Lamentations 3
1 I [am] the man [who] 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 Me He hath led, and causeth to go [in] darkness, and without light.
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Surely against me He turneth back, He turneth His hand all the day.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
4 He hath worn out my flesh and my skin. He hath broken my bones.
Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath built up against me, And setteth round poverty and weariness.
Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
6 In dark places He hath caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 He hath hedged me about, and I go not out, He hath made heavy my fetter.
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 Also when I call and cry out, He hath shut out my prayer.
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 He hath hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He hath made crooked.
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding-places.
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
11 My ways He is turning aside, and He pulleth me in pieces, He hath made me a desolation.
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath trodden His bow, And setteth me up as a mark for an arrow.
Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
13 He hath caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.
He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
14 I have been a derision to all my people, 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 bitter things, He hath filled me [with] wormwood.
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 And He breaketh with gravel my teeth, 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 castest off from peace my soul, I have forgotten prosperity.
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 And I say, Perished hath my strength and my hope from Jehovah.
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 Remember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 Remember well, and bow down doth my soul in me.
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 This I turn to my heart — therefore I hope.
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 The kindnesses of Jehovah! For we have not been consumed, For not ended have His mercies.
Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
23 New every morning, abundant [is] thy faithfulness.
Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
24 My portion [is] Jehovah, hath my soul said, Therefore I hope for Him.
Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
25 Good [is] Jehovah to those waiting 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 Good! when one doth stay and stand still For the salvation of Jehovah.
Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
27 Good for a man that he beareth a yoke in his youth.
Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
28 He sitteth alone, and is silent, For He hath laid [it] upon him.
Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
29 He putteth in the dust his mouth, if so be there is hope.
Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 He giveth to his smiter the cheek, He is filled with reproach.
Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 For the Lord doth not cast off to the age.
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 For though He afflicted, yet He hath pitied, According to the abundance of His kindness.
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For He hath not afflicted with His heart, Nor doth He grieve the sons of men.
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 To bruise under one's feet any bound ones of earth,
Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 To turn aside the judgment of a man, Over-against 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 hath not approved.
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 Who [is] this — he hath said, and it is, [And] the Lord hath not commanded [it]?
Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 From the mouth of the Most High Go not forth the evils and the good.
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 What — sigh habitually doth a living man, A man for his sin?
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back unto Jehovah.
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
41 We lift up our heart on the hands unto God in the heavens.
Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
42 We — we have transgressed and rebelled, Thou — Thou hast not forgiven.
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 Thou hast covered Thyself with anger, And dost pursue 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, So that prayer doth not pass through.
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 Offscouring and refuse Thou dost make us In the midst of the peoples.
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and a snare hath been for us, Desolation and destruction.
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 Rivulets of water go down my eye, 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 is poured out, And doth not cease without intermission,
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 Till Jehovah looketh and seeth from the heavens,
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 My 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 Hunted me sore as a bird have my enemies without cause.
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 They have cut off in a pit my life, And they cast a stone against me.
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 Flowed have waters over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 I called Thy name, O Jehovah, from the lower pit.
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 My voice Thou hast heard, 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 hast drawn near in the day I call Thee, Thou hast said, Fear not.
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 Thou hast pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings 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 Thou hast seen, O Jehovah, my overthrow, 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, All their thoughts of me.
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, All their thoughts against me,
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation against me all the day.
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 Their sitting down, and their rising up, Behold attentively, I [am] their song.
Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
64 Thou returnest to them the deed, O Jehovah, 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 givest to them a covered heart, Thy curse to them.
Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 Thou pursuest in anger, and destroyest them, From under the heavens of Jehovah!
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
