Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
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 hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
6 He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as 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 stopped my wayes, 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 made me a marke for the arrow.
Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
23 They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy 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: 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 hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
Teth. It is good to wait with 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 hath borne 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 hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be 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 him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
Lamed. 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. 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.
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
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 proceedeth not euill and good?
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, 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 to the Lord in the heavens.
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
44 Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction 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 droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
Thau. Thou shalt 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 shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
