Lamentations 3
1 I [, the one who am writing this, ] am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh because he was angry.
ALEPH. Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius.
2 [It was as though] he caused me to walk in a very dark place without any light [at all].
ALEPH. Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.
3 He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
ALEPH. Tantum in me vertit, et convertit manum suam tota die.
4 He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old. He has broken my bones.
BETH. Vetustam fecit pellem meam, et carnem meam, contrivit ossa mea.
5 He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
BETH. Aedificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle, et labore.
6 [It is as though] he has buried me in a dark place like [SIM] [the graves of] those who have been dead for a long time.
BETH. In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.
7 [It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
GHIMEL. Circumaedificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar: aggravavit compedem meum.
8 Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
GHIMEL. Sed et cum clamavero, et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.
9 [It is as though] he has blocked my path with a [high] stone [wall] and has caused my path to become crooked.
GHIMEL. Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris, semitas meas subvertit.
10 He has waited to attack me like [SIM] a bear or a lion hides and waits [to attack other animals].
DALETH. Ursus insidians factus est mihi: leo in absconditis.
11 [It is as though] he has dragged me off the path and (mauled me/torn me into pieces), and left me without help.
DALETH. Semitas meas subvertit, et confregit me: posuit me desolatam.
12 [It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
DALETH. Tetendit arcum suum, et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.
13 [It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
HE. Misit in renibus meis filias pharetrae suae.
14 All my relatives laugh at me; all day, [every] day they sing songs that make fun of me.
HE. Factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die.
15 He has filled me with (bitterness/great suffering), [like] [MET] someone who drinks a very bitter liquid suffers.
HE. Replevit me amaritudinibus, inebriavit me absynthio.
16 [It is as though] he has caused me to chew gravel that broke my teeth, and he has trampled me in the dirt.
VAU. Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos, cibavit me cinere.
17 Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
VAU. Et repulsa est a pace anima mea, oblitus sum bonorum.
18 I [continued to] say [to myself], “I no longer expect to live much longer; I no longer confidently expect [to receive good things] from Yahweh!”
VAU. Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino.
19 When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
ZAIN. Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis meae, absinthii, et fellis.
20 I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
ZAIN. Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea.
21 However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
ZAIN. Haec recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.
22 Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
HETH. Misericordiae Domini quia non sumus consumpti: quia non defecerunt miserationes eius.
23 [He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
HETH. Novi diluculo, multa est fides tua.
24 [So] I say to myself, “Yahweh is all that I need; so I will confidently wait for him [to do good things for me].”
HETH. Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea: propterea expectabo eum.
25 Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
TETH. Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animae quaerenti illum.
26 [So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
TETH. Bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Dei.
27 And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
TETH. Bonum est viro, cum portaverit iugum ab adolescentia sua.
28 Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
IOD. Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit: quia levavit se super se.
29 They should lie in the dirt, with their faces on the ground, [because] they can still hope [that Yahweh will help them].
IOD. Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.
30 If someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek toward that person [in order that he may strike it, too], and accept/endure it when we are insulted.
IOD. Dabit percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis.
31 Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
CAPH. Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.
32 Sometimes he causes us to suffer, but sometimes he is kind [to us] because he continually and faithfully loves [us].
CAPH. Quia si abiecit, miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.
33 And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
CAPH. Non enim humiliavit ex corde suo, et abiecit filios hominum,
34 If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
LAMED. Ut conteret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae,
35 or if they rebel against God by refusing to give to people the things that it is right for them [to receive],
LAMED. Ut declinaret iudicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.
36 or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
LAMED. Ut perverteret hominem in iudicio suo, Dominus ignoravit.
37 No one can [RHQ] command something to happen [and then cause it to happen] if Yahweh has not already decided that it should happen.
MEM. Quis est iste, qui dixit ut fieret, Domino non iubente?
38 God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
MEM. Ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona?
39 [So] it is certainly not [RHQ] right for us, who are only humans, to complain when he punishes us for the sins that we have committed.
MEM. Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?
40 Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
NUN. Scrutemur vias nostras, et quaeramus, et revertamur ad Dominum.
41 We should pray [IDM] sincerely and lift up our arms toward God in heaven, [and say, ]
NUN. Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in caelos.
42 “We have sinned and rebelled [against you], and you have not forgiven [us].
NUN. Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam provocavimus: idcirco tu inexorabilis es.
43 You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
SAMECH. Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos: occidisti, nec pepercisti.
44 You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
SAMECH. Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.
45 You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
SAMECH. Eradicationem, et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum.
46 All our enemies have insulted us.
PHE. Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici.
47 We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
PHE. Formido, et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio, et contritio.
48 I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
PHE. Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus, in contritione filiae populi mei.
49 My tears continually flow; they will not stop
AIN. Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod non esset requies,
50 until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
AIN. Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis.
51 I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
AIN. Oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae.
52 Those who are my enemies hunted for me like [SIM] [people hunt for] a bird [to kill it] [even though] there was no reason [for them to do that].
SADE. Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.
53 They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
SADE. Lapsa est in lacum vita mea, et posuerunt lapidem super me.
54 The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
SADE. Inundaverunt aquae super caput meum: dixi: Perii.
55 But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
COPH. Invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacu novissimo.
56 I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
COPH. Vocem meam audisti: ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo, et clamoribus.
57 Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
COPH. Appropinquasti in die, quando invocavi te: dixisti: Ne timeas.
58 Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
RES. Iudicasti Domine causam animae meae, redemptor vitae meae.
59 [Now], Yahweh, you have seen the evil things that my enemies have done to me, [so] decide my case [and show that I am right]!
RES. Vidisti Domine iniquitatem illorum adversum me: iudica iudicium meum.
60 You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
RES. Vidisti omnem furorem, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.
61 Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
SIN. Audisti opprobrium eorum Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me:
62 Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
SIN. Labia insurgentium mihi; et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.
63 Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
SIN. Sessionem eorum, et resurrectionem eorum vide, ego sum psalmus eorum.
64 Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
THAU. Redes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum.
65 Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
THAU. Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum.
66 Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
THAU. Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub caelis Domine.
