< Lamentations 3 >
1 ALEPH. I am the man that sees poverty, through the rod of his wrath upon me.
2 He has taken me, and led me away into darkness, and not [into] light.
3 Nay, against me has he turned his hand all the day.
4 He has made old my flesh and my skin; he has broken my bones.
5 BETH. He has built against me, and compassed my head, and brought travail [upon me].
6 He has set me in dark places, as them that have long been dead.
7 He has builded against me, and I can’t come forth: he has made my brazen [chain] heavy.
8 GIMEL. Yes, [though] I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
9 DALETH. He has built up my ways, he has hedged my paths;
10 he has troubled me, [as] a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me [as] a lion in secret places.
11 He pursued [me] after I departed, and brought me to a stand: he has utterly ruined me.
12 HE. He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I became a laughing stock to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 VAU. He has filled me with bitterness, he has drenched me with gall.
16 And he has dashed out my teeth with gravel, he has fed me with ashes.
17 He has also removed my soul from peace: I forgot prosperity.
18 Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.
19 ZAIN. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered;
20 and my soul shall meditate with me.
21 This will I lay up in my heart, therefore I will endure.
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.
23 [They are] new every morning: great is your faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I wait for him.
25 TETH. The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him
26 [is] good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.
27 TETH. [It is] good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth.
28 He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne [it] upon him.
29
30 JOD. He will give [his] cheek to him that smites him: he will be filled full with reproaches.
31 For the Lord will not reject for ever.
32 CHAPH. For he that has brought down will pity, and [that] according to the abundance of his mercy.
33 He has not answered [in anger] from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man.
34 LAMED. To bring down under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35 to turn aside the judgement of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 to condemn a man [unjustly] in his judgement, the Lord has not given commandment.
37 Who has thus spoken, and it has come to pass? the Lord has not commanded it.
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High there shall not come forth evil and good.
39 MEM. Why should a living man complain, a man concerning his sin?
40 NUN. Our way has been searched out and examined, and we will turn to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts with [our] hand to the lofty One in heaven.
42 We have sinned, we have transgressed; and you have not pardoned.
43 SAMECH. You has visited [us] in wrath, and driven us away: you has slain, you has not pitied.
44 You have veiled yourself with a cloud because of prayer, that I might be blind,
45 and be cast off. AIN. You have set us [alone] in the midst of the nations.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
47 Fear and wrath are come upon us, suspense and destruction.
48 Mine eye shall pour down torrents of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 PHE. Mine eye is drowned [with tears], and I will not be silent, so that there shall be no rest,
50 until the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye shall prey upon my soul, because of all the daughters of the city.
52 TSADE. The fowlers chased me as a sparrow, all mine enemies destroyed my life in a pit without cause,
53 and laid a stone upon me.
54 Water flowed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
55 KOPH. I called upon your name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 You heard my voice: close not your ears to my supplication.
57 You drew near to my help: in the day wherein I called upon you you said to me, Fear not.
58 RECHS. O Lord, you has pleaded the causes of my soul; you has redeemed my life.
59 You have seen, O Lord, my troubles: you have judged my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, [you have looked] on all their devices against me.
61 CHSEN. You have heard their reproach [and] all their devices against me;
62 the lips of them that rose up against me, and their plots against me all the day;
63 their sitting down and their rising up: look you upon their eyes.
64 You will render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 THAU. You will give them [as] a covering, the grief of my heart.
66 You will persecute them in anger, and will consume them from under the heaven, O Lord.
