Lamentations 3
1 [ALEPH-BET] I [am] the man [who] has seen affliction By the rod of His wrath.
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He has led me, and causes to go [in] darkness, and without light.
He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 Surely against me He turns back, He turns His hand all the day.
Surely he turns his hand against me, again and again all the day.
4 He has worn out my flesh and my skin. He has broken my bones.
He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
5 He has built up against me, And sets around poverty and weariness.
He has built against me, and encompassed me with gall and travail.
6 In dark places He has caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those who have long been dead.
7 He has hedged me in, and I do not go out, He has made heavy my chain.
He has walled me around, that I cannot go forth. He has made my chain heavy.
8 Also when I call and cry out, He has shut out my prayer.
Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He has made crooked.
He has walled up my ways with hewn stone. He has made my paths crooked.
10 A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding places.
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in concealed places.
11 My ways He is turning aside, and He pulls me in pieces, He has made me a desolation.
He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
12 He has bent His bow, And sets me up as a mark for an arrow.
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He has caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.
He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.
I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitter things, He has filled me [with] wormwood.
He has filled me with bitterness. He has sated me with wormwood.
16 And He breaks with gravel my teeth, He has covered me with ashes.
He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones. He has covered me with ashes.
17 And You cast off my soul from peace, I have forgotten prosperity.
And thou have removed my soul far off from peace. I forgot prosperity.
18 And I say, My strength and my hope have perished from YHWH.
And I said, My strength is perished, and my expectation from Jehovah.
19 Remember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 Remember well, and my soul bows down in me.
My soul still has them in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21 This I turn to my heart—therefore I hope.
This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope:
22 The kindnesses of YHWH! For we have not been consumed, For His mercies have not ended.
It is of Jehovah's loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions do not fail.
23 New every morning, abundant [is] Your faithfulness.
They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.
24 My portion [is] YHWH, my soul has said, Therefore I hope for Him.
Jehovah is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.
25 YHWH [is] good to those waiting for Him, To the soul [that] seeks Him.
Jehovah is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
26 [It is] good when one stays and stands still For the salvation of YHWH.
It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
27 [It is] good for a man that he bears a yoke in his youth.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 He sits alone, and is silent, For He has laid [it] on him.
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it upon him.
29 He puts his mouth in the dust, if so be, there is hope.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 He gives to his striker the cheek, He is filled with reproach.
Let him give his cheek to him who smites him. Let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord does not cast off for all time.
For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 For though He afflicted, yet He has pitied, According to the abundance of His kindness.
For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
33 For He has not afflicted with His heart, Nor does He grieve the sons of men.
For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the sons of men.
34 To bruise under one’s feet any bound ones of earth,
To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 To turn aside the judgment of a man, Before the face of the Most High,
to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord has not approved.
to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.
37 Who [is] this—he has spoken, and it is, [And] the Lord has not commanded [it]?
Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord does not command it?
38 From the mouth of the Most High does not go forth the evils and the good.
Out of the mouth of the Most High does there not come evil and good?
39 Why does a living man sigh habitually, A man for his sin?
Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back to YHWH.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
41 We lift up our heart on the hands to God in the heavens.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and been rebellious, You have not forgiven.
We have transgressed and have rebelled. Thou have not pardoned.
43 You have covered Yourself with anger, And pursue us; You have slain—You have not pitied.
Thou have covered with anger and pursued us. Thou have slain; thou have not pitied.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud, So that prayer does not pass through.
Thou have covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Outcast and refuse You make us In the midst of the peoples.
Thou have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Fear and a snare has been for us, Desolation and destruction.
Fear and the pit have come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48 Streams of water go down my eye, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye is poured out, And does not cease without intermission,
My eye pours down, and does not cease, without any intermission,
50 Until YHWH looks and sees from the heavens,
till Jehovah looks down, and beholds from heaven.
51 My eye affects my soul, Because of all the daughters of my city.
My eye stirs my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Hunting—my enemies have hunted me without cause like the bird.
They have chased me grievously like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, And they cast a stone against me.
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters have flowed over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
Waters flowed over my head. I said, I am cut off.
55 I called Your Name, O YHWH, from the lower pit.
I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 You have heard my voice, do not hide Your ear at my breathing—at my cry.
Thou heard my voice. Hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 You have drawn near in the day I call You, You have said, Do not fear.
Thou drew near in the day that I called upon thee. Thou said, Fear not.
58 You have pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, You have redeemed my life.
O Lord, thou have pleaded the causes of my soul. Thou have redeemed my life.
59 You have seen, O YHWH, my overthrow, Judge my cause.
O Jehovah, thou have seen my wrong. Judge thou my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me.
Thou have seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O YHWH, All their thoughts against me,
Thou have heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,
62 The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation against me all the day.
the lips of those who rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Their sitting down, and their rising up, Behold attentively, I [am] their song.
Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up. I am their song.
64 You return to them the deed, O YHWH, According to the work of their hands.
Thou will render to them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
65 You give to them a covered heart, Your curse to them.
Thou will give them hardness of heart, thy curse to them.
66 You pursue in anger, and destroy them, From under the heavens of YHWH!
Thou will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
