Book of Lamentations, Chapter 5 Acrostic

Chapter 5 of Lamentations works as an acrostic if you take the three verses that begin with 'Al, עַל , and apply them as above for the letter Gimmel, Dalet and Samech (which is an exception). Furthermore, for the letter Tet, take the first letter of the second word in verse 13. Also, for those verses for which the first letter appears in more than one verse, use only one verse and take the second letter of the remaining verses.


7. Our fathers have sinned and are no more, and we have borne their iniquities.
ז. אֲבֹתֵינוּ חָטְאוּ וְאֵינָם וַאֲנַחְנוּ עֲו‍ֹנֹתֵיהֶם סָבָלְנוּ:

9. With our lives we bring our bread, because of the sword of the wilderness.
ט. בְּנַפְשֵׁנוּ נָבִיא לַחְמֵנוּ מִפְּנֵי חֶרֶב הַמִּדְבָּר:

5. We are pursued [with a yoke] on our necks; we toil but it does not remain with us.
ה. עַל צַוָּארֵנוּ נִרְדָּפְנוּ יָגַעְנוּ וְלֹא הוּנַּח לָנוּ:

17. For this our heart has become faint, for these things our eyes have grown dim.
יז. עַל זֶה הָיָה דָוֶה לִבֵּנוּ עַל אֵלֶּה חָשְׁכוּ עֵינֵינוּ:

21. Restore us to You, O Lord, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old.
כא. הֲשִׁיבֵנוּ יְהֹוָה | אֵלֶיךָ וְנָשׁוּבָה חַדֵּשׁ יָמֵינוּ כְּקֶדֶם:

10. Our skin is parched as by a furnace because of the heat of hunger.
י. עוֹרֵנוּ כְּתַנּוּר נִכְמָרוּ מִפְּנֵי זַלְעֲפוֹת רָעָב:

1. Recall, O Lord, what has befallen us; behold and see our disgrace.
א. זְכֹר יְהֹוָה מֶה הָיָה לָנוּ הַבִּיטָה וּרְאֵה אֶת חֶרְפָּתֵנוּ:

2. Our heritage has been turned over to strangers, our houses to aliens.
ב. נַחֲלָתֵנוּ נֶהֶפְכָה לְזָרִים בָּתֵּינוּ לְנָכְרִים:

13. Young men carried the millstones, [and] youths stumbled under [loads of] wood.
יג. בַּחוּרִים טְחוֹן נָשָׂאוּ וּנְעָרִים בָּעֵץ כָּשָׁלוּ:

3. We have become orphans and fatherless, our mothers are like widows.
ג. יְתוֹמִים הָיִינוּ וְאֵין אָב אִמֹּתֵינוּ כְּאַלְמָנוֹת:

22. For if You have utterly rejected us, You have [already] been exceedingly wroth against us.
כב. כִּי אִם מָאֹס מְאַסְתָּנוּ קָצַפְתָּ עָלֵינוּ עַד מְאֹד:

20. Why do You forget us forever, forsake us so long?
כ. לָמָּה לָנֶצַח תִּשְׁכָּחֵנוּ תַּעַזְבֵנוּ לְאֹרֶךְ יָמִים:

4. Our water we have drunk for payment; our wood needs must come by purchase.
ד. מֵימֵינוּ בְּכֶסֶף שָׁתִינוּ עֵצֵינוּ בִּמְחִיר יָבֹאוּ:

11. They have outraged women in Zion [and] maidens in the cities of Judah.
יא. נָשִׁים בְּצִיּוֹן עִנּוּ בְּתֻלֹת בְּעָרֵי יְהוּדָה:

18. For Mount Zion, which was desolate; foxes prowled over it.
יח. עַל הַר צִיּוֹן שֶׁשָּׁמֵם שׁוּעָלִים הִלְּכוּ בוֹ:

8. Slaves rule over us, [and] there is none to deliver [us] from their hand.
ח. עֲבָדִים מָשְׁלוּ בָנוּ פֹּרֵק אֵין מִיָּדָם:

16. The crown of our head has fallen, woe to us, for we have sinned.
טז. נָפְלָה עֲטֶרֶת רֹאשֵׁנוּ אוֹי נָא לָנוּ כִּי חָטָאנוּ:

6. We have stretched out our hands to Egypt [and to] Assyria to get enough food.
ו. מִצְרַיִם נָתַנּוּ יָד אַשּׁוּר לִשְׂבֹּעַ לָחֶם:

14. The elders have ceased from the [city] gate, the young men from their music.
יד. זְקֵנִים מִשַּׁעַר שָׁבָתוּ בַּחוּרִים מִנְּגִינָתָם:

12. Princes were hanged by their hands, elders were not shown respect.
יב. שָׂרִים בְּיָדָם נִתְלוּ פְּנֵי זְקֵנִים לֹא נֶהְדָּרוּ:

15. The joy of our heart has ceased, our dancing has turned into mourning.
טו. שָׁבַת מְשׂוֹשׂ לִבֵּנוּ נֶהְפַּךְ לְאֵבֶל מְחוֹלֵנוּ:

19. [But] You, O Lord, remain forever; Your throne endures throughout the generations.
יט. אַתָּה יְהֹוָה לְעוֹלָם תֵּשֵׁב כִּסְאֲךָ לְדוֹר וָדוֹר: