[1] Keep in mind, O Lord, what has come to us: take note and see our shame.
[2] Our heritage is given up to men of strange lands, our houses to those
who are not our countrymen. [3] We are children without fathers, our
mothers are like widows. [4] We give money for a drink of water, we get our
wood for a price. [5] Our attackers are on our necks: overcome with
weariness, we have no rest. [6] We have given our hands to the Egyptians
and to the Assyrians so that we might have enough bread. [7] Our fathers
were sinners and are dead; and the weight of their evil-doing is on us. [8]
Servants are ruling over us, and there is no one to make us free from their
hands. [9] We put our lives in danger to get our bread, because of the
sword of the waste land. [10] Our skin is heated like an oven because of
our burning heat from need of food. [11] They took by force the women in
Zion, the virgins in the towns of Judah. [12] Their hands put princes to
death by hanging: the faces of old men were not honoured. [13] The young
men were crushing the grain, and the boys were falling under the wood. [14]
The old men are no longer seated in the doorway, and the music of the young
men has come to an end. [15] The joy of our hearts is ended; our dancing is
changed into sorrow. [16] The crown has been taken from our head: sorrow is
ours, for we are sinners. [17] Because of this our hearts are feeble; for
these things our eyes are dark; [18] Because of the mountain of Zion which
is a waste; jackals go over it. [19] You, O Lord, are seated as King for
ever; the seat of your power is eternal. [20] Why have we gone from your
memory for ever? why have you been turned away from us for so long? [21]
Make us come back to you, O Lord, and let us be turned; make our days new
again as in the past. [22] But you have quite given us up; you are full of
wrath against us.