Lamentations 3
1 Aleph. I am a man seynge my pouert in the yerde of his indignacioun.
I [am] the man [who] hath seen affliction By the rod of His wrath.
2 Aleph. He droof me, and brouyte in to derknessis, and not in to liyt.
Me He hath led, and causeth to go [in] darkness, and without light.
3 Aleph. Oneli he turnede in to me, and turnede togidere his hond al dai.
Surely against me He turneth back, He turneth His hand all the day.
4 Beth. He made eld my skyn, and my fleisch; he al to-brak my boonys.
He hath worn out my flesh and my skin. He hath broken my bones.
5 Beth. He bildid in my cumpas, and he cumpasside me with galle and trauel.
He hath built up against me, And setteth round poverty and weariness.
6 Beth. He settide me in derk places, as euerlastynge deed men.
In dark places He hath caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
7 Gymel. He bildide aboute ayens me, that Y go not out; he aggregide my gyues.
He hath hedged me about, and I go not out, He hath made heavy my fetter.
8 Gymel. But and whanne Y crie and preye, he hath excludid my preier.
Also when I call and cry out, He hath shut out my prayer.
9 Gymel. He closide togidere my weies with square stoonus; he distriede my pathis.
He hath hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He hath made crooked.
10 Deleth. He is maad a bere settinge aspies to me, a lioun in hid places.
A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding-places.
11 Deleth. He distriede my pathis, and brak me; he settide me desolat.
My ways He is turning aside, and He pulleth me in pieces, He hath made me a desolation.
12 Deleth. He bente his bowe, and settide me as a signe to an arowe.
He hath trodden His bow, And setteth me up as a mark for an arrow.
13 He. He sente in my reynes the douytris of his arowe caas.
He hath caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.
14 He. Y am maad in to scorn to al the puple, the song of hem al dai.
I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.
15 He. He fillide me with bitternesses; he gretli fillide me with wermod.
He hath filled me with bitter things, He hath filled me [with] wormwood.
16 Vau. He brak at noumbre my teeth; he fedde me with aische.
And He breaketh with gravel my teeth, He hath covered me with ashes.
17 Vau. And my soule is putte awei; Y haue foryete goodis.
And Thou castest off from peace my soul, I have forgotten prosperity.
18 Vau. And Y seide, Myn ende perischide, and myn hope fro the Lord.
And I say, Perished hath my strength and my hope from Jehovah.
19 Zai. Haue thou mynde on my pouert and goyng ouer, and on wermod and galle.
Remember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!
20 Zai. Bi mynde Y schal be myndeful; and my soule schal faile in me.
Remember well, and bow down doth my soul in me.
21 Zai. Y bithenkynge these thingis in myn herte, schal hope in God.
This I turn to my heart — therefore I hope.
22 Heth. The mercies of the Lord ben manye, for we ben not wastid; for whi hise merciful doyngis failiden not.
The kindnesses of Jehovah! For we have not been consumed, For not ended have His mercies.
23 Heth. Y knew in the morewtid; thi feith is miche.
New every morning, abundant [is] thy faithfulness.
24 Heth. My soule seide, The Lord is my part; therfor Y schal abide hym.
My portion [is] Jehovah, hath my soul said, Therefore I hope for Him.
25 Teth. The Lord is good to hem that hopen in to hym, to a soule sekynge hym.
Good [is] Jehovah to those waiting for Him, To the soul [that] seeketh Him.
26 Teth. It is good to abide with stilnesse the helthe of God.
Good! when one doth stay and stand still For the salvation of Jehovah.
27 Teth. It is good to a man, whanne he hath bore the yok fro his yongthe.
Good for a man that he beareth a 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 is silent, For He hath laid [it] upon him.
29 Joth. He schal sette his mouth in dust, if perauenture hope is.
He putteth in the dust his mouth, if so be there is hope.
30 Joth. He schal yyue the cheke to a man that smytith hym; he schal be fillid with schenschipis.
He giveth to his smiter the cheek, He is filled with reproach.
31 Caph. For the Lord schal not putte awei with outen ende.
For the Lord doth not cast off to the age.
32 Caph. For if he castide awei, and he schal do merci bi the multitude of hise mercies.
For though He afflicted, yet He hath pitied, According to the abundance of His kindness.
33 Caph. For he makide not low of his herte; and castide not awei the sones of men. Lameth.
For He hath not afflicted with His heart, Nor doth He grieve the sons of men.
34 That he schulde al to-foule vndur hise feet alle the boundun men of erthe. Lameth.
To bruise under one's feet any bound ones of earth,
35 That he schulde bowe doun the dom of man, in the siyt of the cheer of the hiyeste.
To turn aside the judgment of a man, Over-against 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 hath not approved.
37 Men. Who is this that seide, that a thing schulde be don, whanne the Lord comaundide not?
Who [is] this — he hath said, and it is, [And] the Lord hath not commanded [it]?
38 Men. Nether goodis nether yuels schulen go out of the mouth of the hiyeste.
From the mouth of the Most High Go not forth the evils and the good.
39 Men. What grutchide a man lyuynge, a man for hise synnes?
What — sigh habitually doth a living man, A man for his sin?
40 Nun. Serche we oure weies, and seke we, and turne we ayen to the Lord.
We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back unto Jehovah.
41 Nun. Reise we oure hertis with hondis, to the Lord in to heuenes.
We lift up our heart on the 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 — we have transgressed and rebelled, Thou — Thou hast not forgiven.
43 Sameth. Thou hilidist in stronge veniaunce, and smitidist vs; thou killidist, and sparidist not.
Thou hast covered Thyself with anger, And dost pursue us; Thou hast slain — Thou hast not pitied.
44 Sameth. Thou settidist a clowde to thee, that preier passe not.
Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud, So that prayer doth not pass through.
45 Sameth. Thou settidist me, drawing vp bi the roote, and castynge out, in the myddis of puplis.
Offscouring and refuse Thou dost make us In the midst of the peoples.
46 Ayn. Alle enemyes openyden her mouth on vs.
Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
47 Ayn. Inward drede and snare is maad to vs, profesie and defoulyng.
Fear and a snare hath been for us, Desolation and destruction.
48 Ayn. Myn iyen ledden doun departyngis of watris, for the defoulyng of the douyter of my puple.
Rivulets of water go down my eye, 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 is poured out, And doth not cease without intermission,
50 Phe. Vntil the Lord bihelde, and siy fro heuenes.
Till Jehovah looketh and seeth from the heavens,
51 Phe. Myn iye robbide my soule in alle the douytris of my citee.
My eye affecteth my soul, Because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Sade. Myn enemyes token me with out cause, bi huntyng as a brid.
Hunted me sore as a bird have my enemies without cause.
53 Sade. My lijf slood in to a lake; and thei puttiden a stoon on me.
They have cut off in a pit my life, And they cast a stone against me.
54 Sade. Watris flowiden ouer myn heed; Y seide, Y perischide.
Flowed have waters over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
55 Coph. Lord, Y clepide to help thi name, fro the laste lake.
I called Thy name, O Jehovah, from the lower pit.
56 Coph. Thou herdist my vois; turne thou not awei thin eere fro my sobbyng and cries.
My voice Thou hast heard, Hide not Thine ear at my breathing — at my cry.
57 Coph. Thou neiyidist to me in the dai, wherynne Y clepide thee to help; thou seidist, Drede thou not.
Thou hast drawn near in the day I call Thee, Thou hast said, Fear not.
58 Res. Lord, ayenbiere of my lijf, thou demydist the cause of my soule.
Thou hast pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, Thou hast redeemed my life.
59 Res. Lord, thou siest the wickidnesse of hem ayens me; deme thou my doom.
Thou hast seen, O Jehovah, my overthrow, Judge Thou my cause.
60 Res. Thou siest al the woodnesse, alle the thouytis of hem ayenus me.
Thou hast seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me.
61 Syn. Lord, thou herdist the schenshipis of hem; alle the thouytis of hem ayens me.
Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, All their thoughts against me,
62 Syn. The lippis of men risynge ayens me, and the thouytis of hem ayens me al dai.
The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation against me all the day.
63 Syn. Se thou the sittynge and risyng ayen of hem; Y am the salm of hem.
Their sitting down, and their rising up, Behold attentively, I [am] their song.
64 Thau. Lord, thou schalt yelde while to hem, bi the werkis of her hondis.
Thou returnest to them the deed, O Jehovah, According to the work of their hands.
65 Tau. Thou schalt yyue to hem the scheeld of herte, thi trauel.
Thou givest to them a covered heart, Thy curse to them.
66 Tau. Lord, thou schalt pursue hem in thi strong veniaunce, and thou schalt defoule hem vndur heuenes.
Thou pursuest in anger, and destroyest them, From under the heavens of Jehovah!
