A Prayer for Restoration

1  זְכֹ֤ר (Remember), יְהוָה֙ (O YHWH), מֶֽה־ (what) הָ֣יָה (has happened) לָ֔נוּ (to us)

הַבֵּיט (Look), וּרְאֵ֥ה (and see) אֶת־ (-) חֶרְפָּתֵֽנוּ׃ (our disgrace).

2  נַחֲלָתֵ֙נוּ֙ (Our inheritance) נֶֽהֶפְכָ֣ה (has been turned over) לְזָרִ֔ים (to strangers),

בָּתֵּ֖ינוּ (and our houses) לְנָכְרִֽים׃ (to foreigners).

3  יְתוֹמִ֤ים (Fatherless) הָיִ֙ינוּ֙ (we have become) אֵין (and those with no), אָ֔ב (father),

אִמֹּתֵ֖ינוּ (our mothers are now) כְּאַלְמָנֽוֹת׃ (like widows).

4  מֵימֵ֙ינוּ֙ (Our water) בְּכֶ֣סֶף (for silver); שָׁתִ֔ינוּ (we do drink)

עֵצֵ֖ינוּ (and our wood) בִּמְחִ֥יר (with a price) יָבֹֽאוּ׃ (comes in).

5  עַ֤ל (Upon) צַוָּארֵ֙נוּ֙ (our necks) נִרְדָּ֔פְנוּ (we are pursued);

יָגַ֖עְנוּ (we grow weary), לֹא (and no). הֽוּנַ֖ח (Rest is) לָֽנוּ׃ (unto us).

6  מִצְרַ֙יִם֙ (To Egypt) נָתַ֣נּוּ (we have given) יָ֔ד (our hand)

אַשּׁ֖וּר (to Assyria), לִשְׂבֹּ֥עַֽ (to be satisfied) לָֽחֶם׃ (with bread).

7  אֲבֹתֵ֤ינוּ (Our fathers) חָֽטְאוּ֙ (sinned), אֵינָם (and are no more);

אֲנַחְנוּ (and we) עֲוֺנֹתֵיהֶ֥ם (their iniquities) סָבָֽלְנוּ׃ (bear).

8  עֲבָדִים֙ (Servants) מָ֣שְׁלוּ (rule) בָ֔נוּ (over us)

פֹּרֵ֖ק (tearing us away) אֵ֥ין (there is no one) מִיָּדָֽם׃ (from their hand).

9  בְּנַפְשֵׁ֙נוּ֙ (With our soul) נָבִ֣יא (we bring in) לַחְמֵ֔נוּ (our bread)

מִפְּנֵ֖י (before the face) חֶ֥רֶב (of the sword) הַמִּדְבָּֽר׃ (in the wilderness).

10  עוֹרֵ֙נוּ֙ (Our skin) כְּתַנּ֣וּר (like an oven) נִכְמָ֔רוּ (grows hot)

מִפְּנֵ֖י (from the face) זַלְעֲפ֥וֹת (of the burning heat) רָעָֽב׃ (of famine).

11  נָשִׁים֙ (The women) בְּצִיּ֣וֹן (in Zion), עִנּ֔וּ (they have pressed down)

בְּתֻלֹ֖ת (and the maidens) בְּעָרֵ֥י (in the cities) יְהוּדָֽה׃ (of Judah).

12  שָׂרִים֙ (Princes) בְּיָדָ֣ם (by their hands); נִתְל֔וּ (were hanged)

פְּנֵ֥י (and the faces) זְקֵנִ֖ים (of the elders) לֹ֥א (not) נֶהְדָּֽרוּ׃ (were honored).

13  בַּחוּרִים֙ (Young men) טְח֣וֹן (to grind), נָשָׂ֔אוּ (they have taken)

וּנְעָרִ֖ים (and boys) בָּעֵ֥ץ (under the wood) כָּשָֽׁלוּ׃ (stumble).

14  זְקֵנִים֙ (The old men) מִשַּׁ֣עַר (from the gate), שָׁבָ֔תוּ (have ceased)

בַּחוּרִ֖ים (the young men) מִנְּגִינָתָֽם׃ (from their music).

15  שָׁבַת֙ (Has ceased); מְשׂ֣וֹשׂ (the joy) לִבֵּ֔נוּ (of our heart)

נֶהְפַּ֥ךְ (and has turned) לְאֵ֖בֶל (to mourning) מְחֹלֵֽנוּ׃ (our dancing).

16  נָֽפְלָה֙ (Has fallen) עֲטֶ֣רֶת (the crown) רֹאשֵׁ֔נוּ (from our head);

אֽוֹי־ (woe) נָ֥א (-) לָ֖נוּ (to us) כִּ֥י (for) חָטָֽאנוּ׃ (we have sinned)!

17  עַל־ (For) זֶ֗ה (thus) הָיָ֤ה (has become) דָוֶה֙ (faint); לִבֵּ֔נוּ (our heart)

עַל־ (for) אֵ֖לֶּה (these) חָשְׁכ֥וּ (grow dim) עֵינֵֽינוּ׃ (our eyes).

18  עַ֤ל (For) הַר־ (Mount) צִיּוֹן֙ (Zion), שֶׁשָּׁמֵ֔ם (which is desolate),

שׁוּעָלִ֖ים (foxes) הִלְּכוּ־ (have walked) בֽוֹ׃פ (upon it).

19  אַתָּ֤ה (You), יְהוָה֙ (O YHWH) לְעוֹלָ֣ם (forever); תֵּשֵׁ֔ב (remain)

כִּסְאֲךָ֖ (Your throne) לְדֹ֥ר (from generation) וָדֽוֹר׃ (to generation).

20  לָ֤מָּה (Why) לָנֶ֙צַח֙ (forever), תִּשְׁכָּחֵ֔נוּ (do You forget us)

תַּֽעַזְבֵ֖נוּ (You forsake us) לְאֹ֥רֶךְ (for a length) יָמִֽים׃ (of days)?

21  הֲשִׁיבֵ֨נוּ (Return us) יְהוָ֤ה׀ (O YHWH), אֵלֶ֙יךָ֙ (to You) וְנָשׁוּב (and we will return);

חַדֵּ֥שׁ (Renew) יָמֵ֖ינוּ (our days) כְּקֶֽדֶם׃ (as of old).

22  כִּ֚י (Unless) אִם־ (-) מָאֹ֣ס (with complete rejection) מְאַסְתָּ֔נוּ (You have rejected us)

קָצַ֥פְתָּ (and remain angry) עָלֵ֖ינוּ (with us) עַד־ (even to) מְאֹֽד׃ (exceedingly).