Lamentations — Chapter 5
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1Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.
2Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.
4We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.
5Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.
6We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.
8Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.
9We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.
10Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.
11They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.
12Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.
13They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.
14The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.
15The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.
16The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!
17For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.
18Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.
19Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.
20Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?
21Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.
22But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.
1Remember, O Jehovah, what is come upon us: Behold, and see our reproach.
2Our inheritance is turned unto strangers, Our houses unto aliens.
3We are orphans and fatherless; Our mothers are as widows.
4We have drunken our water for money; Our wood is sold unto us.
5Our pursuers are upon our necks: We are weary, and have no rest.
6We have given the hand to the Egyptians, And to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7Our fathers sinned, and are not; And we have borne their iniquities.
8Servants rule over us: There is none to deliver us out of their hand.
9We get our bread at the peril of our lives, Because of the sword of the wilderness.
10Our skin is black like an oven, Because of the burning heat of famine.
11They ravished the women in Zion, The virgins in the cities of Judah.
12Princes were hanged up by their hand: The faces of elders were not honored.
13The young men bare the mill; And the children stumbled under the wood.
14The elders have ceased from the gate, The young men from their music.
15The joy of our heart is ceased; Our dance is turned into mourning.
16The crown is fallen from our head: Woe unto us! for we have sinned.
17For this our heart is faint; For these things our eyes are dim;
18For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate: The foxes walk upon it.
19Thou, O Jehovah, abidest for ever; Thy throne is from generation to generation.
20Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, [And] forsake us so long time?
21Turn thou us unto thee, O Jehovah, and we shall be turned; Renew our days as of old.
22But thou hast utterly rejected us; Thou art very wroth against us.
1O Lord, reflect on what has happened to us; consider and look at our disgrace.
2Our inheritance is turned over to strangers; foreigners now occupy our homes.
3We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers have become widows.
4We must pay money for our own water; we must buy our own wood at a steep price.
5We are pursued—they are breathing down our necks; we are weary and have no rest.
6We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria in order to buy food to eat.
7Our forefathers sinned and are dead, but we suffer their punishment.
8Slaves rule over us; there is no one to rescue us from their power.
9At the risk of our lives we get our food because robbers lurk in the wilderness.
10Our skin is as hot as an oven due to a fever from hunger.
11They raped women in Zion, virgins in the towns of Judah.
12Princes were hung by their hands; elders were mistreated.
13The young men perform menial labor; boys stagger from their labor.
14The elders are gone from the city gate; the young men have stopped playing their music.
15Our hearts no longer have any joy; our dancing is turned to mourning.
16The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!
17Because of this, our hearts are sick; because of these things, we can hardly see through our tears.
18For wild animals are prowling over Mount Zion, which lies desolate.
19But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.
20Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?
21Bring us back to yourself, O Lord, so that we may return to you; renew our life as in days before,
22unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.
1Remember, Yahweh, what has come on us. Look, and see our reproach.
2Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.
3We are orphans and fatherless. Our mothers are as widows.
4We have drunken our water for money. Our wood is sold to us.
5Our pursuers are on our necks. We are weary, and have no rest.
6We have given our hands to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.
7Our fathers sinned, and are no more. We have borne their iniquities.
8Servants rule over us. There is no one to deliver us out of their hand.
9We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword of the wilderness.
10Our skin is black like an oven, because of the burning heat of famine.
11They ravished the women in Zion, the virgins in the cities of Judah.
12Princes were hanged up by their hands. The faces of elders were not honored.
13The young men carry millstones. The children stumbled under loads of wood.
14The elders have ceased from the gate, and the young men from their music.
15The joy of our heart has ceased. Our dance is turned into mourning.
16The crown has fallen from our head. Woe to us, for we have sinned!
17For this our heart is faint. For these things our eyes are dim.
18For the mountain of Zion, which is desolate. The foxes walk on it.
19You, Yahweh, remain forever. Your throne is from generation to generation.
20Why do you forget us forever, and forsake us for so long a time?
21Turn us to yourself, Yahweh, and we will be turned. Renew our days as of old.
22But you have utterly rejected us. You are very angry against us.
Summary
The final chapter abandons the acrostic structure and becomes a communal prayer — the entire suffering community crying out together. "Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us." They catalog their losses: inheritance given to strangers, women violated, princes hanged, elders dishonored. The crown is fallen. Joy is gone. The closing plea is both desperate and uncertain: "Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD... renew our days as of old. But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us."
Authorship & Background
- "Remember, O LORD" — The Opening Cry (v.1)
- Our Inheritance Given to Strangers (vv.2-3)
- The Cost of Basic Survival (vv.4-7)
- Slaves Rule Over Us (vv.8-10)
- Women Violated, Leaders Dishonored (vv.11-14)
- "The Crown Is Fallen From Our Head" (vv.15-18)
- God's Eternal Throne (v.19)
- The Final Plea: "Turn Us... Renew Our Days" (vv.20-22)
Map & Geography
- Zion (v.11, v.18): The hill on which Jerusalem/the Temple stood; often used poetically for God's dwelling.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com
- Charles Spurgeon: "'Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned.' Here is the whole of salvation in a sentence. We cannot turn ourselves — we are too broken, too far gone, too deep in ruin. But if GOD turns us, we WILL be turned. The sinner's only hope is that God will do for him what he cannot do for himself. Cry this prayer, broken one: 'Turn ME, Lord, for I cannot turn myself.'"
Reflection
- 1. "Remember, O LORD" (v.1). Sometimes prayer is simply asking God to LOOK. Not to explain, not to fix immediately — just to SEE your pain. "Remember" is a valid prayer. God, look at what's happened to me. Consider my reproach. See me.
- 2. "Our fathers sinned, and we bear their iniquities" (v.7). You may be carrying consequences of others' choices — family dysfunction, generational patterns, inherited poverty or trauma. This is real and acknowledged. But v.16 adds: "WE have sinned too." Own what's yours while acknowledging what was handed to you.
- 3. "Thou, O LORD, remainest" (v.19). When everything human has fallen — career, health, relationships, nations — God REMAINS. His throne is unmoved. Root your identity in what cannot be shaken, not in what has already fallen.
- 4. "Turn thou us... and we shall be turned" (v.21). You cannot generate your own spiritual revival. You cannot manufacture repentance by willpower. ASK God to turn you. The desire to return is itself evidence that He's already working. Cooperate with what He's initiating.
- 5. The book ends unresolved (v.22). Sometimes faith lives in the tension. You don't know how it ends yet. You can't see restoration. The question hangs: "Will God restore?" And the answer hasn't come. Faith is continuing to pray v.21 even when v.22 feels more likely. Keep asking. Keep hoping. The answer will come.