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A Prayer for Mercy

¹ O LORD, remember what has come upon us;
Look, and see our ^(C1)reproach (national disgrace)!

² Our inheritance has been turned over to ^(C1)strangers,
Our ^(C2)houses to foreigners.

³ We have become orphans without a ^(C1)father;
Our mothers are like widows.

⁴ We have to pay for our drinking ^(C1)water;
Our wood comes to us at a price.

⁵ Our pursuers are at our necks;
We are worn out, there is ^(C1)no rest for us.

⁶ We have given the hand as a pledge of fidelity and submission to ^(C1)Egypt and Assyria to get enough bread.

⁷ Our ^(C1)fathers sinned, and are no more;
It is ^(F1)we who have carried their sin. ^(VR1)

^8 (C1)Servants rule over us;
There is ^(C2)no one to rescue us out of their hand. ^(VR1)

⁹ We get our bread at the ^(C1)risk of our lives
Because of the sword of the Arabs in the wilderness who may attack if we go out to harvest the crop.

¹⁰ Our skin is ^(C1)as hot as the heat of an oven
Because of the burning heat of the fever of famine.

¹¹ They ravished the ^(C1)women in Zion,
The virgins in the cities of Judah.

¹² Princes were hung by their hands;
^(C1)Elders were not respected.

¹³ Young men ^(C1)worked at the grinding mill,
And boys ^(C2)fell staggering under loads of wood.

¹⁴ Elders are gone from the gate;
Young men from their ^(C1)music.

^15 (C1)The joy of our hearts has ended;
Our dancing has been turned into mourning.

¹⁶ The ^(C1)crown has fallen from our head our honor is covered with dust!
^(C2)Woe to us, for we have sinned!

¹⁷ Because of this our ^(C1)heart is faint,
Because of these things our ^(C2)eyes are dim.

¹⁸ As for ^(C1)Mount Zion, which lies desolate,
^(C2)Foxes and the jackals prowl over it.

¹⁹ But ^(C1)You, O LORD, reign forever;
Your ^(C2)throne endures from generation to all generations.

²⁰ Why do You ^(C1)forget us forever?
Why do You forsake us so long?

^21 (C1)Return us to You, O LORD, so that we may be restored;
Renew ^(C2)our days as of old,

²² Unless ^(C1)You have utterly rejected us
And are exceedingly ^(C2)angry with us.