Lamentations 3
1 [ALEPH-BET] I [am] the man [who] has seen affliction By the rod of His wrath.
Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
2 He has led me, and causes to go [in] darkness, and without light.
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Surely against me He turns back, He turns His hand all the day.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
4 He has worn out my flesh and my skin. He has broken my bones.
Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 He has built up against me, And sets around poverty and weariness.
Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
6 In dark places He has caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 He has hedged me in, and I do not go out, He has made heavy my chain.
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 Also when I call and cry out, He has shut out my prayer.
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 He has hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He has made crooked.
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding places.
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
11 My ways He is turning aside, and He pulls me in pieces, He has made me a desolation.
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
12 He has bent His bow, And sets me up as a mark for an arrow.
Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
13 He has caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.
He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
14 I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.
He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
15 He has filled me with bitter things, He has filled me [with] wormwood.
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 And He breaks with gravel my teeth, He has covered me with ashes.
Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
17 And You cast off my soul from peace, I have forgotten prosperity.
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 And I say, My strength and my hope have perished from YHWH.
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 Remember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 Remember well, and my soul bows down in me.
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 This I turn to my heart—therefore I hope.
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 The kindnesses of YHWH! For we have not been consumed, For His mercies have not ended.
Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
23 New every morning, abundant [is] Your faithfulness.
Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
24 My portion [is] YHWH, my soul has said, Therefore I hope for Him.
Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
25 YHWH [is] good to those waiting for Him, To the soul [that] seeks Him.
Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 [It is] good when one stays and stands still For the salvation of YHWH.
Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
27 [It is] good for a man that he bears a yoke in his youth.
Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
28 He sits alone, and is silent, For He has laid [it] on him.
Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
29 He puts his mouth in the dust, if so be, there is hope.
Jod. He shall 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.
Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 For the Lord does not cast off for all time.
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 For though He afflicted, yet He has pitied, According to the abundance of His kindness.
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For He has not afflicted with His heart, Nor does He grieve the sons of men.
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 To bruise under one’s feet any bound ones of earth,
Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 To turn aside the judgment 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 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord has not approved.
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 Who [is] this—he has spoken, and it is, [And] the Lord has not commanded [it]?
Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 From the mouth of the Most High does not go forth the evils and the good.
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 Why does a living man sigh habitually, A man for his sin?
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back to YHWH.
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
41 We lift up our heart on the hands to God in the heavens.
Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and been rebellious, You have not forgiven.
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 You have covered Yourself with anger, And pursue us; You have slain—You have not pitied.
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud, So that prayer does not pass through.
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 Outcast and refuse You make us In the midst of the peoples.
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and a snare has been for us, Desolation and destruction.
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 Streams of water go down my eye, 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 My eye is poured out, And does not cease without intermission,
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 Until YHWH looks and sees from the heavens,
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 My eye affects my soul, Because of all the daughters of my city.
Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Hunting—my enemies have hunted me without cause like the bird.
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, And they cast a stone against me.
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 Waters have flowed over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 I called Your Name, O YHWH, from the lower pit.
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 You have heard my voice, do not hide Your ear at my breathing—at my cry.
Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
57 You have drawn near in the day I call You, You have said, Do not fear.
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 You have pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, You have redeemed my life.
Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
59 You have seen, O YHWH, my overthrow, Judge my cause.
Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me.
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O YHWH, All their thoughts against me,
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation against me all the day.
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 Their sitting down, and their rising up, Behold attentively, I [am] their song.
Sin. Behold 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.
Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 You give to them a covered heart, Your curse to them.
Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 You pursue in anger, and destroy them, From under the heavens of YHWH!
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
