Lamentations 3
1 Aleph. I am a man seynge my pouert in the yerde of his indignacioun.
I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
2 Aleph. He droof me, and brouyte in to derknessis, and not in to liyt.
He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness and not in light.
3 Aleph. Oneli he turnede in to me, and turnede togidere his hond al dai.
Surely against me He turneth His hand again and again all the day.
4 Beth. He made eld my skyn, and my fleisch; he al to-brak my boonys.
My flesh and my skin hath He worn out; 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 travail.
6 Beth. He settide me in derk places, as euerlastynge deed men.
He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
7 Gymel. He bildide aboute ayens me, that Y go not out; he aggregide my gyues.
He hath hedged me about, that I cannot go forth; He hath made my chain heavy.
8 Gymel. But and whanne Y crie and preye, he hath excludid my preier.
Yea, when I cry and call for help, He shutteth out my prayer.
9 Gymel. He closide togidere my weies with square stoonus; he distriede my pathis.
He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone, He hath made my paths crooked.
10 Deleth. He is maad a bere settinge aspies to me, a lioun in hid places.
He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
11 Deleth. He distriede my pathis, and brak me; he settide me desolat.
He hath turned aside my ways, 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 set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He. He sente in my reynes the douytris of his arowe caas.
He hath caused the arrows of His quiver to enter into my reins.
14 He. Y am maad in to scorn to al the puple, the song of hem al dai.
I am become 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 bitterness, He hath sated me with wormwood.
16 Vau. He brak at noumbre my teeth; he fedde me with aische.
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, He hath made me to wallow in ashes.
17 Vau. And my soule is putte awei; Y haue foryete goodis.
And my soul is removed far off from peace, I forgot prosperity.
18 Vau. And Y seide, Myn ende perischide, and myn hope fro the Lord.
And I said: 'My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.'
19 Zai. Haue thou mynde on my pouert and goyng ouer, and on wermod and galle.
Remember mine affliction and mine anguish, the wormwood and the gall.
20 Zai. Bi mynde Y schal be myndeful; and my soule schal faile in me.
My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21 Zai. Y bithenkynge these thingis in myn herte, schal hope in God.
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 Heth. The mercies of the Lord ben manye, for we ben not wastid; for whi hise merciful doyngis failiden not.
Surely the LORD'S mercies are not consumed, surely His compassions fail not.
23 Heth. Y knew in the morewtid; thi feith is miche.
They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.
24 Heth. My soule seide, The Lord is my part; therfor Y schal abide hym.
'The LORD is my portion', saith my soul; 'Therefore will 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 unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.
26 Teth. It is good to abide with stilnesse the helthe of God.
It is good that a man should quietly wait for the salvation 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 bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Joth. He schal sitte aloone, and he schal be stille; for he reiside hym silf aboue hym silf.
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because He hath laid it upon him.
29 Joth. He schal sette his mouth in dust, if perauenture hope is.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Joth. He schal yyue the cheke to a man that smytith hym; he schal be fillid with schenschipis.
Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him, let him be filled full with reproach.
31 Caph. For the Lord schal not putte awei with outen ende.
For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 Caph. For if he castide awei, and he schal do merci bi the multitude of hise mercies.
For though He cause grief, yet will He have 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 doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 That he schulde al to-foule vndur hise feet alle the boundun men of erthe. Lameth.
To crush under foot 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.
To turn aside 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.
To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.
37 Men. Who is this that seide, that a thing schulde be don, whanne the Lord comaundide not?
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when 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 evil and good?
39 Men. What grutchide a man lyuynge, a man for hise synnes?
Wherefore doth a living man complain, a strong man because of his sins?
40 Nun. Serche we oure weies, and seke we, and turne we ayen to the Lord.
Let us search and try our ways, and return to the LORD.
41 Nun. Reise we oure hertis with hondis, to the Lord in to heuenes.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 Nun. We han do wickidli, and han terrid thee to wraththe; therfor thou art not able to be preied.
We have transgressed and have rebelled; Thou hast not pardoned.
43 Sameth. Thou hilidist in stronge veniaunce, and smitidist vs; thou killidist, and sparidist not.
Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; Thou hast slain unsparingly.
44 Sameth. Thou settidist a clowde to thee, that preier passe not.
Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Sameth. Thou settidist me, drawing vp bi the roote, and castynge out, in the myddis of puplis.
Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 Ayn. Alle enemyes openyden her mouth on vs.
All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Ayn. Inward drede and snare is maad to vs, profesie and defoulyng.
Terror and the pit are come upon us, desolation and destruction.
48 Ayn. Myn iyen ledden doun departyngis of watris, for the defoulyng of the douyter of my puple.
Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the breach of the daughter of my people.
49 Phe. Myn iye was turmentid, and was not stille; for no reste was.
Mine eye is poured out, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Phe. Vntil the Lord bihelde, and siy fro heuenes.
Till the LORD look forth, and behold from heaven.
51 Phe. Myn iye robbide my soule in alle the douytris of my citee.
Mine eye affected my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Sade. Myn enemyes token me with out cause, bi huntyng as a brid.
They have chased me sore like a bird, that are mine enemies without cause.
53 Sade. My lijf slood in to a lake; and thei puttiden a stoon on me.
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast stones upon me.
54 Sade. Watris flowiden ouer myn heed; Y seide, Y perischide.
Waters flowed over my head; I said: 'I am cut off.'
55 Coph. Lord, Y clepide to help thi name, fro the laste lake.
I called upon Thy name, O LORD, Out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Coph. Thou herdist my vois; turne thou not awei thin eere fro my sobbyng and cries.
Thou heardest my voice; hide not Thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.
57 Coph. Thou neiyidist to me in the dai, wherynne Y clepide thee to help; thou seidist, Drede thou not.
Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon Thee; Thou saidst: 'Fear not.'
58 Res. Lord, ayenbiere of my lijf, thou demydist the cause of my soule.
O Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; Thou hast redeemed my life.
59 Res. Lord, thou siest the wickidnesse of hem ayens me; deme thou my doom.
O LORD, Thou hast seen my wrong; judge Thou my cause.
60 Res. Thou siest al the woodnesse, alle the thouytis of hem ayenus me.
Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 Syn. Lord, thou herdist the schenshipis of hem; alle the thouytis of hem ayens me.
Thou hast heard their taunt, O LORD, and all their devices against me;
62 Syn. The lippis of men risynge ayens me, and the thouytis of hem ayens me al dai.
The lips of those that rose up against me, and their muttering against me all the day.
63 Syn. Se thou the sittynge and risyng ayen of hem; Y am the salm of hem.
Behold Thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
64 Thau. Lord, thou schalt yelde while to hem, bi the werkis of her hondis.
Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 Tau. Thou schalt yyue to hem the scheeld of herte, thi trauel.
Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, Thy curse unto them.
66 Tau. Lord, thou schalt pursue hem in thi strong veniaunce, and thou schalt defoule hem vndur heuenes.
Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
