16 Look down from your home in heaven, Lord, and think about us. Listen when we call out to you.
17 Open your eyes and see how we are suffering. Those who are in the world of the dead have no life and cannot praise you or tell others how fair and just you are.
18 But even though we are in terrible pain, and we can hardly see or walk, we are alive. And so we can praise you and tell others how good you are.
19 Our Lord God, we pray for your mercy, even though our ancestors and our kings refused to do what was right.
20 You have punished us in your anger, just as your servants the prophets warned.
21 Long ago, your prophets gave us your message and told us that if we would obey the king of Babylonia and serve him, we would not be carried away from our homeland.
22 They told us that if we refused to obey you and serve the king,