Lamentations 3
1 Aleph. I am a man seynge my pouert in the yerde of his indignacioun.
I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
2 Aleph. He droof me, and brouyte in to derknessis, and not in to liyt.
He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
3 Aleph. Oneli he turnede in to me, and turnede togidere his hond al dai.
Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
4 Beth. He made eld my skyn, and my fleisch; he al to-brak my boonys.
My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.
5 Beth. He bildid in my cumpas, and he cumpasside me with galle and trauel.
He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
6 Beth. He settide me in derk places, as euerlastynge deed men.
He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
7 Gymel. He bildide aboute ayens me, that Y go not out; he aggregide my gyues.
He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
8 Gymel. But and whanne Y crie and preye, he hath excludid my preier.
Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
9 Gymel. He closide togidere my weies with square stoonus; he distriede my pathis.
He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
10 Deleth. He is maad a bere settinge aspies to me, a lioun in hid places.
He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
11 Deleth. He distriede my pathis, and brak me; he settide me desolat.
He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
12 Deleth. He bente his bowe, and settide me as a signe to an arowe.
He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
13 He. He sente in my reynes the douytris of his arowe caas.
Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
14 He. Y am maad in to scorn to al the puple, the song of hem al dai.
I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
15 He. He fillide me with bitternesses; he gretli fillide me with wermod.
He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
16 Vau. He brak at noumbre my teeth; he fedde me with aische.
He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
17 Vau. And my soule is putte awei; Y haue foryete goodis.
Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
18 Vau. And Y seide, Myn ende perischide, and myn hope fro the Lord.
And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
19 Zai. Haue thou mynde on my pouert and goyng ouer, and on wermod and galle.
Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
20 Zai. Bi mynde Y schal be myndeful; and my soule schal faile in me.
My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
21 Zai. Y bithenkynge these thingis in myn herte, schal hope in God.
I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
22 Heth. The mercies of the Lord ben manye, for we ben not wastid; for whi hise merciful doyngis failiden not.
It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
23 Heth. Y knew in the morewtid; thi feith is miche.
They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
24 Heth. My soule seide, The Lord is my part; therfor Y schal abide hym.
The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
25 Teth. The Lord is good to hem that hopen in to hym, to a soule sekynge hym.
The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.
26 Teth. It is good to abide with stilnesse the helthe of God.
It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
27 Teth. It is good to a man, whanne he hath bore the yok fro his yongthe.
It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth.
28 Joth. He schal sitte aloone, and he schal be stille; for he reiside hym silf aboue hym silf.
He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.
29 Joth. He schal sette his mouth in dust, if perauenture hope is.
He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
30 Joth. He schal yyue the cheke to a man that smytith hym; he schal be fillid with schenschipis.
Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
31 Caph. For the Lord schal not putte awei with outen ende.
For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
32 Caph. For if he castide awei, and he schal do merci bi the multitude of hise mercies.
But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 Caph. For he makide not low of his herte; and castide not awei the sones of men. Lameth.
For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
34 That he schulde al to-foule vndur hise feet alle the boundun men of erthe. Lameth.
In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
35 That he schulde bowe doun the dom of man, in the siyt of the cheer of the hiyeste.
In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,
36 Lameth. That he schulde peruerte a man in his dom, the Lord knew not.
In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord seeth it not.
37 Men. Who is this that seide, that a thing schulde be don, whanne the Lord comaundide not?
Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Men. Nether goodis nether yuels schulen go out of the mouth of the hiyeste.
Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?
39 Men. What grutchide a man lyuynge, a man for hise synnes?
Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
40 Nun. Serche we oure weies, and seke we, and turne we ayen to the Lord.
Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
41 Nun. Reise we oure hertis with hondis, to the Lord in to heuenes.
Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
42 Nun. We han do wickidli, and han terrid thee to wraththe; therfor thou art not able to be preied.
We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
43 Sameth. Thou hilidist in stronge veniaunce, and smitidist vs; thou killidist, and sparidist not.
Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
44 Sameth. Thou settidist a clowde to thee, that preier passe not.
Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
45 Sameth. Thou settidist me, drawing vp bi the roote, and castynge out, in the myddis of puplis.
Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
46 Ayn. Alle enemyes openyden her mouth on vs.
All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
47 Ayn. Inward drede and snare is maad to vs, profesie and defoulyng.
Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
48 Ayn. Myn iyen ledden doun departyngis of watris, for the defoulyng of the douyter of my puple.
Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Phe. Myn iye was turmentid, and was not stille; for no reste was.
Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
50 Phe. Vntil the Lord bihelde, and siy fro heuenes.
Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
51 Phe. Myn iye robbide my soule in alle the douytris of my citee.
Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
52 Sade. Myn enemyes token me with out cause, bi huntyng as a brid.
Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
53 Sade. My lijf slood in to a lake; and thei puttiden a stoon on me.
They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
54 Sade. Watris flowiden ouer myn heed; Y seide, Y perischide.
Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
55 Coph. Lord, Y clepide to help thi name, fro the laste lake.
I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
56 Coph. Thou herdist my vois; turne thou not awei thin eere fro my sobbyng and cries.
Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
57 Coph. Thou neiyidist to me in the dai, wherynne Y clepide thee to help; thou seidist, Drede thou not.
Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
58 Res. Lord, ayenbiere of my lijf, thou demydist the cause of my soule.
O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
59 Res. Lord, thou siest the wickidnesse of hem ayens me; deme thou my doom.
O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
60 Res. Thou siest al the woodnesse, alle the thouytis of hem ayenus me.
Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
61 Syn. Lord, thou herdist the schenshipis of hem; alle the thouytis of hem ayens me.
Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
62 Syn. The lippis of men risynge ayens me, and the thouytis of hem ayens me al dai.
The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
63 Syn. Se thou the sittynge and risyng ayen of hem; Y am the salm of hem.
Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
64 Thau. Lord, thou schalt yelde while to hem, bi the werkis of her hondis.
Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
65 Tau. Thou schalt yyue to hem the scheeld of herte, thi trauel.
Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
66 Tau. Lord, thou schalt pursue hem in thi strong veniaunce, and thou schalt defoule hem vndur heuenes.
Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
