Lament (5)

OH mind thou LORD, our sad distresse.
Behold, and thinke on our reproach.
Our houses, Strangers do possesse;
And on our heritage encroach.
Our Mothers for their Husbands grieue,
And of our Fathers rob'd are we;
Yea, money we compel'd to giue
For our owne wood and water, be.

In persecution we remaine,
Where endlesse labour tyre vs doth;
And, we to serue for bread are faine,
To Aegypt and to Ashur both.
Our Fathers err'd, and being gone,
The burthen of their sinne we beare:
Eu'n Slaues the rule o're vs haue wone;
And none to set vs free is there.

For bread our liues we hazard in
The perils, which the Deserts threat;
And like an Ouen is our skinne,
Both soil'd and parcht for want of meat.
In Sion Wiues defiled were;
Deflowred were the Virgins young,
(Through Iudah's Cities euery where)
And Princes by their hands were hung.

Her Elders disrespected stood:
Her Young-men, they for grinding tooke.
Her Children fell beneath the wood,
And Magistrates the Gates forsooke.
Their Musicke, young-men haue forborne:
Reioycing in their hearts is none:
To mourning doth our dauncing turne;
And from our head the Crowne is gone.

Alas that euer we did sinne!
For, therefore feeles our heart these cares:
For that our eyes haue dimmed beene;
And thus the Hill of Syon fares.
Such desolation there is seene,
That now the Foxes play thereon:
But thou for euer LORD hast beene;
And without ending is thy Chrone.

Oh, why are we forgotten thus?
So long time wherefore absent art?
Conuert thy selfe, oh LORD, to vs;
And we to thee shall soone conuart.
Renue, oh LORD, those Ages past,
In which thy fauour we haue seene.
For, we extreamely are debas't,
And bitter hath thine anger beene.