איכה 3
| אני הגבר ראה עני בשבט עברתו | 1 |
I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
| אותי נהג וילך חשך ולא אור | 2 |
He has driven me away, forcing me to walk in darkness instead of the light.
| אך בי ישב יהפך ידו כל היום | 3 |
In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
| בלה בשרי ועורי שבר עצמותי | 4 |
He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
| בנה עלי ויקף ראש ותלאה | 5 |
He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
| במחשכים הושיבני כמתי עולם | 6 |
He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
| גדר בעדי ולא אצא הכביד נחשתי | 7 |
He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
| גם כי אזעק ואשוע שתם תפלתי | 8 |
Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
| גדר דרכי בגזית נתיבתי עוה | 9 |
He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
| דב ארב הוא לי אריה (ארי) במסתרים | 10 |
He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
| דרכי סורר ויפשחני שמני שמם | 11 |
He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
| דרך קשתו ויציבני כמטרא לחץ | 12 |
He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
| הביא בכליתי בני אשפתו | 13 |
He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
| הייתי שחק לכל עמי נגינתם כל היום | 14 |
Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
| השביעני במרורים הרוני לענה | 15 |
He has filled me with bitterness; he has filled me up with bitter wormwood.
| ויגרס בחצץ שני הכפישני באפר | 16 |
He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
| ותזנח משלום נפשי נשיתי טובה | 17 |
Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
| ואמר אבד נצחי ותוחלתי מיהוה | 18 |
That's why I say, “My expectation of a long life is gone, along with all that I hoped for from Lord.
| זכר עניי ומרודי לענה וראש | 19 |
Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
| זכור תזכור ותשיח (ותשוח) עלי נפשי | 20 |
I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
| זאת אשיב אל לבי על כן אוחיל | 21 |
But I still hope when I think about this:
| חסדי יהוה כי לא תמנו כי לא כלו רחמיו | 22 |
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.
| חדשים לבקרים רבה אמונתך | 23 |
He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
| חלקי יהוה אמרה נפשי על כן אוחיל לו | 24 |
The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my hope in him.”
| טוב יהוה לקוו לנפש תדרשנו | 25 |
The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
| טוב ויחיל ודומם לתשועת יהוה | 26 |
It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
| טוב לגבר כי ישא על בנעוריו | 27 |
It is good for people to learn to patiently bear discipline while they're still young.
| ישב בדד וידם כי נטל עליו | 28 |
They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
| יתן בעפר פיהו אולי יש תקוה | 29 |
They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
| יתן למכהו לחי ישבע בחרפה | 30 |
They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
| כי לא יזנח לעולם אדני | 31 |
For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
| כי אם הוגה ורחם כרב חסדיו | 32 |
Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
| כי לא ענה מלבו ויגה בני איש | 33 |
For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
| לדכא תחת רגליו כל אסירי ארץ | 34 |
Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
| להטות משפט גבר נגד פני עליון | 35 |
Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
| לעות אדם בריבו אדני לא ראה | 36 |
Or cheating someone in their legal case—these things the Lord doesn't approve of.
| מי זה אמר ותהי אדני לא צוה | 37 |
Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
| מפי עליון לא תצא הרעות והטוב | 38 |
When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
| מה יתאונן אדם חי גבר על חטאו | 39 |
Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
| נחפשה דרכינו ונחקרה ונשובה עד יהוה | 40 |
We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
| נשא לבבנו אל כפים אל אל בשמים | 41 |
Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
| נחנו פשענו ומרינו אתה לא סלחת | 42 |
“We are the ones who sinned; we are the ones who rebelled; and you haven't forgiven us!”
| סכותה באף ותרדפנו הרגת לא חמלת | 43 |
You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
| סכותה בענן לך מעבור תפלה | 44 |
You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
| סחי ומאוס תשימנו בקרב העמים | 45 |
You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
| פצו עלינו פיהם כל איבינו | 46 |
All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
| פחד ופחת היה לנו השאת והשבר | 47 |
We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
| פלגי מים תרד עיני על שבר בת עמי | 48 |
Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
| עיני נגרה ולא תדמה מאין הפגות | 49 |
My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
| עד ישקיף וירא יהוה משמים | 50 |
Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
| עיני עוללה לנפשי מכל בנות עירי | 51 |
What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
| צוד צדוני כצפור איבי חנם | 52 |
For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
| צמתו בבור חיי וידו אבן בי | 53 |
They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
| צפו מים על ראשי אמרתי נגזרתי | 54 |
Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
| קראתי שמך יהוה מבור תחתיות | 55 |
I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
| קולי שמעת אל תעלם אזנך לרוחתי לשועתי | 56 |
You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
| קרבת ביום אקראך אמרת אל תירא | 57 |
You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
| רבת אדני ריבי נפשי גאלת חיי | 58 |
You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
| ראיתה יהוה עותתי שפטה משפטי | 59 |
Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
| ראיתה כל נקמתם--כל מחשבתם לי | 60 |
You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
| שמעת חרפתם יהוה כל מחשבתם עלי | 61 |
Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
| שפתי קמי והגיונם עלי כל היום | 62 |
How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
| שבתם וקימתם הביטה אני מנגינתם | 63 |
Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
| תשיב להם גמול יהוה כמעשה ידיהם | 64 |
Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
| תתן להם מגנת לב תאלתך להם | 65 |
Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
| תרדף באף ותשמידם מתחת שמי יהוה | 66 |
Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
