Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
[ALEPH-BET] I [am] the man [who] has seen affliction By the rod of His wrath.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
He has led me, and causes to go [in] darkness, and without light.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
Surely against me He turns back, He turns 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 worn out my flesh and my skin. He has broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
He has built up against me, And sets around poverty and weariness.
6 He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
In dark places He has caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
7 He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
He has hedged me in, and I do not go out, He has made heavy my chain.
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
Also when I call and cry out, He has shut out my prayer.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
He has hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He has made crooked.
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding places.
11 He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
My ways He is turning aside, and He pulls me in pieces, He has made me a desolation.
12 He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
He has bent His bow, And sets me up as a mark for an arrow.
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
He has caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
He has filled me with bitter things, He has filled me [with] wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
And He breaks with gravel my teeth, He has covered me with ashes.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
And You cast off my soul from peace, I have forgotten prosperity.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
And I say, My strength and my hope have perished from YHWH.
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
Remember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Remember well, and my soul bows down in me.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
This I turn to my heart—therefore I hope.
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
The kindnesses of YHWH! For we have not been consumed, For His mercies have not ended.
23 They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
New every morning, abundant [is] Your faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
My portion [is] YHWH, my soul has said, Therefore I hope for Him.
25 The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.
YHWH [is] good to those waiting for Him, To the soul [that] seeks Him.
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
[It is] good when one stays and stands still For the salvation of YHWH.
27 It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth.
[It is] good for a man that he bears a yoke in his youth.
28 He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.
He sits alone, and is silent, For He has laid [it] on him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
He puts his mouth in the dust, if so be, there is hope.
30 Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
He gives to his striker the cheek, He is filled with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
For the Lord does not cast off for all time.
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
For though He afflicted, yet He has pitied, According to the abundance of His kindness.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
For He has not afflicted with His heart, Nor does He grieve the sons of men.
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
To bruise under one’s feet any bound ones of 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 subvert a man in his cause, the Lord has not approved.
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
Who [is] this—he has spoken, and it is, [And] the Lord has not commanded [it]?
38 Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?
From the mouth of the Most High does not go forth the evils and the good.
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
Why does a living man sigh habitually, A man for his sin?
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back to YHWH.
41 Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
We lift up our heart on the hands to God in the heavens.
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
We have transgressed and been rebellious, You have not forgiven.
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
You have covered Yourself with anger, And pursue us; You have slain—You have not pitied.
44 Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
You have covered Yourself with a cloud, So that prayer does not pass through.
45 Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
Outcast and refuse You make us In the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
Fear and a snare has been for us, Desolation and destruction.
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Streams of water go down my eye, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
My eye is poured out, And does not cease without intermission,
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
Until YHWH looks and sees from the heavens,
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
My eye affects my soul, Because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
Hunting—my enemies have hunted me without cause like the bird.
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
They have cut off my life in a pit, And they cast a stone against me.
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
Waters have flowed over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
55 I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
I called Your Name, O YHWH, from the lower pit.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
You have heard my voice, do not hide Your ear at my breathing—at my cry.
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
You have drawn near in the day I call You, You have said, Do not fear.
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
You have pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, You have redeemed my life.
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
You have seen, O YHWH, my overthrow, Judge my cause.
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
You have seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
You have heard their reproach, O YHWH, All their thoughts against me,
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation 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, Behold attentively, I [am] their song.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
You return to them the deed, O YHWH, According to the work of their hands.
65 Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
You give to them a covered heart, Your curse to them.
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
You pursue in anger, and destroy them, From under the heavens of YHWH!
