Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
Aleph. I am a man seynge my pouert in the yerde of his indignacioun.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
Aleph. He droof me, and brouyte in to derknessis, and not in to liyt.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
Aleph. Oneli he turnede in to me, and turnede togidere his hond al dai.
4 My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.
Beth. He made eld my skyn, and my fleisch; he al to-brak my boonys.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
Beth. He bildid in my cumpas, and he cumpasside me with galle and trauel.
6 He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
Beth. He settide me in derk places, as euerlastynge deed men.
7 He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
Gymel. He bildide aboute ayens me, that Y go not out; he aggregide my gyues.
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
Gymel. But and whanne Y crie and preye, he hath excludid my preier.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
Gymel. He closide togidere my weies with square stoonus; he distriede my pathis.
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
Deleth. He is maad a bere settinge aspies to me, a lioun in hid places.
11 He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
Deleth. He distriede my pathis, and brak me; he settide me desolat.
12 He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
Deleth. He bente his bowe, and settide me as a signe to an arowe.
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
He. He sente in my reynes the douytris of his arowe caas.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
He. Y am maad in to scorn to al the puple, the song of hem al dai.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
He. He fillide me with bitternesses; he gretli fillide me with wermod.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
Vau. He brak at noumbre my teeth; he fedde me with aische.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
Vau. And my soule is putte awei; Y haue foryete goodis.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
Vau. And Y seide, Myn ende perischide, and myn hope fro the Lord.
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
Zai. Haue thou mynde on my pouert and goyng ouer, and on wermod and galle.
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Zai. Bi mynde Y schal be myndeful; and my soule schal faile in me.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
Zai. Y bithenkynge these thingis in myn herte, schal hope in God.
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
Heth. The mercies of the Lord ben manye, for we ben not wastid; for whi hise merciful doyngis failiden not.
23 They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
Heth. Y knew in the morewtid; thi feith is miche.
24 The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
Heth. My soule seide, The Lord is my part; therfor Y schal abide hym.
25 The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.
Teth. The Lord is good to hem that hopen in to hym, to a soule sekynge hym.
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
Teth. It is good to abide with stilnesse the helthe of God.
27 It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth.
Teth. It is good to a man, whanne he hath bore the yok fro his yongthe.
28 He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.
Joth. He schal sitte aloone, and he schal be stille; for he reiside hym silf aboue hym silf.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
Joth. He schal sette his mouth in dust, if perauenture hope is.
30 Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
Joth. He schal yyue the cheke to a man that smytith hym; he schal be fillid with schenschipis.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
Caph. For the Lord schal not putte awei with outen ende.
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
Caph. For if he castide awei, and he schal do merci bi the multitude of hise mercies.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
Caph. For he makide not low of his herte; and castide not awei the sones of men. Lameth.
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
That he schulde al to-foule vndur hise feet alle the boundun men of erthe. Lameth.
35 In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,
That he schulde bowe doun the dom of man, in the siyt of the cheer of the hiyeste.
36 In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord seeth it not.
Lameth. That he schulde peruerte a man in his dom, the Lord knew not.
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
Men. Who is this that seide, that a thing schulde be don, whanne the Lord comaundide not?
38 Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?
Men. Nether goodis nether yuels schulen go out of the mouth of the hiyeste.
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
Men. What grutchide a man lyuynge, a man for hise synnes?
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
Nun. Serche we oure weies, and seke we, and turne we ayen to the Lord.
41 Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
Nun. Reise we oure hertis with hondis, to the Lord in to heuenes.
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
Nun. We han do wickidli, and han terrid thee to wraththe; therfor thou art not able to be preied.
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
Sameth. Thou hilidist in stronge veniaunce, and smitidist vs; thou killidist, and sparidist not.
44 Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
Sameth. Thou settidist a clowde to thee, that preier passe not.
45 Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
Sameth. Thou settidist me, drawing vp bi the roote, and castynge out, in the myddis of puplis.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
Ayn. Alle enemyes openyden her mouth on vs.
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
Ayn. Inward drede and snare is maad to vs, profesie and defoulyng.
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Ayn. Myn iyen ledden doun departyngis of watris, for the defoulyng of the douyter of my puple.
49 Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
Phe. Myn iye was turmentid, and was not stille; for no reste was.
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
Phe. Vntil the Lord bihelde, and siy fro heuenes.
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
Phe. Myn iye robbide my soule in alle the douytris of my citee.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
Sade. Myn enemyes token me with out cause, bi huntyng as a brid.
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
Sade. My lijf slood in to a lake; and thei puttiden a stoon on me.
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
Sade. Watris flowiden ouer myn heed; Y seide, Y perischide.
55 I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
Coph. Lord, Y clepide to help thi name, fro the laste lake.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
Coph. Thou herdist my vois; turne thou not awei thin eere fro my sobbyng and cries.
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
Coph. Thou neiyidist to me in the dai, wherynne Y clepide thee to help; thou seidist, Drede thou not.
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
Res. Lord, ayenbiere of my lijf, thou demydist the cause of my soule.
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
Res. Lord, thou siest the wickidnesse of hem ayens me; deme thou my doom.
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
Res. Thou siest al the woodnesse, alle the thouytis of hem ayenus me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
Syn. Lord, thou herdist the schenshipis of hem; alle the thouytis of hem ayens me.
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
Syn. The lippis of men risynge ayens me, and the thouytis of hem ayens me al dai.
63 Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
Syn. Se thou the sittynge and risyng ayen of hem; Y am the salm of hem.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
Thau. Lord, thou schalt yelde while to hem, bi the werkis of her hondis.
65 Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
Tau. Thou schalt yyue to hem the scheeld of herte, thi trauel.
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
Tau. Lord, thou schalt pursue hem in thi strong veniaunce, and thou schalt defoule hem vndur heuenes.
