Lamentations Chapter 5
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Lamentations 5 — English translation
Translation: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition. Verse numbers match the Hebrew text below.
- 1Remember, O E TERNAL One, what has befallen us; Behold, and see our disgrace!
- 2Our heritage has passed to aliens, Our homes to strangers.
- 3We have become orphans, fatherless; Our mothers are like widows.
- 4We must pay to drink our own water, Obtain our own kindling at a price.
- 5We are hotly pursued; Exhausted, we are given no rest.
- 6We hold out a hand to Egypt; To Assyria, for our fill of bread.
- 7Our ancestors sinned and are no more; And we must bear their guilt.
- 8Slaves are ruling over us, With none to rescue us from them.
- 9We get our bread at the peril of our lives, Because of the sword of the wilderness.
- 10Our skin glows like an oven, With the fever of famine.
- 11Those slaves have abused women in Zion, Maidens in the towns of Judah.
- 12Princes have been hanged by them; No respect has been shown to elders.
- 13Young men must carry millstones, And youths stagger under loads of wood.
- 14The elders are gone from the gate, The youngsters from their music.
- 15Gone is the joy of our hearts; Our dancing is turned into mourning.
- 16The crown has fallen from our head; Woe to us that we have sinned!
- 17Because of this our hearts are sick, Because of these our eyes are dimmed:
- 18Because of Mount Zion, which lies desolate; Jackals prowl over it.
- 19But You, O E TERNAL One, are enthroned forever, Your throne endures through the ages.
- 20Why have You forgotten us utterly, Forsaken us for all time?
- 21Take us back, O E TERNAL One, to Yourself, And let us come back; Renew our days as of old!
- 22For truly, You have rejected us, Bitterly raged against us. Take us back, O E TERNAL One, to Yourself, And let us come back; Renew our days as of old!
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- א׳זְכֹ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ מֶֽה־הָ֣יָה לָ֔נוּ (הביט) [הַבִּ֖יטָה] וּרְאֵ֥ה אֶת־חֶרְפָּתֵֽנוּ׃
- ב׳נַחֲלָתֵ֙נוּ֙ נֶֽהֶפְכָ֣ה לְזָרִ֔ים בָּתֵּ֖ינוּ לְנׇכְרִֽים׃
- ג׳יְתוֹמִ֤ים הָיִ֙ינוּ֙ (אין) [וְאֵ֣ין] אָ֔ב אִמֹּתֵ֖ינוּ כְּאַלְמָנֽוֹת׃
- ד׳מֵימֵ֙ינוּ֙ בְּכֶ֣סֶף שָׁתִ֔ינוּ עֵצֵ֖ינוּ בִּמְחִ֥יר יָבֹֽאוּ׃
- ה׳עַ֤ל צַוָּארֵ֙נוּ֙ נִרְדָּ֔פְנוּ יָגַ֖עְנוּ (לא) [וְלֹ֥א] הֽוּנַֽח־לָֽנוּ׃
- ו׳מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ נָתַ֣נּוּ יָ֔ד אַשּׁ֖וּר לִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽ לָֽחֶם׃
- ז׳אֲבֹתֵ֤ינוּ חָֽטְאוּ֙ (אינם) [וְאֵינָ֔ם] (אנחנו) [וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ] עֲוֺנֹתֵיהֶ֥ם סָבָֽלְנוּ׃
- ח׳עֲבָדִים֙ מָ֣שְׁלוּ בָ֔נוּ פֹּרֵ֖ק אֵ֥ין מִיָּדָֽם׃
- ט׳בְּנַפְשֵׁ֙נוּ֙ נָבִ֣יא לַחְמֵ֔נוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י חֶ֥רֶב הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃
- י׳עוֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ כְּתַנּ֣וּר נִכְמָ֔רוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י זַלְעֲפ֥וֹת רָעָֽב׃
- י״אנָשִׁים֙ בְּצִיּ֣וֹן עִנּ֔וּ בְּתֻלֹ֖ת בְּעָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃
- י״בשָׂרִים֙ בְּיָדָ֣ם נִתְל֔וּ פְּנֵ֥י זְקֵנִ֖ים לֹ֥א נֶהְדָּֽרוּ׃
- י״גבַּחוּרִים֙ טְח֣וֹן נָשָׂ֔אוּ וּנְעָרִ֖ים בָּעֵ֥ץ כָּשָֽׁלוּ׃
- י״דזְקֵנִים֙ מִשַּׁ֣עַר שָׁבָ֔תוּ בַּחוּרִ֖ים מִנְּגִינָתָֽם׃
- ט״ושָׁבַת֙ מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ לִבֵּ֔נוּ נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ לְאֵ֖בֶל מְחֹלֵֽנוּ׃
- ט״זנָֽפְלָה֙ עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשֵׁ֔נוּ אֽוֹי־נָ֥א לָ֖נוּ כִּ֥י חָטָֽאנוּ׃
- י״זעַל־זֶ֗ה הָיָ֤ה דָוֶה֙ לִבֵּ֔נוּ עַל־אֵ֖לֶּה חָשְׁכ֥וּ עֵינֵֽינוּ׃
- י״חעַ֤ל הַר־צִיּוֹן֙ שֶׁשָּׁמֵ֔ם שׁוּעָלִ֖ים הִלְּכוּ־בֽוֹ׃ {פ}
- י״טאַתָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לְעוֹלָ֣ם תֵּשֵׁ֔ב כִּסְאֲךָ֖ לְד֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃
- כ׳לָ֤מָּה לָנֶ֙צַח֙ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ לְאֹ֥רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃
- כ״אהֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה׀אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (ונשוב) [וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה] חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃
- כ״בכִּ֚י אִם־מָאֹ֣ס מְאַסְתָּ֔נוּ קָצַ֥פְתָּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עַד־מְאֹֽד׃
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Rashi's commentary
Verse 20
לָ֤מָּה לָנֶ֙צַח֙ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ לְאֹ֥רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃
Why do You forget us forever — Did You not swear to us by Yourself? Just as you exist forever, so does your oath exist forever.
Verse 22
כִּ֚י אִם־מָאֹ֣ס מְאַסְתָּ֔נוּ קָצַ֥פְתָּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עַד־מְאֹֽד׃
Bring us back, O Lord — Since it ends with words of rebuke, it was required to [repeat] the verse before it another time. And so [too in] Isaiah, the Twelve [Minor Prophets] and Ecclesiastes.
Edition: Sefaria Community Translation. License: CC0. Sefaria.
Lamentations Chapter 5
Lamentations Chapter 5 presents 22 verses in a searchable Hebrew text unit. This original reading guide identifies observable themes and a practical path through the chapter without adding an unverified interpretation.
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A unit-by-unit map of all 22 verses on this page: opening words, the moves the text actually makes and a link back to that exact verse.
- Verse 18 words
Opens “זְכֹ֤ר יְהֹוָה֙ מֶֽה־הָ֣יָה לָ֔נוּ (הביט) [הַבִּ֖יטָה] וּרְאֵ֥ה…”
- Verse 25 words
Opens “נַחֲלָתֵ֙נוּ֙ נֶֽהֶפְכָ֣ה לְזָרִ֔ים בָּתֵּ֖ינוּ לְנׇכְרִֽים׃…”
- Verse 37 words
Opens “יְתוֹמִ֤ים הָיִ֙ינוּ֙ (אין) [וְאֵ֣ין] אָ֔ב אִמֹּתֵ֖ינוּ כְּאַלְמָנֽוֹת׃…”
- Verse 46 words
Opens “מֵימֵ֙ינוּ֙ בְּכֶ֣סֶף שָׁתִ֔ינוּ עֵצֵ֖ינוּ בִּמְחִ֥יר יָבֹֽאוּ׃…”
- Verse 57 words
Opens “עַ֤ל צַוָּארֵ֙נוּ֙ נִרְדָּ֔פְנוּ יָגַ֖עְנוּ (לא) [וְלֹ֥א] הֽוּנַֽח־לָֽנוּ׃…”
- Verse 66 words
Opens “מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ נָתַ֣נּוּ יָ֔ד אַשּׁ֖וּר לִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽ לָֽחֶם׃…”
- Verse 78 words
Opens “אֲבֹתֵ֤ינוּ חָֽטְאוּ֙ (אינם) [וְאֵינָ֔ם] (אנחנו) [וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ] עֲוֺנֹתֵיהֶ֥ם…”
- Verse 86 words
Opens “עֲבָדִים֙ מָ֣שְׁלוּ בָ֔נוּ פֹּרֵ֖ק אֵ֥ין מִיָּדָֽם׃…”
- Verse 96 words
Opens “בְּנַפְשֵׁ֙נוּ֙ נָבִ֣יא לַחְמֵ֔נוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י חֶ֥רֶב הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃…”
- Verse 106 words
Opens “עוֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ כְּתַנּ֣וּר נִכְמָ֔רוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י זַלְעֲפ֥וֹת רָעָֽב׃…”
- Verse 116 words
Opens “נָשִׁים֙ בְּצִיּ֣וֹן עִנּ֔וּ בְּתֻלֹ֖ת בְּעָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃…”
- Verse 127 words
Opens “שָׂרִים֙ בְּיָדָ֣ם נִתְל֔וּ פְּנֵ֥י זְקֵנִ֖ים לֹ֥א נֶהְדָּֽרוּ׃…”
- Verse 136 words
Opens “בַּחוּרִים֙ טְח֣וֹן נָשָׂ֔אוּ וּנְעָרִ֖ים בָּעֵ֥ץ כָּשָֽׁלוּ׃…”
- Verse 145 words
Opens “זְקֵנִים֙ מִשַּׁ֣עַר שָׁבָ֔תוּ בַּחוּרִ֖ים מִנְּגִינָתָֽם׃…”
- Verse 156 words
Opens “שָׁבַת֙ מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ לִבֵּ֔נוּ נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ לְאֵ֖בֶל מְחֹלֵֽנוּ׃…”
- Verse 167 words
Opens “נָֽפְלָה֙ עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשֵׁ֔נוּ אֽוֹי־נָ֥א לָ֖נוּ כִּ֥י חָטָֽאנוּ׃…”
- Verse 177 words
Opens “עַל־זֶ֗ה הָיָ֤ה דָוֶה֙ לִבֵּ֔נוּ עַל־אֵ֖לֶּה חָשְׁכ֥וּ עֵינֵֽינוּ׃…”
- Verse 186 words
Opens “עַ֤ל הַר־צִיּוֹן֙ שֶׁשָּׁמֵ֔ם שׁוּעָלִ֖ים הִלְּכוּ־בֽוֹ׃ {פ}…”
- Verse 197 words
Opens “אַתָּ֤ה יְהֹוָה֙ לְעוֹלָ֣ם תֵּשֵׁ֔ב כִּסְאֲךָ֖ לְד֥וֹר וָדֽוֹר׃…”
- Verse 206 words
Opens “לָ֤מָּה לָנֶ֙צַח֙ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ לְאֹ֥רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃…”
- Verse 217 words
Opens “הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהֹוָ֤ה׀אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (ונשוב) [וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה] חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃…”
- Verse 226 words
Opens “כִּ֚י אִם־מָאֹ֣ס מְאַסְתָּ֔נוּ קָצַ֥פְתָּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עַד־מְאֹֽד׃…”
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