The Prayer That Ends with a Question.

זְכֹ֤ר יְהוָה֙ מֶֽה־הָ֣יָה לָ֔נוּ ׳הַבֵּיט׳ ״הַבִּ֖יטָה״ וּרְאֵ֥ה אֶת־חֶרְפָּתֵֽנוּ׃

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

נַחֲלָתֵ֙נוּ֙ נֶֽהֶפְכָ֣ה לְזָרִ֔ים בָּתֵּ֖ינוּ לְנָכְרִֽים׃

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

יְתוֹמִ֤ים הָיִ֙ינוּ֙ ׳אֵין׳ ״וְאֵ֣ין״ אָ֔ב אִמֹּתֵ֖ינוּ כְּאַלְמָנֽוֹת׃

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

מֵימֵ֙ינוּ֙ בְּכֶ֣סֶף שָׁתִ֔ינוּ עֵצֵ֖ינוּ בִּמְחִ֥יר יָבֹֽאוּ׃

[4] We must pay for the water we drink; the wood we get must be bought.

עַ֤ל צַוָּארֵ֙נוּ֙ נִרְדָּ֔פְנוּ יָגַ֖עְנוּ ׳לֹא׳ ״וְלֹ֥א״ הֽוּנַֽח־לָֽנוּ׃

[5] Our pursuers are at our necks; we are weary; we are given no rest.

מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ נָתַ֣נּוּ יָ֔ד אַשּׁ֖וּר לִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽ לָֽחֶם׃

[6] We have given the hand to Egypt, and to Assyria, to get bread enough.

אֲבֹתֵ֤ינוּ חָֽטְאוּ֙ ׳אֵינָם׳ ״וְאֵינָ֔ם״ ׳אֲנַחְנוּ׳ ״וַאֲנַ֖חְנוּ״ עֲוֺנֹתֵיהֶ֥ם סָבָֽלְנוּ׃

[7] Our fathers sinned, and are no more; and we bear their iniquities.

עֲבָדִים֙ מָ֣שְׁלוּ בָ֔נוּ פֹּרֵ֖ק אֵ֥ין מִיָּדָֽם׃

[8] Slaves rule over us; there is none to deliver us from their hand.

בְּנַפְשֵׁ֙נוּ֙ נָבִ֣יא לַחְמֵ֔נוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י חֶ֥רֶב הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃

[9] We get our bread at the peril of our lives, because of the sword in the wilderness.

עוֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ כְּתַנּ֣וּר נִכְמָ֔רוּ מִפְּנֵ֖י זַלְעֲפ֥וֹת רָעָֽב׃

[10] Our skin is hot as an oven with the burning heat of famine.

נָשִׁים֙ בְּצִיּ֣וֹן עִנּ֔וּ בְּתֻלֹ֖ת בְּעָרֵ֥י יְהוּדָֽה׃

[11] Women are raped in Zion, young women in the towns of Judah.

שָׂרִים֙ בְּיָדָ֣ם נִתְל֔וּ פְּנֵ֥י זְקֵנִ֖ים לֹ֥א נֶהְדָּֽרוּ׃

[12] Princes are hung up by their hands; no respect is shown to the elders.

בַּחוּרִים֙ טְח֣וֹן נָשָׂ֔אוּ וּנְעָרִ֖ים בָּעֵ֥ץ כָּשָֽׁלוּ׃

[13] Young men are compelled to grind at the mill, and boys stagger under loads of wood.

זְקֵנִים֙ מִשַּׁ֣עַר שָׁבָ֔תוּ בַּחוּרִ֖ים מִנְּגִינָתָֽם׃

[14] The old men have left the city gate, the young men their music.

שָׁבַת֙ מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ לִבֵּ֔נוּ נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ לְאֵ֖בֶל מְחֹלֵֽנוּ׃

[15] The joy of our hearts has ceased; our dancing has been turned to mourning.

נָֽפְלָה֙ עֲטֶ֣רֶת רֹאשֵׁ֔נוּ אֽוֹי־נָ֥א לָ֖נוּ כִּ֥י חָטָֽאנוּ׃

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

עַל־זֶ֗ה הָיָ֤ה דָוֶה֙ לִבֵּ֔נוּ עַל־אֵ֖לֶּה חָשְׁכ֥וּ עֵינֵֽינוּ׃

[17] For this our heart has become sick, for these things our eyes have grown dim,

עַ֤ל הַר־צִיּוֹן֙ שֶׁשָּׁמֵ֔ם שׁוּעָלִ֖ים הִלְּכוּ־בֽוֹ׃ פ

[18] for Mount Zion which lies desolate; jackals prowl over it.

אַתָּ֤ה יְהוָה֙ לְעוֹלָ֣ם תֵּשֵׁ֔ב כִּסְאֲךָ֖ לְדֹ֥ר וָדֽוֹר׃

[19] But you, O Lord , reign forever; your throne endures to all generations.

לָ֤מָּה לָנֶ֙צַח֙ תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ לְאֹ֥רֶךְ יָמִֽים׃

[20] Why do you forget us forever, why do you forsake us for so many days?

הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ יְהוָ֤ה׀ אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ ׳וְנָשׁוּב׳ ״וְֽנָשׁ֔וּבָה״ חַדֵּ֥שׁ יָמֵ֖ינוּ כְּקֶֽדֶם׃

[21] Restore us to yourself, O Lord , that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old—

כִּ֚י אִם־מָאֹ֣ס מְאַסְתָּ֔נוּ קָצַ֥פְתָּ עָלֵ֖ינוּ עַד־מְאֹֽד׃

[22] unless you have utterly rejected us, and you remain exceedingly angry with us.