Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
ALEPH. I am a man watching my own poverty by the rod of his indignation.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
ALEPH. He has driven me and led me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
ALEPH. Against me only, he has turned and turned again his hand, all day long.
4 My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.
BETH. My skin and my flesh, he has made old; he has crushed my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
BETH. He has built all around me, and he has encircled me with gall and hardship.
6 He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
BETH. He has gathered me into darkness, like those who are forever dead.
7 He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
GHIMEL. He has built against me all around, so that I may not depart. He has increased the burden of my confinement.
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
GHIMEL. Yet even when I cry out and beg, he excludes my prayer.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
GHIMEL. He has enclosed my ways with square stones; he has subverted my paths.
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
DALETH. He has become to me like a bear lying in ambush, like a lion in hiding.
11 He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
DALETH. He has subverted my paths, and he has broken me. He has placed me in desolation.
12 He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
DALETH. He has bent his bow, and he has positioned me like a target for his arrows.
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
HE. He has shot into my kidneys the daughters of his quiver.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
HE. I have become a derision to all my people, their song throughout the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
HE. He has filled me with bitterness; he has inebriated me with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
VAU. And he has broken each one of my teeth; he has fed me with ashes.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
VAU. And my soul has been driven away from peace; I have forgotten what is good.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
VAU. And I said, “My end and my hope from the Lord has perished.”
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
ZAIN. Remember my poverty and my transgression, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
ZAIN. I will call to mind the past, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
ZAIN. These recollections are in my heart; therefore, I shall hope.
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
HETH. By the mercies of the Lord, we are not consumed. For his compassion has not passed away.
23 They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
HETH. I know it at first light; great is your faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
HETH. “The Lord is my portion,” said my soul. Because of this, I will 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 those who hope in him, to the soul that seeks him.
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
TETH. It is good to stand ready in silence for the salvation of God.
27 It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth.
TETH. It is good for a man, when he has carried the yoke from his youth.
28 He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.
JOD. He shall sit solitary and silent. For he has lifted it upon himself.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
JOD. He shall place his mouth in the dirt, if perhaps there may be hope.
30 Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
JOD. He shall give his cheek to those who strike him; he shall be saturated with reproaches.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
CAPH. For the Lord will not rebuke forever.
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
CAPH. For, if he has cast down, he will also have compassion, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
CAPH. For he has not humiliated from his heart, nor has he thrown aside the sons of men,
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
LAMED. as if to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,
LAMED. as if to turn aside the judgment of a man in the sight of the presence of the Most High,
36 In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord seeth it not.
LAMED. as if to pervert a man in his judgment: the Lord does not do this.
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
MEM. Who is this, who said to do what the Lord did not command?
38 Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?
MEM. Does not both misfortune and good proceed from the mouth of the Most High?
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
MEM. Why has a living man murmured, a man suffering for his sins?
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
NUN. Let us examine our ways, and seek out, and return to the Lord.
41 Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
NUN. Let us lift up our hearts, with our hands, toward the Lord in the heavens.
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
NUN. We have acted sinfully, and we have provoked to wrath. About this, you are relentless.
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
SAMECH. You have covered us in your fury, and you have struck us. You have killed, and have not spared.
44 Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
SAMECH. You have set a cloud opposite you, lest our prayer pass through.
45 Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
SAMECH. In the midst of the peoples, you have uprooted me and cast me out.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
PHE. All our enemies have opened their mouths over us.
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
PHE. Prediction has become for us a dread, and a snare, and a grief.
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
PHE. My eye has brought forth streams of water at the contrition of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
AIN. My eye has been afflicted, and it has not been quieted, because there would be no rest
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
AIN. until the Lord looked down and saw from the heavens.
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
AIN. My eye has exhausted my soul over every one of the daughters of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
SADE. My enemies have chased me, and they have caught me like a bird, without reason.
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
SADE. My life has fallen into a pit, and they have placed a stone over me.
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
SADE. The waters have flooded over my head. I said, “I am lost.”
55 I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
COPH. I called upon your name, O Lord, from the furthest pit.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
COPH. You have heard my voice. Do not turn away your ear from my sobbing and my cries.
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
COPH. You drew near in the daytime, when I called upon you. You said, “Fear not.”
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
RES. You have judged, O Lord, the case of my soul. You are the Redeemer of my life.
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
RES. You have seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me. Judge my case.
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
RES. You have seen all their fury, every one of their thoughts is against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
SIN. You have heard their reproach, O Lord, all their thoughts are against me.
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
SIN. The lips of those who rise up against me, and their meditations, are against me all day long.
63 Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
SIN. Watch their sitting down and their rising up: I am their psalm.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
THAU. You shall pay a recompense to them, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
THAU. You shall give them a heavy shield of the heart: your hardship.
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
THAU. You shall pursue them in fury, and you shall destroy them under the heavens, O Lord.
