Θρῆνοι 3
1 ἐγὼ ἀνὴρ ὁ βλέπων πτωχείαν ἐν ῥάβδῳ θυμοῦ αὐτοῦ ἐπ’ ἐμέ
I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
2 παρέλαβέν με καὶ ἀπήγαγεν εἰς σκότος καὶ οὐ φῶς
He has driven me away, forcing me to walk in darkness instead of the light.
3 πλὴν ἐν ἐμοὶ ἐπέστρεψεν χεῖρα αὐτοῦ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν
In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
4 ἐπαλαίωσεν σάρκας μου καὶ δέρμα μου ὀστέα μου συνέτριψεν
He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
5 ἀνῳκοδόμησεν κατ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ ἐκύκλωσεν κεφαλήν μου καὶ ἐμόχθησεν
He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
6 ἐν σκοτεινοῖς ἐκάθισέν με ὡς νεκροὺς αἰῶνος
He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
7 ἀνῳκοδόμησεν κατ’ ἐμοῦ καὶ οὐκ ἐξελεύσομαι ἐβάρυνεν χαλκόν μου
He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
8 καί γε κεκράξομαι καὶ βοήσω ἀπέφραξεν προσευχήν μου
Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
9 ἀνῳκοδόμησεν ὁδούς μου ἐνέφραξεν τρίβους μου ἐτάραξεν
He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
10 ἄρκος ἐνεδρεύουσα αὐτός μοι λέων ἐν κρυφαίοις
He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
11 κατεδίωξεν ἀφεστηκότα καὶ κατέπαυσέν με ἔθετό με ἠφανισμένην
He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
12 ἐνέτεινεν τόξον αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐστήλωσέν με ὡς σκοπὸν εἰς βέλος
He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
13 εἰσήγαγεν τοῖς νεφροῖς μου ἰοὺς φαρέτρας αὐτοῦ
He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
14 ἐγενήθην γέλως παντὶ λαῷ μου ψαλμὸς αὐτῶν ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν
Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
15 ἐχόρτασέν με πικρίας ἐμέθυσέν με χολῆς
He has filled me with bitterness; he has filled me up with bitter wormwood.
16 καὶ ἐξέβαλεν ψήφῳ ὀδόντας μου ἐψώμισέν με σποδόν
He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
17 καὶ ἀπώσατο ἐξ εἰρήνης ψυχήν μου ἐπελαθόμην ἀγαθὰ
Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
18 καὶ εἶπα ἀπώλετο νεῖκός μου καὶ ἡ ἐλπίς μου ἀπὸ κυρίου
That's why I say, “My expectation of a long life is gone, along with all that I hoped for from Lord.
19 ἐμνήσθην ἀπὸ πτωχείας μου καὶ ἐκ διωγμοῦ μου πικρίας καὶ χολῆς μου
Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
20 μνησθήσεται καὶ καταδολεσχήσει ἐπ’ ἐμὲ ἡ ψυχή μου
I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
21 ταύτην τάξω εἰς τὴν καρδίαν μου διὰ τοῦτο ὑπομενῶ
But I still hope when I think about this:
It's because of the Lord's trustworthy love that our lives are not finished, for through his merciful actions he never lets us down.
He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my hope in him.”
25 ἀγαθὸς κύριος τοῖς ὑπομένουσιν αὐτόν ψυχῇ ἣ ζητήσει αὐτὸν ἀγαθὸν
The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
26 καὶ ὑπομενεῖ καὶ ἡσυχάσει εἰς τὸ σωτήριον κυρίου
It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
27 ἀγαθὸν ἀνδρὶ ὅταν ἄρῃ ζυγὸν ἐν νεότητι αὐτοῦ
It is good for people to learn to patiently bear discipline while they're still young.
28 καθήσεται κατὰ μόνας καὶ σιωπήσεται ὅτι ἦρεν ἐφ’ ἑαυτῷ
They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
30 δώσει τῷ παίοντι αὐτὸν σιαγόνα χορτασθήσεται ὀνειδισμῶν
They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
31 ὅτι οὐκ εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα ἀπώσεται κύριος
For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
32 ὅτι ὁ ταπεινώσας οἰκτιρήσει κατὰ τὸ πλῆθος τοῦ ἐλέους αὐτοῦ
Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
33 ὅτι οὐκ ἀπεκρίθη ἀπὸ καρδίας αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐταπείνωσεν υἱοὺς ἀνδρός
For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
34 τοῦ ταπεινῶσαι ὑπὸ τοὺς πόδας αὐτοῦ πάντας δεσμίους γῆς
Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
35 τοῦ ἐκκλῖναι κρίσιν ἀνδρὸς κατέναντι προσώπου ὑψίστου
Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
36 καταδικάσαι ἄνθρωπον ἐν τῷ κρίνεσθαι αὐτὸν κύριος οὐκ εἶπεν
Or cheating someone in their legal case—these things the Lord doesn't approve of.
37 τίς οὕτως εἶπεν καὶ ἐγενήθη κύριος οὐκ ἐνετείλατο
Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
38 ἐκ στόματος ὑψίστου οὐκ ἐξελεύσεται τὰ κακὰ καὶ τὸ ἀγαθόν
When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
39 τί γογγύσει ἄνθρωπος ζῶν ἀνὴρ περὶ τῆς ἁμαρτίας αὐτοῦ
Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
40 ἐξηρευνήθη ἡ ὁδὸς ἡμῶν καὶ ἠτάσθη καὶ ἐπιστρέψωμεν ἕως κυρίου
We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
41 ἀναλάβωμεν καρδίας ἡμῶν ἐπὶ χειρῶν πρὸς ὑψηλὸν ἐν οὐρανῷ
Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
42 ἡμαρτήσαμεν ἠσεβήσαμεν καὶ οὐχ ἱλάσθης
“We are the ones who sinned; we are the ones who rebelled; and you haven't forgiven us!”
43 ἐπεσκέπασας ἐν θυμῷ καὶ ἀπεδίωξας ἡμᾶς ἀπέκτεινας οὐκ ἐφείσω
You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
44 ἐπεσκέπασας νεφέλην σεαυτῷ εἵνεκεν προσευχῆς
You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
45 καμμύσαι με καὶ ἀπωσθῆναι ἔθηκας ἡμᾶς ἐν μέσῳ τῶν λαῶν
You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
46 διήνοιξαν ἐφ’ ἡμᾶς τὸ στόμα αὐτῶν πάντες οἱ ἐχθροὶ ἡμῶν
All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
47 φόβος καὶ θυμὸς ἐγενήθη ἡμῖν ἔπαρσις καὶ συντριβή
We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
48 ἀφέσεις ὑδάτων κατάξει ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἐπὶ τὸ σύντριμμα τῆς θυγατρὸς τοῦ λαοῦ μου
Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
49 ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου κατεπόθη καὶ οὐ σιγήσομαι τοῦ μὴ εἶναι ἔκνηψιν
My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
50 ἕως οὗ διακύψῃ καὶ ἴδῃ κύριος ἐξ οὐρανοῦ
Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
51 ὁ ὀφθαλμός μου ἐπιφυλλιεῖ ἐπὶ τὴν ψυχήν μου παρὰ πάσας θυγατέρας πόλεως
What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
52 θηρεύοντες ἐθήρευσάν με ὡς στρουθίον οἱ ἐχθροί μου δωρεάν
For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
53 ἐθανάτωσαν ἐν λάκκῳ ζωήν μου καὶ ἐπέθηκαν λίθον ἐπ’ ἐμοί
They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
54 ὑπερεχύθη ὕδωρ ἐπὶ κεφαλήν μου εἶπα ἀπῶσμαι
Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
55 ἐπεκαλεσάμην τὸ ὄνομά σου κύριε ἐκ λάκκου κατωτάτου
I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
56 φωνήν μου ἤκουσας μὴ κρύψῃς τὰ ὦτά σου εἰς τὴν δέησίν μου
You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
57 εἰς τὴν βοήθειάν μου ἤγγισας ἐν ᾗ σε ἡμέρᾳ ἐπεκαλεσάμην εἶπάς μοι μὴ φοβοῦ
You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
58 ἐδίκασας κύριε τὰς δίκας τῆς ψυχῆς μου ἐλυτρώσω τὴν ζωήν μου
You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
59 εἶδες κύριε τὰς ταραχάς μου ἔκρινας τὴν κρίσιν μου
Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
60 εἶδες πᾶσαν τὴν ἐκδίκησιν αὐτῶν εἰς πάντας διαλογισμοὺς αὐτῶν ἐν ἐμοί
You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
61 ἤκουσας τὸν ὀνειδισμὸν αὐτῶν πάντας τοὺς διαλογισμοὺς αὐτῶν κατ’ ἐμοῦ
Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
62 χείλη ἐπανιστανομένων μοι καὶ μελέτας αὐτῶν κατ’ ἐμοῦ ὅλην τὴν ἡμέραν
How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
63 καθέδραν αὐτῶν καὶ ἀνάστασιν αὐτῶν ἐπίβλεψον ἐπὶ τοὺς ὀφθαλμοὺς αὐτῶν
Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
64 ἀποδώσεις αὐτοῖς ἀνταπόδομα κύριε κατὰ τὰ ἔργα τῶν χειρῶν αὐτῶν
Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
65 ἀποδώσεις αὐτοῖς ὑπερασπισμὸν καρδίας μόχθον σου αὐτοῖς
Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
66 καταδιώξεις ἐν ὀργῇ καὶ ἐξαναλώσεις αὐτοὺς ὑποκάτω τοῦ οὐρανοῦ κύριε
Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
