Lamentaciones 5

1 Oración por restauración
S
, recuerda lo que nos ha sucedido.
¡Mira cómo hemos sido deshonrados!

2 Se entregó nuestra herencia a extraños;
nuestras casas, a extranjeros.

3 Somos huérfanos, sin padre,
y nuestras madres son viudas.

4 Tenemos que pagar por el agua que bebemos,
y hasta la leña es costosa.

5 Los que nos persiguen nos pisan los talones;
estamos agotados pero no encontramos descanso.

6 Nos sometimos a Egipto y a Asiria
para conseguir alimentos y así sobrevivir.

7 Nuestros antepasados pecaron, pero murieron,
¡y nosotros sufrimos el castigo que ellos merecían!

8 Los esclavos son ahora nuestros amos;
no ha quedado nadie para rescatarnos.

9 Buscamos comida a riesgo de nuestra vida
porque la violencia domina el campo.

10 El hambre hizo ennegrecer nuestra piel
como si hubiera sido quemada en el horno.

11 Nuestros enemigos violaron a las mujeres de Jerusalén
y a las muchachas de las ciudades de Judá.

12 Cuelgan a nuestros príncipes de las manos,
y tratan a nuestros ancianos con desprecio.

13 Llevan a los jóvenes a trabajar en los molinos,
y los niños tambalean bajo pesadas cargas de leña.

14 Los ancianos ya no se sientan en las puertas de la ciudad;
los jóvenes ya no bailan ni cantan.

15 La alegría abandonó nuestro corazón;
nuestras danzas se convirtieron en luto.

16 Cayeron las guirnaldas
de nuestra cabeza.
Lloren por nosotros porque hemos pecado.

17 Tenemos el corazón angustiado y cansado,
y nuestros ojos se nublan por las lágrimas,

18 porque Jerusalén
está vacía y desolada;
es un lugar donde merodean los chacales.

19 ¡Pero Señor
, tú serás el mismo para siempre!
Tu trono continúa de generación en generación.

20 ¿Por qué sigues olvidándonos?
¿Por qué nos has abandonado por tanto tiempo?

21 ¡Restáuranos, oh Señor
, y haz que regresemos a ti!
¡Devuélvenos la alegría que teníamos antes!

22 ¿O acaso nos has rechazado por completo?
¿Todavía estás enojado con nosotros?

Lamentaciones 5 Commentary

Chapter 5

The Jewish nation supplicating the Divine favour.

Verses 1-16 Is any afflicted? Let him pray; and let him in prayer pour out his complaint to God. The people of God do so here; they complain not of evils feared, but of evils felt. If penitent and patient under what we suffer for the sins of our fathers, we may expect that He who punishes, will return in mercy to us. They acknowledge, Woe unto us that we have sinned! All our woes are owing to our own sin and folly. Though our sins and God's just displeasure cause our sufferings, we may hope in his pardoning mercy, his sanctifying grace, and his kind providence. But the sins of a man's whole life will be punished with vengeance at last, unless he obtains an interest in Him who bare our sins in his own body on the tree.

Verses 17-22 The people of God express deep concern for the ruins of the temple, more than for any other of their calamities. But whatever changes there are on earth, God is still the same, and remains for ever wise and holy, just and good; with Him there is no variableness nor shadow of turning. They earnestly pray to God for mercy and grace; Turn us to thee, O Lord. God never leaves any till they first leave him; if he turns them to him in a way of duty, no doubt he will quickly return to them in a way of mercy. If God by his grace renew our hearts, he will by his favour renew our days. Troubles may cause our hearts to be faint, and our eyes to be dim, but the way to the mercy-seat of our reconciled God is open. Let us, in all our trials, put our whole trust and confidence in his mercy; let us confess our sins, and pour out our hearts before him. Let us watch against repinings and despondency; for we surely know, that it shall be well in the end with all that trust in, fear, love, and serve the Lord. Are not the Lord's judgments in the earth the same as in Jeremiah's days? Let Zion then be remembered by us in our prayers, and her welfare be sought above every earthly joy. Spare, Lord, spare thy people, and give not thine heritage to reproach, for the heathen to rule over them.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS 5

In this chapter are reckoned up the various calamities and distresses of the Jews in Babylon, which the Lord is desired to remember and consider, La 5:1-16; their great concern for the desolation of the temple in particular is expressed, La 5:17,18; and the chapter is concluded with a prayer that God would show favour to them, and turn them to him, and renew their prosperity as of old, though he had rejected them, and been wroth with them, La 5:19-22.