Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
ἐγὼ ἀνὴρ ὁ βλέπων πτωχείαν ἐν ῥάβδῳ θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ἐμέ
2 He has driven me away, forcing me to walk in darkness instead of the light.
παρέλαβέν με καὶ ἀπήγαγεν εἰς σκότος καὶ οὐ φῶς
3 In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
πλὴν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐπέστρεψεν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν
4 He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
ἐπαλαίωσεν σάρκας μου καὶ δέρμα μου ὀστέα μου συνέτριψεν
5 He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
ἀνῳκοδόμησεν κατ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ ἐκύκλωσεν κεφαλήν μου καὶ ἐμόχθησεν
6 He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
ἐν σκοτεινοῖς ἐκάθισέν με ὡς νεκροὺς αἰῶνος
7 He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
ἀνῳκοδόμησεν κατ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσομαι ἐβάρυνεν χαλκόν μου
8 Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
καί γε κεκράξομαι καὶ βοήσω ἀπέφραξεν προσευχήν μου
9 He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
ἀνῳκοδόμησεν ὁδούς μου ἐνέφραξεν τρίβους μου ἐτάραξεν
10 He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
ἄρκος ἐνεδρεύουσα αὐτός μοι λέων ἐν κρυφαίοις
11 He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
κατεδίωξεν ἀφεστηκότα καὶ κατέπαυσέν με ἔθετό με ἠφανισμένην
12 He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
ἐνέτεινεν τόξον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐστήλωσέν με ὡς σκοπὸν εἰς βέλος
13 He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
εἰσήγαγεν τοῖς νεφροῖς μου ἰοὺς φαρέτρας αὐτοῦ
14 Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
ἐγενήθην γέλως παντὶ λαῷ μου ψαλμὸς αὐτῶν ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν
15 He has filled me with bitterness; he has filled me up with bitter wormwood.
ἐχόρτασέν με πικρίας ἐμέθυσέν με χολῆς
16 He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
καὶ ἐξέβαλεν ψήφῳ ὀδόντας μου ἐψώμισέν με σποδόν
17 Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
καὶ ἀπώσατο ἐξ εἰρήνης ψυχήν μου ἐπελαθόμην ἀγαθὰ
18 That's why I say, “My expectation of a long life is gone, along with all that I hoped for from Lord.
καὶ εἶπα ἀπώλετο νεῖκός μου καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς μου ἀπὸ κυρίου
19 Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
ἐμνήσθην ἀπὸ πτωχείας μου καὶ ἐκ διωγμοῦ μου πικρίας καὶ χολῆς μου
20 I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
μνησθήσεται καὶ καταδολεσχήσει ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἡ ψυχή μου
21 But I still hope when I think about this:
ταύτην τάξω εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου διὰ τοῦτο ὑπομενῶ
22 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 He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
24 The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
ἀγαθὸς κύριος τοῖς ὑπομένουσιν αὐτόν ψυχῇ ἣ ζητήσει αὐτὸν ἀγαθὸν
26 It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
καὶ ὑπομενεῖ καὶ ἡσυχάσει εἰς τὸ σωτήριον κυρίου
27 It is good for people to learn to patiently bear discipline while they're still young.
ἀγαθὸν ἀνδρὶ ὅταν ἄρῃ ζυγὸν ἐν νεότητι αὐτοῦ
28 They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
καθήσεται κατὰ μόνας καὶ σιωπήσεται ὅτι ἦρεν ἐφ’ ἑαυτῷ
29 They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
30 They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
δώσει τῷ παίοντι αὐτὸν σιαγόνα χορτασθήσεται ὀνειδισμῶν
31 For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀπώσεται κύριος
32 Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
ὅτι ὁ ταπεινώσας οἰκτιρήσει κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ
33 For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
ὅτι οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη ἀπὸ καρδίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν υἱοὺς ἀνδρός
34 Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
τοῦ ταπεινῶσαι ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ πάντας δεσμίους γῆς
35 Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
τοῦ ἐκκλῖναι κρίσιν ἀνδρὸς κατέναντι προσώπου ὑψίστου
36 Or cheating someone in their legal case—these things the Lord doesn't approve of.
καταδικάσαι ἄνθρωπον ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαι αὐτὸν κύριος οὐκ εἶπεν
37 Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
τίς οὕτως εἶπεν καὶ ἐγενήθη κύριος οὐκ ἐνετείλατο
38 When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
ἐκ στόματος ὑψίστου οὐκ ἐξελεύσεται τὰ κακὰ καὶ τὸ ἀγαθόν
39 Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
τί γογγύσει ἄνθρωπος ζῶν ἀνὴρ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ
40 We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
ἐξηρευνήθη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ἠτάσθη καὶ ἐπιστρέψωμεν ἕως κυρίου
41 Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
ἀναλάβωμεν καρδίας ἡμῶν ἐπὶ χειρῶν πρὸς ὑψηλὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ
42 “We are the ones who sinned; we are the ones who rebelled; and you haven't forgiven us!”
ἡμαρτήσαμεν ἠσεβήσαμεν καὶ οὐχ ἱλάσθης
43 You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
ἐπεσκέπασας ἐν θυμῷ καὶ ἀπεδίωξας ἡμᾶς ἀπέκτεινας οὐκ ἐφείσω
44 You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
ἐπεσκέπασας νεφέλην σεαυτῷ εἵνεκεν προσευχῆς
45 You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
καμμύσαι με καὶ ἀπωσθῆναι ἔθηκας ἡμᾶς ἐν μέσῳ τῶν λαῶν
46 All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
διήνοιξαν ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν πάντες οἱ ἐχθροὶ ἡμῶν
47 We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
φόβος καὶ θυμὸς ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν ἔπαρσις καὶ συντριβή
48 Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
ἀφέσεις ὑδάτων κατάξει ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἐπὶ τὸ σύντριμμα τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ λαοῦ μου
49 My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου κατεπόθη καὶ οὐ σιγήσομαι τοῦ μὴ εἶναι ἔκνηψιν
50 Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
ἕως οὗ διακύψῃ καὶ ἴδῃ κύριος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ
51 What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἐπιφυλλιεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχήν μου παρὰ πάσας θυγατέρας πόλεως
52 For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
θηρεύοντες ἐθήρευσάν με ὡς στρουθίον οἱ ἐχθροί μου δωρεάν
53 They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
ἐθανάτωσαν ἐν λάκκῳ ζωήν μου καὶ ἐπέθηκαν λίθον ἐπ’ ἐμοί
54 Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
ὑπερεχύθη ὕδωρ ἐπὶ κεφαλήν μου εἶπα ἀπῶσμαι
55 I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
ἐπεκαλεσάμην τὸ ὄνομά σου κύριε ἐκ λάκκου κατωτάτου
56 You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
φωνήν μου ἤκουσας μὴ κρύψῃς τὰ ὦτά σου εἰς τὴν δέησίν μου
57 You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
εἰς τὴν βοήθειάν μου ἤγγισας ἐν ᾗ σε ἡμέρᾳ ἐπεκαλεσάμην εἶπάς μοι μὴ φοβοῦ
58 You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
ἐδίκασας κύριε τὰς δίκας τῆς ψυχῆς μου ἐλυτρώσω τὴν ζωήν μου
59 Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
εἶδες κύριε τὰς ταραχάς μου ἔκρινας τὴν κρίσιν μου
60 You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
εἶδες πᾶσαν τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αὐτῶν εἰς πάντας διαλογισμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν ἐμοί
61 Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
ἤκουσας τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτῶν πάντας τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς αὐτῶν κατ’ ἐμοῦ
62 How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
χείλη ἐπανιστανομένων μοι καὶ μελέτας αὐτῶν κατ’ ἐμοῦ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν
63 Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
καθέδραν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνάστασιν αὐτῶν ἐπίβλεψον ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν
64 Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
ἀποδώσεις αὐτοῖς ἀνταπόδομα κύριε κατὰ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν
65 Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
ἀποδώσεις αὐτοῖς ὑπερασπισμὸν καρδίας μόχθον σου αὐτοῖς
66 Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
καταδιώξεις ἐν ὀργῇ καὶ ἐξαναλώσεις αὐτοὺς ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κύριε
