1 Dink, HERE, aan wat oor ons gekom het, sien en aanskou ons smaad.
2 Ons erfdeel het na vreemdes oorgegaan, ons huise na uitlanders.
3 Ons het wese geword, sonder 'n vader, ons moeders is soos weduwees.
4 Ons water drink ons vir geld, ons hout kom teen betaling in.
5 Ons vervolgers is op ons nek; ons is afgemat sonder dat daar rus aan ons gegun word.
6 Na Egipte het ons die hand uitgestrek, na Assur om met brood versadig te word.
7 Ons vaders het gesondig; hulle is daar nie meer nie, en ons dra hulle ongeregtighede.
8 Knegte heers oor ons, niemand ruk ons uit hulle hand weg nie.
9 Met lewensgevaar bring ons ons brood in vanweë die swaard van die woestyn.
10 Ons vel gloei soos 'n oond vanweë die gloed van die honger.
11 Hulle het vroue in Sion onteer, jonkvroue in die stede van Juda.
12 Vorste is deur hulle hand opgehang, die persoon van die grysaards nie geëer nie.
13 Jongmanne dra die handmeul, en seuns struikel onder die drag hout.
14 Die oudstes is nie meer in die poort nie, die jongmanne sonder hulle snarespel.
15 Die vreugde van ons hart het opgehou, ons koordans het in treurigheid verander.
16 Die kroon van ons hoof het geval; wee ons, dat ons gesondig het.
17 Hierom het ons hart krank geword, hierom is ons oë verduister:
18 ter wille van die berg Sion wat woes lê, waar die jakkalse op rondloop.
19 U, HERE, sit vir ewig, u troon is van geslag tot geslag.
20 Waarom sou U ons vir altyd vergeet, ons verlaat tot in lengte van dae?
21 Bekeer ons tot U, HERE, dan sal ons ons bekeer; vernuwe ons dae soos in die voortyd.
22 Of het U ons heeltemal verwerp, is u toorn teen ons alte groot?
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.