with a prayer of restoration. The reason he offers that prayer is because he knows the character of God. In life we all go through difficult situations. There are many who reject God, lose hope and allow those bad circumstances to change them into something else. If we know how God is, we will be able to see that though sometimes He allows some difficult things to come into our lives, if we remain with Him we will see at the end that “God works all things for the good of those who love him.” When we understand the character of God, that He is Love, we will wait on Him with tip toe anticipation in hope of what He will do. The reality is that God is not absent in our difficult times but is always close to us. God remembers, He sees and He cares for us. Let us trust Him.
Fredy Reinosa
Pastor, Michigan Conference, USA (as of this writing)
