A Request For Mercy

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

1 Remember, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold our reproach.

1 Remember, O Lord, what has befallen us;Look, and see our (A)reproach!

1 Yahweh, remember what has happened to us.Look, and see our disgrace!(A)

1 LORD, remember what has happened to us. Pay attention, and look at our shame!

2 Our inheritance is turned over to strangers; foreigners now occupy our homes.

2 Our inheritance is turned to strangers, our houses to aliens.

2 Our inheritance has been turned over to (B)strangers,Our (C)houses to aliens.

2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers,our houses to foreigners.

2 Our inheritance has been turned over to strangers, and our homes to foreigners.

3 We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers have become widows.

3 We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows.

3 We have become orphans (D)without a father,Our mothers are like widows.

3 We have become orphans, fatherless;our mothers are widows.

3 We are now orphans without fathers and our mothers are like widows.

4 We must pay money for our own water; we must buy our own wood at a steep price.

4 We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us.

4 (a)We have to pay for our drinking (E)water,Our wood comes to us at a price.

4 We must pay for the water we drink;our wood comes at a price.

4 We pay to drink our own water, and our own wood is sold to us at high price.

5 We are pursued -- they are breathing down our necks; we are weary and have no rest.

5 Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest.

5 (b)Our pursuers are at our necks;We are worn out, there is (F)no rest for us.

5 We are closely pursued;we are tired, and no one offers us rest.

5 Our pursuers breathe down our necks; we are weary, but there is no rest for us.

6 We have submitted to Egypt and Assyria in order to buy food to eat.

6 We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread.

6 We have (c)submitted to (G)Egypt and Assyria (d)to get enough bread.

6 We made a treaty with(a) Egyptand with Assyria, to get enough food.(B)

6 We made a deal with the Egyptians and the Assyrians for the price of food.

7 Our forefathers sinned and are dead, but we suffer their punishment.

7 Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities.

7 Our (H)fathers sinned, and are no more;It is we who have borne their iniquities.

7 Our fathers sinned; they no longer exist,but we bear their punishment.

7 Our ancestors sinned and no longer exist yet we continue to bear the consequences of their sin.

8 Slaves rule over us; there is no one to rescue us from their power.

8 Servants have ruled over us: there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand.

8 (I)Slaves rule over us;There is (J)no one to deliver us from their hand.

8 Slaves rule over us;(C)no one rescues us from their hands.

8 Slaves rule over us, and no one delivers us from their control.

9 At the risk of our lives we get our food because robbers lurk in the countryside.

9 We gat our bread with the peril of our lives because of the sword of the wilderness.

9 We get our bread (e)at the (K)risk of our lives(f)Because of the sword in the wilderness.

9 We secure our food at the risk of our livesbecause of the sword in the wilderness.

9 We risk our lives to obtain our food, facing death in the desert.

10 Our skin is hot as an oven due to a fever from hunger.

10 Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine.

10 Our skin has become as (L)hot as an oven,Because of (g)the burning heat of famine.

10 Our skin is as hot(b) as an oven(D)from the ravages of hunger.

10 Our skin blisters as from an oven, due to ravaging blasts of the famine.

11 They raped women in Zion, virgins in the towns of Judah.

11 They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah.

11 They ravished the (M)women in Zion,The virgins in the cities of Judah.

11 Women are raped in Zion,girls in the cities of Judah.

11 They have raped women in Zion, young women in the towns of Judah.

12 Princes were hung by their hands; elders were mistreated.

12 Princes are hanged up by their hand: the faces of elders were not honoured.

12 Princes were hung by their hands;(h)(N)Elders were not respected.

12 Princes are hung up by their hands;elders are shown no respect.(E)

12 Princes they have hung by their hands; elders they have disrespected.

13 The young men perform menial labor; boys stagger from their labor.

13 They took the young men to grind, and the children fell under the wood.

13 Young men (i)(O)worked at the grinding mill,And youths (P)stumbled under loads of wood.

13 Young men labor at millstones;(F)boys stumble under loads of wood.

13 Our young men must grind grain with a millstone; our youths stumble under the weight of wood.

14 The elders are gone from the city gate; the young men have stopped playing their music.

14 The elders have ceased from the gate, the young men from their musick.

14 Elders (j)are gone from the gate,Young men from their (Q)music.

14 The elders have left the city gate,the young men, their music.(G)

14 Our elders have ceased ruling at the gate; our young men have abandoned their music.

15 Our hearts no longer have any joy; our dancing is turned to mourning.

15 The joy of our heart is ceased; our dance is turned into mourning.

15 The joy of our hearts has (R)ceased;Our dancing has been turned into mourning.

15 Joy has left our hearts;(H)our dancing has turned to mourning.

15 The joy of our hearts has ceased, and our dancing has turned into dirges.

16 The crown has fallen from our head; woe to us, for we have sinned!

16 The crown is fallen from our head: woe unto us, that we have sinned!

16 The (S)crown has fallen from our head;(T)Woe to us, for we have sinned!

16 The crown has fallen from our head.(I)Woe to us, for we have sinned.(J)

16 The crown has fallen from our head woe to us, because we have sinned!

17 Because of this, our hearts are sick; because of these things, we can hardly see through our tears.

17 For this our heart is faint; for these things our eyes are dim.

17 Because of this our (U)heart is faint,Because of these things our (V)eyes are dim;

17 Because of this, our heart is sick;because of these, our eyes grow dim:(K)

17 This is why our hearts faint, and why our eyes grow dim:

18 For wild animals are prowling over Mount Zion, which lies desolate.

18 Because of the mountain of Zion, which is desolate, the foxes walk upon it.

18 Because of (W)Mount Zion which lies desolate,(X)Foxes prowl in it.

18 because of Mount Zion, which lies desolateand has jackals prowling in it.(L)

18 Because Mount Zion is desolate; foxes roam around it.

19 But you, O Lord, reign forever; your throne endures from generation to generation.

19 Thou, O LORD, remainest for ever; thy throne from generation to generation.

19 (Y)You, O Lord, (k)rule forever;Your (Z)throne is from generation to generation.

19 You, Lord, are enthroned forever;Your throne endures from generation to generation.(M)

19 You, LORD, are forever your throne endures from generation to generation.

20 Why do you keep on forgetting us? Why do you forsake us so long?

20 Wherefore dost thou forget us for ever, and forsake us so long time?

20 Why do You (AA)forget us forever?Why do You forsake us (l)so long?

20 Why have You forgotten us forever,(N)abandoned us for our entire lives?

20 So why have you completely forgotten us, forsaking us for so long?

21 Bring us back to yourself, O Lord, so that we may return to you; renew our life as in days before,

21 Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

21 (AB)Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored;Renew (AC)our days as of old,

21 Lord, restore us to Yourself, so we may return;(O)renew our days as in former times,

21 Restore us to yourself, LORD, so that we may return. Renew our days as before,

22 unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us beyond measure.

22 But thou hast utterly rejected us; thou art very wroth against us.

22 Unless (AD)You have utterly rejected usAnd are exceedingly (AE)angry with us.

22 unless You have completely rejected usand are intensely angry with us.

22 unless you have utterly rejected us and are angry with us without limit.

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