Lamentations 3
1 I AM the man that hath 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 hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness and not in light.
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 He hath fenced me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 Yea, when I cry and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
13 He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
14 I am become a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 [It is of] the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust; if so be there may he hope.
Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 To turn aside the right 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 approveth not.
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto 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 have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that [our] prayer should not pass through.
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 Thou hast made us [as] the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 all our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, 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 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 Mine eye affecteth 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 They have chased me sore like a bird, that are mine enemies without cause.
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 Waters flowed over mine head; I said, I am cut off.
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their devices against me;
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their imagination against me all the day.
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
64 Thou wilt render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
