Lamentations 3
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
2 Me hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light.
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Surely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones.
Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath built against me, and encompassed [me] with gall and toil.
Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead.
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 Even when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 He is unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
14 I am become a derision to all my people; their song all the day.
He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
15 He hath sated me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood.
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I have forgotten prosperity.
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 And I said, My strength is perished, and my hope in Jehovah.
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 Remember thou mine affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 My soul hath [them] constantly in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 — This I recall to heart, therefore have I hope.
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 It is of Jehovah's loving-kindness we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not;
Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
23 they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
25 Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.
Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah.
Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth:
Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
28 He sitteth solitary and keepeth silence, because he hath laid it upon him;
Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
29 he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope;
Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach.
Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever;
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 but if he have caused grief, he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses:
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 for he doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,
36 to wrong a man in his cause, — will not the Lord see it?
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?
Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High doth not there proceed evil and good?
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our heart with [our] hands unto God in the heavens.
Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not spared.
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through.
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and ruin.
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the ruin of the daughter of my people.
Phe. My eye hath run down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 till Jehovah look down and behold from the heavens.
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They that are mine enemies without cause have chased me sore like a bird.
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, and cast a stone upon me.
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 Waters streamed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 I called upon thy name, Jehovah, out of the lowest pit.
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.
Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life.
Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
59 Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their imaginations against me.
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, all their imaginations against me;
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 the lips of those that rise up against me and their meditation against me all the day.
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 Behold thou their sitting down and their rising up: I am their song.
Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
64 Render unto them a recompence, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands;
Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 give them obduracy of heart, thy curse unto them;
Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
