Lamentations 3
1 [ALEPH-BET] I [am] the man [who] has seen affliction By the rod of His wrath.
I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He has led me, and causes to go [in] darkness, and without light.
He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
3 Surely against me He turns back, He turns His hand all the day.
Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
4 He has worn out my flesh and my skin. He has broken my bones.
My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He has built up against me, And sets around poverty and weariness.
He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 In dark places He has caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
7 He has hedged me in, and I do not go out, He has made heavy my chain.
He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
8 Also when I call and cry out, He has shut out my prayer.
Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He has hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He has made crooked.
He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
10 A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding places.
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and 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.
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
12 He has bent His bow, And sets me up as a mark for an arrow.
He hath 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 hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.
I was 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 hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
16 And He breaks with gravel my teeth, He has covered me with ashes.
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
17 And You cast off my soul from peace, I have forgotten prosperity.
And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.
18 And I say, My strength and my hope have perished from YHWH.
And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord:
19 Remember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 Remember well, and my soul bows down in me.
My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
21 This I turn to my heart—therefore I hope.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 The kindnesses of YHWH! For we have not been consumed, For His mercies have not ended.
It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
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.
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 YHWH [is] good to those waiting for Him, To the soul [that] seeks Him.
The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 [It is] good when one stays and stands still For the salvation of YHWH.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
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.
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
29 He puts his mouth in the dust, if so be, there is hope.
He putteth 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.
He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord does not cast off for all time.
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.
But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For He has not afflicted with His heart, Nor does He grieve the sons of men.
For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
34 To bruise under one’s feet any bound ones of earth,
To crush under his feet 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 approveth not.
37 Who [is] this—he has spoken, and it is, [And] the Lord has not commanded [it]?
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
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 proceedeth not evil and good?
39 Why does a living man sigh habitually, A man for his sin?
Wherefore doth 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 the Lord.
41 We lift up our heart on the hands to God in the heavens.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and been rebellious, You have not forgiven.
We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
43 You have covered Yourself with anger, And pursue us; You have slain—You have not pitied.
Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud, So that prayer does not pass through.
Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
45 Outcast and refuse You make us In the midst of the peoples.
Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and a snare has been for us, Desolation and destruction.
Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.
48 Streams of water go down my eye, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye is poured out, And does not cease without intermission,
Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Until YHWH looks and sees from the heavens,
Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
51 My eye affects my soul, Because of all the daughters of my city.
Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Hunting—my enemies have hunted me without cause like the bird.
Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, 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 cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters have flowed over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.
55 I called Your Name, O YHWH, from the lower pit.
I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon.
56 You have heard my voice, do not hide Your ear at my breathing—at my cry.
Thou hast 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 drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
58 You have pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, You have redeemed my life.
O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 You have seen, O YHWH, my overthrow, Judge my cause.
O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me.
Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O YHWH, All their thoughts against me,
Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me;
62 The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation against me all the day.
The lips of those that 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 their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.
64 You return to them the deed, O YHWH, According to the work of their hands.
Render unto them a recompence, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
65 You give to them a covered heart, Your curse to them.
Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 You pursue in anger, and destroy them, From under the heavens of YHWH!
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord.
