Lamentations 3
1 ALEPH. I am the man that sees poverty, through the rod of his wrath upon me.
I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
2 He has taken me, and led me away into darkness, and not [into] light.
He has driven me away, forcing me to walk in darkness instead of the light.
3 Nay, against me has he turned his hand all the day.
In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
4 He has made old my flesh and my skin; he has broken my bones.
He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
5 BETH. He has built against me, and compassed my head, and brought travail [upon me].
He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
6 He has set me in dark places, as them that have long been dead.
He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
7 He has builded against me, and I can’t come forth: he has made my brazen [chain] heavy.
He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
8 GIMEL. Yes, [though] I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
9 DALETH. He has built up my ways, he has hedged my paths;
He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
10 he has troubled me, [as] a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me [as] a lion in secret places.
He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
11 He pursued [me] after I departed, and brought me to a stand: he has utterly ruined me.
He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
12 HE. He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
14 I became a laughing stock to all my people; and their song all the day.
Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
15 VAU. He has filled me with bitterness, he has drenched me with gall.
He has filled me with bitterness; he has filled me up with bitter wormwood.
16 And he has dashed out my teeth with gravel, he has fed me with ashes.
He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
17 He has also removed my soul from peace: I forgot prosperity.
Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
18 Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.
That's why I say, “My expectation of a long life is gone, along with all that I hoped for from Lord.
19 ZAIN. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered;
Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
20 and my soul shall meditate with me.
I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
21 This will I lay up in my heart, therefore I will endure.
But I still hope when I think about this:
22 HETH. [It is] the mercies of the Lord, that he has not failed me, because his compassions are not exhausted. Pity [us], O Lord, early [every] month: for we are not brought to an end, because his compassions are not exhausted.
It's because of the Lord's trustworthy love that our lives are not finished, for through his merciful actions he never lets us down.
23 [They are] new every morning: great is your faithfulness.
He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
24 The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I wait for him.
The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my hope in him.”
25 TETH. The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him
The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
26 [is] good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.
It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
27 TETH. [It is] good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth.
It is good for people to learn to patiently bear discipline while they're still young.
28 He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne [it] upon him.
They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
30 JOD. He will give [his] cheek to him that smites him: he will be filled full with reproaches.
They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
31 For the Lord will not reject for ever.
For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
32 CHAPH. For he that has brought down will pity, and [that] according to the abundance of his mercy.
Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
33 He has not answered [in anger] from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man.
For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
34 LAMED. To bring down under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
35 to turn aside the judgement of a man before the face of the Most High,
Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
36 to condemn a man [unjustly] in his judgement, the Lord has not given commandment.
Or cheating someone in their legal case—these things the Lord doesn't approve of.
37 Who has thus spoken, and it has come to pass? the Lord has not commanded it.
Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High there shall not come forth evil and good.
When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
39 MEM. Why should a living man complain, a man concerning his sin?
Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
40 NUN. Our way has been searched out and examined, and we will turn to the Lord.
We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts with [our] hand to the lofty One in heaven.
Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
42 We have sinned, we have transgressed; and you have not pardoned.
“We are the ones who sinned; we are the ones who rebelled; and you haven't forgiven us!”
43 SAMECH. You has visited [us] in wrath, and driven us away: you has slain, you has not pitied.
You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
44 You have veiled yourself with a cloud because of prayer, that I might be blind,
You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
45 and be cast off. AIN. You have set us [alone] in the midst of the nations.
You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
47 Fear and wrath are come upon us, suspense and destruction.
We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
48 Mine eye shall pour down torrents of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
49 PHE. Mine eye is drowned [with tears], and I will not be silent, so that there shall be no rest,
My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
50 until the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
51 Mine eye shall prey upon my soul, because of all the daughters of the city.
What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
52 TSADE. The fowlers chased me as a sparrow, all mine enemies destroyed my life in a pit without cause,
For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
53 and laid a stone upon me.
They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
54 Water flowed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
55 KOPH. I called upon your name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon.
I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
56 You heard my voice: close not your ears to my supplication.
You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
57 You drew near to my help: in the day wherein I called upon you you said to me, Fear not.
You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
58 RECHS. O Lord, you has pleaded the causes of my soul; you has redeemed my life.
You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
59 You have seen, O Lord, my troubles: you have judged my cause.
Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
60 You have seen all their vengeance, [you have looked] on all their devices against me.
You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
61 CHSEN. You have heard their reproach [and] all their devices against me;
Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
62 the lips of them that rose up against me, and their plots against me all the day;
How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
63 their sitting down and their rising up: look you upon their eyes.
Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
64 You will render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
65 THAU. You will give them [as] a covering, the grief of my heart.
Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
66 You will persecute them in anger, and will consume them from under the heaven, O Lord.
Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
