Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath.
| אֲנִי הַגֶּבֶר רָאָה עֳנִי בְּשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃ |
2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
| אוֹתִי נָהַג וַיֹּלַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֽוֹר׃ |
3 Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long.
| אַךְ בִּי יָשֻׁב יַהֲפֹךְ יָדוֹ כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ |
4 He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones.
| בִּלָּה בְשָׂרִי וְעוֹרִי שִׁבַּר עַצְמוֹתָֽי׃ |
5 He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
| בָּנָה עָלַי וַיַּקַּף רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָֽה׃ |
6 He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages.
| בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים הוֹשִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עוֹלָֽם׃ |
7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains.
| גָּדַר בַּעֲדִי וְלֹא אֵצֵא הִכְבִּיד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃ |
8 Even when I cry out and plead for help, He shuts out my prayer.
| גַּם כִּי אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ שָׂתַם תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃ |
9 He has barred my ways with cut stones; He has made my paths crooked.
| גָּדַר דְּרָכַי בְּגָזִית נְתִיבֹתַי עִוָּֽה׃ |
10 He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
| דֹּב אֹרֵב הוּא לִי אריה אֲרִי בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ |
11 He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
| דְּרָכַי סוֹרֵר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי שָׂמַנִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃ |
12 He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow.
| דָּרַךְ קַשְׁתוֹ וַיַּצִּיבֵנִי כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵֽץ׃ |
13 He pierced my kidneys with His arrows.
| הֵבִיא בְּכִלְיוֹתָי בְּנֵי אַשְׁפָּתֽוֹ׃ |
14 I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
| הָיִיתִי שְּׂחֹק לְכָל־עַמִּי נְגִינָתָם כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ |
15 He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
| הִשְׂבִּיעַנִי בַמְּרוֹרִים הִרְוַנִי לַעֲנָֽה׃ |
16 He has ground my teeth with gravel and trampled me in the dust.
| וַיַּגְרֵס בֶּֽחָצָץ שִׁנָּי הִכְפִּישַׁנִי בָּאֵֽפֶר׃ |
17 My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
| וַתִּזְנַח מִשָּׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי נָשִׁיתִי טוֹבָֽה׃ |
18 So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”
| וָאֹמַר אָבַד נִצְחִי וְתוֹחַלְתִּי מֵיְהוָֽה׃ |
19 Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
| זְכָר־עָנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי לַעֲנָה וָרֹֽאשׁ׃ |
20 Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me.
| זָכוֹר תִּזְכּוֹר ותשיח וְתָשׁוֹחַ עָלַי נַפְשִֽׁי׃ |
21 Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:
| זֹאת אָשִׁיב אֶל־לִבִּי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִֽיל׃ |
22 Because of the loving devotion of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail.
| חַֽסְדֵי יְהוָה כִּי לֹא־תָמְנוּ כִּי לֹא־כָלוּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃ |
23 They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
| חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ |
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
| חֶלְקִי יְהוָה אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לֽוֹ׃ |
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
| טוֹב יְהוָה לְקֹוָו לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶֽׁנּוּ׃ |
26 It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
| טוֹב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לִתְשׁוּעַת יְהוָֽה׃ |
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
| טוֹב לַגֶּבֶר כִּֽי־יִשָּׂא עֹל בִּנְעוּרָֽיו׃ |
28 Let him sit alone in silence, for God has disciplined him.
| יֵשֵׁב בָּדָד וְיִדֹּם כִּי נָטַל עָלָֽיו׃ |
29 Let him bury his face in the dust— perhaps there is still hope.
| יִתֵּן בֶּֽעָפָר פִּיהוּ אוּלַי יֵשׁ תִּקְוָֽה׃ |
30 Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with reproach.
| יִתֵּן לְמַכֵּהוּ לֶחִי יִשְׂבַּע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃ |
31 For the Lord will not cast us off forever.
| כִּי לֹא יִזְנַח לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָֽי׃ |
32 Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
| כִּי אִם־הוֹגָה וְרִחַם כְּרֹב חסדו חֲסָדָֽיו׃ |
33 For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
| כִּי לֹא עִנָּה מִלִבּוֹ וַיַּגֶּה בְנֵי־אִֽישׁ׃ |
34 To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
| לְדַכֵּא תַּחַת רַגְלָיו כֹּל אֲסִירֵי אָֽרֶץ׃ |
35 to deny a man justice before the Most High,
| לְהַטּוֹת מִשְׁפַּט־גָּבֶר נֶגֶד פְּנֵי עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ |
36 to subvert a man in his lawsuit— of these the Lord does not approve.
| לְעַוֵּת אָדָם בְּרִיבוֹ אֲדֹנָי לֹא רָאָֽה׃ |
37 Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
| מִי זֶה אָמַר וַתֶּהִי אֲדֹנָי לֹא צִוָּֽה׃ |
38 Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
| מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃ |
39 Why should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins?
| מַה־יִּתְאוֹנֵן אָדָם חָי גֶּבֶר עַל־חטאו חֲטָאָֽיו׃ |
40 Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
| נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְֽנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה עַד־יְהוָֽה׃ |
41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
| נִשָּׂא לְבָבֵנוּ אֶל־כַּפָּיִם אֶל־אֵל בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ |
42 “We have sinned and rebelled; You have not forgiven.”
| נַחְנוּ פָשַׁעְנוּ וּמָרִינוּ אַתָּה לֹא סָלָֽחְתָּ׃ |
43 You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity.
| סַכֹּתָה בָאַף וַֽתִּרְדְּפֵנוּ הָרַגְתָּ לֹא חָמָֽלְתָּ׃ |
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through.
| סַכּוֹתָה בֶֽעָנָן לָךְ מֵעֲבוֹר תְּפִלָּֽה׃ |
45 You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
| סְחִי וּמָאוֹס תְּשִׂימֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הָעַמִּֽים׃ |
46 All our enemies open their mouths against us.
| פָּצוּ עָלֵינוּ פִּיהֶם כָּל־אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃ |
47 Panic and pitfall have come upon us— devastation and destruction.
| פַּחַד וָפַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשָּֽׁבֶר׃ |
48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes over the destruction of the daughter of my people.
| פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם תֵּרַד עֵינִי עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ |
49 My eyes overflow unceasingly, without relief,
| עֵינִי נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תִדְמֶה מֵאֵין הֲפֻגֽוֹת׃ |
50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
| עַד־יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא יְהוָה מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ |
51 My eyes bring grief to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
| עֵינִי עֽוֹלְלָה לְנַפְשִׁי מִכֹּל בְּנוֹת עִירִֽי׃ |
52 Without cause my enemies hunted me like a bird.
| צוֹד צָדוּנִי כַּצִּפּוֹר אֹיְבַי חִנָּֽם׃ |
53 They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.
| צָֽמְתוּ בַבּוֹר חַיָּי וַיַּדּוּ־אֶבֶן בִּֽי׃ |
54 The waters flowed over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
| צָֽפוּ־מַיִם עַל־רֹאשִׁי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְזָֽרְתִּי׃ |
55 I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the depths of the Pit.
| קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת׃ |
56 You heard my plea: “Do not ignore my cry for relief.”
| קוֹלִי שָׁמָעְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵם אָזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִֽי׃ |
57 You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not be afraid.”
| קָרַבְתָּ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָאֶךָּ אָמַרְתָּ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃ |
58 You defend my cause, O Lord; You redeem my life.
| רַבְתָּ אֲדֹנָי רִיבֵי נַפְשִׁי גָּאַלְתָּ חַיָּֽי׃ |
59 You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me; vindicate my cause!
| רָאִיתָה יְהוָה עַוָּתָתִי שָׁפְטָה מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ |
60 You have seen all their malice, all their plots against me.
| רָאִיתָה כָּל־נִקְמָתָם כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לִֽי׃ |
61 O LORD, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me—
| שָׁמַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתָם יְהוָה כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם עָלָֽי׃ |
62 the slander and murmuring of my assailants against me all day long.
| שִׂפְתֵי קָמַי וְהֶגְיוֹנָם עָלַי כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ |
63 When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song.
| שִׁבְתָּם וְקִֽימָתָם הַבִּיטָה אֲנִי מַנְגִּינָתָֽם׃ |
64 You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
| תָּשִׁיב לָהֶם גְּמוּל יְהוָה כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃ |
65 Put a veil of anguish over their hearts; may Your curse be upon them!
| תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מְגִנַּת־לֵב תַּאֲלָֽתְךָ לָהֶֽם׃ |
66 You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.
| תִּרְדֹּף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי יְהוָֽה׃ |
