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Bewailing the Captiuitie of the People In the fift Chap. of his Lamentations
CAL vnto mind, Oh mightie Lord, | |
| The wrongs we daily take; | |
| Consider and behold the same | |
| For thy great mercies’ sake. | |
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| Our lands and our inheritance | 5 |
| Meere strangers do possesse; | |
| The alients in our houses dwel, | |
| And we without redresse. | |
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| We now, alas! are fatherlesse, | |
| And stil pursude with hate; | 10 |
| Our mourning mothers now remaine | |
| In wofull widdowes’ state. | |
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| We buy the water which we drink, | |
| Such is our grievous want: | |
| Likewise the wood euen for our vse | 15 |
| That we ourselues did plant. | |
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| Our neckes are subiect to the yoke | |
| Of persecution’s thrall; | |
| We, wearied out with cruell toile, | |
| Can find no rest at all. | 20 |
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| Afore time we in Egypt land | |
| And in Assyria serued, | |
| For food our hunger to sustaine, | |
| Least that we should haue sterued. | |
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| Our fathers which are dead and gone | 25 |
| Haue sinned wondrous sore; | |
| And we now scourg’d for their offence— | |
| Ah! woe are we therefore. | |
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| Those seruile slaues which bondmen be, | |
| Of them in fear we stand: | 30 |
| Yet no man doth deliuer vs | |
| From cruel caitiues’ hand. | |
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| Our liuings we are forced to get | |
| In perils of our liues; | |
| The drie and barren wildernesse | 35 |
| Therto by danger driues. | |
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| Our skins be scorcht, as though they had | |
| Bin in an ouen dride, | |
| With famine and the penury | |
| Which here we doo abide. | 40 |
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| Our wiues and maides defloured are | |
| By violence and force, | |
| On Sion and in Iuda land, | |
| Sans pity or remorce. | |
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| Our kings by cruel enimies | 45 |
| With cordes are hanged vp; | |
| Our grauest, sage, and ancient men, | |
| Haue tasted of that cup. | |
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| Our yoong men they haue put to sword, | |
| Not one at al they spare: | 50 |
| Our litle boyes vpon the tree | |
| Sans pitie hanged are. | |
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| Our elders sitting in the gates | |
| Can now no more be found; | |
| Our youth leaue off to take delight | 55 |
| In musick’s sacred sound. | |
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| The ioy and comfort of our heart | |
| Away is fled and gone; | |
| Our solace is with sorrow mixt, | |
| Our mirth is turn’d to mone. | 60 |
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| Our glory now is laid full low, | |
| And buried in the ground; | |
| Our sins full sore do burthen vs, | |
| Whose greatnes doth abound. | |
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| Oh, holy blessed Sion hill, | 65 |
| My heart is woe for thee: | |
| Mine eies poure foorth a flood of teares | |
| This dismal day to see: | |
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| Which art destroied, and now lieth wast | |
| From sacred vse and trade; | 70 |
| Thy holie place is now a den | |
| Of filthy foxes made. | |
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| But thou, the euerliuing Lord, | |
| Which doost remaine for aye, | |
| Whose seat aboue the firmament | 75 |
| Full sure and still doth stay,— | |
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| Wherefore dost thou forsake thine own? | |
| Shall we forgotten be? | |
| Turn vs, good Lord, and so we shall | |
| Be turned vnto thee. | 80 |
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| Lord, call vs home from our exile | |
| To place of our abode; | |
| Thou long inough hast punisht vs— | |
| Oh Lord, now spare thy rod. | |
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