Bring us back to yourself, O Lord, so that we may return ¹  to you; renew our life ²  as in days before, ³ 

biblegateway Lam 5:21

Restore us to You, O LORD, that we may be restored; Renew our days as of old,

LORD, restore us to Yourself, so we may return; renew our days as in former times,

O LORD, bring us back to you, and we’ll come back. Give us back the life we had long ago,

biblegateway Lam 5:21

Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may return; renew our days as of old

Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored! Renew our days as of old--

bibleoremus Lam 5:21

Restore us to yourself, O LORD, that we may be restored; renew our days as of old—

LORD, turn us back to you, and we shall come back; renew our days as in times long past.

biblegateway Lam 5:21

Turn us back to You, O LORD, and we will be restored; Renew our days as of old,

Turn thou us unto thee, O LORD, and we shall be turned; renew our days as of old.

biblegateway Lam 5:21

Bring us back to yourself, O Lord, so that we may return ¹  to you; renew our life ²  as in days before, ³ 

¹ tc The Kethib is וְנָשׁוּב (vÿnashuv, “and we will return,” ו [vav] conjunction + Qal imperfect 1st person common plural from שׁוּב [shuv, “to return”]). The Qere is וְנָשׁוּבָה (vÿnashuvah, “and let us return,” ו [vav] conjunction + Qal cohortative 1st person common plural from שׁוּב [shuv, “to return”]).

¹ tn The cohortative after a volitive indicates purpose (“so that”). There is a wordplay in Hebrew between “Bring us back” (Hiphil imperative of שׁוּב [shuv, “to return”]) and “let us return” (Qal imperfect of שׁוּב [shuv, “to return”]). This repetition of the root שׁוּב (shuv) is significant; it depicts a reciprocal relationship between God’s willingness to allow the nation to return to him on one hand and its national repentance on the other.

² tn Heb “our days.” The term “days” is a synecdoche of time (= days) for what is experienced within that time span (= life) (e.g., Gen 5:4, 8, 11; 6:3; 9:29; 11:32; 25:7; 47:8, 9; Deut 22:19, 29; 23:7; Josh 24:31; Judg 2:7, 18; 2 Sam 19:35; Job 7:1, 16, 18; Pss 8:9; 39:5, 6; 90:9, 10, 12, 14; 103:15; Prov 31:12; Eccl 2:3; 5:17, 19; 6:3).

³ tn Heb “as of old.”