Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
ALEPH. I am the man that sees poverty, through the rod of his wrath upon me.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
He has taken me, and led me away into darkness, and not [into] light.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
Nay, against me has he turned his hand all the day.
4 My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.
He has made old my flesh and my skin; he has broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
BETH. He has built against me, and compassed my head, and brought travail [upon me].
6 He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
He has set me in dark places, as them that have long been dead.
7 He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
He has builded against me, and I cannot come forth: he has made my brazen [chain] heavy.
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
GIMEL. Yea, [though] I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
DALETH. He has built up my ways, he has hedged my paths;
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
he has troubled me, [as] a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me [as] a lion in secret places.
11 He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
He pursued [me] after I departed, and brought me to a stand: he has utterly ruined me.
12 He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
HE. He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
I became a laughing-stock to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
VAU. He has filled me with bitterness, he has drenched me with gall.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
And he has dashed out my teeth with gravel, he has fed me with ashes.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
He has also removed my soul from peace: I forgot prosperity.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
ZAIN. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered;
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
and my soul shall meditate with me.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
This will I lay up in my heart, therefore I will endure.
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
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 renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
[They are] new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I wait for him.
25 The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.
TETH. The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
[is] good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth.
TETH. [It is] good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth.
28 He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.
He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne [it] upon him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
30 Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
JOD. He will give [his] cheek to him that smites him: he will be filled full with reproaches.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
For the Lord will not reject for ever.
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
CHAPH. For he that has brought down will pity, and [that] according to the abundance of his mercy.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
He has not answered [in anger] from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man.
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
LAMED. To bring down under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35 In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,
to turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord seeth it not.
to condemn a man [unjustly] in his judgment, the Lord has not given commandment.
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
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 proceedeth not euill and good?
Out of the mouth of the Most High there shall not come forth evil and good.
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
MEM. Why should a living man complain, a man concerning his sin?
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
NUN. Our way has been searched out and examined, and we will turn to the Lord.
41 Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
Let us lift up our hearts with [our] hand to the lofty One in heaven.
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
We have sinned, we have transgressed; and thou hast not pardoned.
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
SAMECH. Thou has visited [us] in wrath, and driven us away: thou has slain, thou has not pitied.
44 Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
Thou hast veiled thyself with a cloud because of prayer, that I might be blind,
45 Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
and be cast off. AIN. Thou hast set us [alone] in the midst of the nations.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
Fear and wrath are come upon us, suspense and destruction.
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Mine eye shall pour down torrents of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
PHE. Mine eye is drowned [with tears], and I will not be silent, so that there shall be no rest,
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
until the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
Mine eye shall prey upon my soul, because of all the daughters of the city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
TSADE. The fowlers chased me as a sparrow, all mine enemies destroyed my life in a pit without cause,
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
and laid a stone upon me.
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
Water flowed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
55 I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
KOPH. I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
Thou heardest my voice: close not thine ears to my supplication.
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
Thou drewest nigh to my help: in the day wherein I called upon thee thou saidst to me, Fear not.
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
RECHS. O Lord, thou has pleaded the causes of my soul; thou has redeemed my life.
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
Thou hast seen, O Lord, my troubles: thou hast judged my cause.
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
Thou hast seen all their vengeance, [thou hast looked] on all their devices against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
CHSEN. Thou hast heard their reproach [and] all their devices against me;
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
the lips of them that rose up against me, and their plots against me all the day;
63 Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
their sitting down and their rising up: look thou upon their eyes.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
Thou wilt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
THAU. Thou wilt give them [as] a covering, the grief of my heart.
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
Thou wilt persecute them in anger, and wilt consume them from under the heaven, O Lord.
