Lamentations 5:1

THE MESSAGE

"Remember, God , all we've been through. Study our plight, the black mark we've made in history. Our precious land has been given to outsiders, our homes to strangers. Orphans we are, not a father in sight, and our mothers no better than widows. We have to pay to drink our own water. Even our firewood comes at a price. We're nothing but slaves, bullied and bowed, worn out and without any rest. We sold ourselves to Assyria and Egypt just to get something to eat. Our parents sinned and are no more, and now we're paying for the wrongs they did. Slaves rule over us; there's no escape from their grip. We risk our lives to gather food in the bandit-infested desert. Our skin has turned black as an oven, dried out like old leather from the famine. Our wives were raped in the streets in Zion, and our virgins in the cities of Judah. They hanged our princes by their hands, dishonored our elders. Strapping young men were put to women's work, mere boys forced to do men's work. The city gate is empty of wise elders. Music from the young is heard no more. All the joy is gone from our hearts. Our dances have turned into dirges. The crown of glory has toppled from our head. Woe! Woe! Would that we'd never sinned! Because of all this we're heartsick; we can't see through the tears. On Mount Zion, wrecked and ruined, jackals pace and prowl. And yet, God , you're sovereign still, your throne intact and eternal. So why do you keep forgetting us? Why dump us and leave us like this? Bring us back to you, God —we're ready to come back. Give us a fresh start. As it is, you've cruelly disowned us. You've been so very angry with us."

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
Lord, remember what has happened to us.

Hebrew Names Version
Remember, LORD, what has come on us: Look, and see our reproach.

King James Version
Remember, O Lord , what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.

English Standard Version
Remember, O Lord , what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace!

New American Standard Bible
Remember, LORD, what has come upon us; Look, and see our disgrace!

New Century Version
Remember, Lord , what happened to us. Look and see our disgrace.

Amplified Bible
O LORD, remember what has come upon us; Look, and see our reproach (national disgrace)!

World English Bible
Remember, Yahweh, what has come on us: Look, and see our reproach.

Geneva Bible (1587)
Remember, O Lorde, what is come vpon vs: consider, and behold our reproche.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; Look, and see our reproach!

Legacy Standard Bible
Remember, O Yahweh, what has happened to us;Look, and see our reproach!

Berean Standard Bible
Remember, O LORD, what has happened to us. Look and see our disgrace!

Contemporary English Version
The People of Jerusalem Pray: Our Lord , don't forget how we have suffered and been disgraced.

Complete Jewish Bible
Remember, Adonai , what has happened to us; look, and see our disgrace.

Darby Translation
Remember, O Jehovah, what is come upon us; consider, and see our reproach.

Easy-to-Read Version
Remember, Lord , what happened to us. Look and see our shame.

George Lamsa Translation
REMEMBER, O LORD, what has come upon us; behold, and see our reproach.

Good News Translation
Remember, O Lord , what has happened to us. Look at us, and see our disgrace.

Lexham English Bible
Remember, O Yahweh, what has become of us; take note, and see our disgrace!

Literal Translation
O Jehovah, remember what has been to us; look upon and see our reproach.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Call to remebraunce (O LORDE) what we haue suffred, cosidre and se oure cofucion.

American Standard Version
Remember, O Jehovah, what is come upon us: Behold, and see our reproach.

Bible in Basic English
Keep in mind, O Lord, what has come to us: take note and see our shame.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us; behold, and see our reproach.

King James Version (1611)
Remember, O Lord, what is come vpon vs: consider and beholde our reproch.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Call to remembraunce (O Lorde) what we haue suffred, consider and see our confusion.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
Remember, O Lord, what has happened to us: behold, and look on our reproach.

English Revised Version
Remember, O what is LORD, come upon us: behold, and see our reproach.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Lord, haue thou mynde what bifelle to vs; se thou, and biholde oure schenschipe.

Update Bible Version
Remember, O Yahweh, what has come on us: Look, and see our reproach.

Webster's Bible Translation
Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.

New English Translation
O Lord , reflect on what has happened to us; consider and look at our disgrace.

New King James Version
Remember, O LORD, what has come upon us; Look, and behold our reproach!

New Living Translation
Lord , remember what has happened to us. See how we have been disgraced!

New Life Bible
O Lord, remember what has happened to us. Look, and see our shame!

New Revised Standard
Remember, O Lord , what has befallen us; look, and see our disgrace!

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Remember, O Yahweh, what hath befallen us, Look around, and see our reproach:

Douay-Rheims Bible
Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us: consider and behold our reproach.

Revised Standard Version
Remember, O LORD, what has befallen us; behold, and see our disgrace!

Young's Literal Translation
Remember, O Jehovah, what hath befallen us, Look attentively, and see our reproach.

Contextual Overview

¹ "Remember, God , all we've been through. Study our plight, the black mark we've made in history. Our precious land has been given to outsiders, our homes to strangers. Orphans we are, not a father in sight, and our mothers no better than widows. We have to pay to drink our own water. Even our firewood comes at a price. We're nothing but slaves, bullied and bowed, worn out and without any rest. We sold ourselves to Assyria and Egypt just to get something to eat. Our parents sinned and are no more, and now we're paying for the wrongs they did. Slaves rule over us; there's no escape from their grip. We risk our lives to gather food in the bandit-infested desert. Our skin has turned black as an oven, dried out like old leather from the famine. Our wives were raped in the streets in Zion, and our virgins in the cities of Judah. They hanged our princes by their hands, dishonored our elders. Strapping young men were put to women's work, mere boys forced to do men's work. The city gate is empty of wise elders. Music from the young is heard no more. All the joy is gone from our hearts. Our dances have turned into dirges. The crown of glory has toppled from our head. Woe! Woe! Would that we'd never sinned! Because of all this we're heartsick; we can't see through the tears. On Mount Zion, wrecked and ruined, jackals pace and prowl. And yet, God , you're sovereign still, your throne intact and eternal. So why do you keep forgetting us? Why dump us and leave us like this? Bring us back to you, God —we're ready to come back. Give us a fresh start. As it is, you've cruelly disowned us. You've been so very angry with us."

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Remember: Lamentations 1:20, Lamentations 2:20, Lamentations 3:19, Nehemiah 1:8, Job 7:7, Job 10:9, Jeremiah 15:15, Habakkuk 3:2, Luke 23:42

behold: Lamentations 2:15, Lamentations 3:61, Nehemiah 1:3, Nehemiah 4:4, Psalms 44:13-16, Psalms 74:10, Psalms 74:11, Psalms 79:4, Psalms 79:12, Psalms 89:50, Psalms 89:51, Psalms 123:3, Psalms 123:4

Reciprocal: Job 10:15 - see Psalms 13:3 - Consider Psalms 25:18 - Look Psalms 31:7 - for Psalms 42:9 - because Psalms 89:41 - he is Psalms 119:153 - Consider Psalms 132:1 - remember Jeremiah 51:51 - are confounded Lamentations 3:50 - General Micah 6:16 - therefore Acts 4:29 - behold

Cross-References

Genesis 6:9
This is the story of Noah: Noah was a good man, a man of integrity in his community. Noah walked with God. Noah had three sons: Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Genesis 10:1
This is the family tree of the sons of Noah: Shem, Ham, and Japheth. After the flood, they themselves had sons.

1 Chronicles 1:1
Adam Seth Enosh Kenan Mahalalel Jared Enoch Methuselah Lamech Noah Shem, Ham, and Japheth.

Ecclesiastes 12:1
Honor and enjoy your Creator while you're still young, Before the years take their toll and your vigor wanes, Before your vision dims and the world blurs And the winter years keep you close to the fire.

Matthew 1:1
The family tree of Jesus Christ, David's son, Abraham's son:

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Remember, O Lord, what is come upon us,.... This chapter is called, in some Greek copies, and in the Vulgate Latin, Syriac, and Arabic versions, "the prayer of Jeremiah". Cocceius interprets the whole of the state of the Christian church after the last destruction of Jerusalem; and of what happened to the disciples of Christ in the first times of the Gospel; and of what Christians have endured under antichrist down to the present times: but it is best to understand it of the Jews in Babylon; representing their sorrowful case, as represented by the prophet; entreating that the Lord would remember the affliction they were under, and deliver them out of it, that which he had determined should come upon them. So the Targum,

"remember, O Lord, what was decreed should be unto us;''

and what he had long threatened should come upon them; and which they had reason to fear would come, though they put away the evil day far from them; but now it was come, and it lay heavy upon them; and therefore they desire it might be taken off:

consider, and behold our reproach: cast upon them by their enemies; and the rather the Lord is entreated to look upon and consider that, since his name was concerned in it, and it was for his sake, and because of the true religion they professed; also the disgrace they were in, being carried into a foreign country for their sins; and so were in contempt by all the nations around.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

What is come upon us - literally, “what” has happened “to us:” our national disgrace.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

CHAPTER V

This chapter is, as it were, an epiphonema, or conclusion to

the four preceding, representing the nation as groaning under

their calamities, and humbly supplicating the Divine favour,

1-22.

NOTES ON CHAP. V

Verse Lamentations 5:1. Remember, O Lord — In the Vulgate, Syriac, and Arabic, this is headed, "The prayer of Jeremiah." In my old MS. Bible: Here bigynneth the orison of Jeremye the prophete.

Though this chapter consists of exactly twenty-two verses, the number of letters in the Hebrew alphabet, yet the acrostic form is no longer observed. Perhaps any thing so technical was not thought proper when in agony and distress (under a sense of God's displeasure on account of sin) they prostrated themselves before him to ask for mercy. Be this as it may, no attempt appears to have been made to throw these verses into the form of the preceding chapters. It is properly a solemn prayer of all the people, stating their past and present sufferings, and praying for God's mercy.

Behold our reproach. — הביט hebita. But many MSS. of Kennicott's, and the oldest of my own, add the ה he paragogic, הביטה hebitah, "Look down earnestly with commiseration;" for paragogic letters always increase the sense.