Lamentations 3
1 [ALEPH-BET] I [am] the man [who] has seen affliction By the rod of His wrath.
I am the man who hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He has led me, and causes to go [in] darkness, and without light.
Me hath he driven out, and led into darkness, but not into light.
3 Surely against me He turns back, He turns His hand all the day.
Surely against me doth he turn again and again his hand all the day.
4 He has worn out my flesh and my skin. He has broken my bones.
He hath caused my flesh and my skin to wear out, he hath broken my bones.
5 He has built up against me, And sets around poverty and weariness.
He hath built around me, and encompassed me with poison and hardship.
6 In dark places He has caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
In dark places hath he set me to dwell, like the dead of olden times.
7 He has hedged me in, and I do not go out, He has made heavy my chain.
He hath placed a fence round about me, that I cannot get out; he hath made heavy my chain.
8 Also when I call and cry out, He has shut out my prayer.
Also when I cry aloud and make entreaty, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He has hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He has made crooked.
He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stone, my paths hath he made crooked.
10 A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding places.
A bear lying in wait is he to me, a lion in secret places.
11 My ways He is turning aside, and He pulls me in pieces, He has made me a desolation.
On my ways hath he placed thorns, and torn 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 placed me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He has caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.
He hath caused to enter into my reins the children of his quiver.
14 I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.
I am become a laughing-stock to all my people, their [jeering] song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitter things, He has filled me [with] wormwood.
He hath sated me with bitter things, 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 my soul hath given up all thoughts of peace: I forget happiness.
18 And I say, My strength and my hope have perished from YHWH.
And I said, Lost is my strength, my expectation also from the Lord.
19 Remember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!
Remembering my affliction and [the cause of] my complaint, wormwood and poison.
20 Remember well, and my soul bows down in me.
Remembering [this] continually my soul is bowed down deeply within me.
21 This I turn to my heart—therefore I hope.
[Yet] this answer will I give to my heart: therefore will I wait [in confidence].
22 The kindnesses of YHWH! For we have not been consumed, For His mercies have not ended.
It is through the Lord's kindness that we are not consumed, because his mercies have no end;
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 wait for him.
25 YHWH [is] good to those waiting for Him, To the soul [that] seeks Him.
The Lord is good unto those 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.
It is good that one should wait and this in silence 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.
That he sit in solitude and be silent; because He hath laid it upon him;
29 He puts his mouth in the dust, if so be, there is hope.
That he put his mouth in the dust; perhaps there still is hope;
30 He gives to his striker the cheek, He is filled with reproach.
That he offer his cheek to him that smiteth him; that he be satisfied 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 have caused grief, yet will he have mercy according to the abundance of his kindnesses.
33 For He has not afflicted with His heart, Nor does He grieve the sons of men.
For he doth not afflict of his own will, and aggrieve 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 pervert the justice [due to 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 contest—should the Lord not see this?
37 Who [is] this—he has spoken, and it is, [And] the Lord has not commanded [it]?
Who is he that saith aught, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord hath not ordained it?
38 From the mouth of the Most High does not go forth the evils and the good.
Do not out of the mouth of the Most High come both the evil things and the good?
39 Why does a living man sigh habitually, A man for his sin?
Wherefore should a living man complain? let every man complain because of his sins.
40 We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back to YHWH.
Let us search through and investigate our ways, and let us return 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 indeed transgressed and rebelled: thou hast truly not pardoned.
43 You have covered Yourself with anger, And pursue us; You have slain—You have not pitied.
Thou hast covered [us] with thy anger, and made pursuit after 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 no prayer should pass through.
45 Outcast and refuse You make us In the midst of the peoples.
As something loathsome and rejected hast thou rendered us in the midst of the people.
46 Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
Wide have all our enemies opened against us their mouth.
47 Fear and a snare has been for us, Desolation and destruction.
Terror and a snare are come upon us, [with] desolation and breaches.
48 Streams of water go down my eye, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
With streams of water runneth my eye down, because of the breach of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye is poured out, And does not cease without intermission,
My eye trickleth down, and resteth 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.
My eye affecteth my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Hunting—my enemies have hunted me without cause like the bird.
Those who are my enemies, without a cause, have chased me about like a bird.
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, And they cast a stone against me.
They have shut up in the dungeon my life, and have cast stones upon me.
54 Waters have flowed over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
Waters streamed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
55 I called Your Name, O YHWH, from the lower pit.
I called on thy name, O Lord, out of the dungeon of the lowest depth.
56 You have heard my voice, do not hide Your ear at my breathing—at my cry.
Thou didst hear my voice: hide not thy ear to give me enlargement at my cry.
57 You have drawn near in the day I call You, You have said, Do not fear.
Thou wast ever near on the day that I called on thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
58 You have pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, You have redeemed my life.
Thou didst plead, O Lord, the causes of my soul: thou didst [before this] redeem my life.
59 You have seen, O YHWH, my overthrow, Judge my cause.
Thou hast [now] seen, O Lord, the wrong I suffer: judge thou my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me.
Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their plans against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O YHWH, All their thoughts against me,
Thou hast heard their reviling, O Lord, all their plans against me,
62 The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation against me all the day.
The speeches of these that rise 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.
Oh look upon their sitting down, and their rising up: I am their [jeering] song.
64 You return to them the deed, O YHWH, According to the work of their hands.
Render unto them a recompense, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
65 You give to them a covered heart, Your curse to them.
Give them confusion of heart, thy curse he upon them.
66 You pursue in anger, and destroy them, From under the heavens of YHWH!
Pursue them in anger and destroy from under the heavens of the Lord.
