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¹ Call to remembraunce (O Lorde) what we haue suffred, consider and see our confusion.² Our inheritaunce is turned to the straungers, and our houses to the aliaunts.³ We are become carefull and fatherlesse, and our mothers are as the wydowes.⁴ We are fayne to drinke our owne water for money, and our owne wood must we buy for money.⁵ Our neckes are vnder persecution, we are weery and haue no rest.⁶ [Aforetime] we yeelded our selues to the Egyptians, [and nowe] to the Assyrians, onlye that we might haue bread inough.⁷ Our fathers (which nowe are gone) haue sinned, and we must beare their wickednesse.⁸ Seruauntes haue the rule of vs, and no man deliuereth vs out of their handes.⁹ We must get our liuing with the perill of our liues, because of the drouth of the wildernesse.¹⁰ Our skinne is as it had ben made blacke in an ouen, for very sore hunger.¹¹ The wiues are rauished in Sion, and the maydens in the cities of Iuda.¹² The princes are hanged vp with the hand of the enemies, they haue not spared the olde sage men.¹³ They haue taken young men to grinde, and the boyes fainted vnder the burthens of wood.¹⁴ The elders sit no more vnder the gates, and the young men vse no more playing of musicke.¹⁵ The ioy of our heart is gone, our melodious meeting is turned into mourning.¹⁶ The garlande of our head is fallen: alas that euer we sinned so sore.

¹⁷ Therefore our heart is full of heauinesse, and our eyes dimme.¹⁸ Because of the hill of Sion that is destroyed: insomuch that the foxes runne vpon it.¹⁹ But thou O Lorde, that remaynest for euer, and thy seate worlde without ende:²⁰ Wherefore wylt thou styll forget vs, and forsake vs so long?²¹ O Lord turne thou vs vnto thee, and so shall we be turned, renue our dayes as in olde tymes:²² But thou hast banished vs vtterly, and hast ben displeased at vs.