איכה 3

1 אֲנִי הַגֶּבֶר רָאָה עֳנִי בְּשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃

I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

2 אוֹתִי נָהַג וַיֹּלַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֽוֹר׃

He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.

3 אַךְ בִּי יָשֻׁב יַהֲפֹךְ יָדוֹ כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

Surely he turns his hand against me, again and again all the day.

4 בִּלָּה בְשָׂרִי וְעוֹרִי שִׁבַּר עַצְמוֹתָֽי׃

He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.

5 בָּנָה עָלַי וַיַּקַּף רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָֽה׃

He has built against me, and encompassed me with gall and travail.

6 בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים הוֹשִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עוֹלָֽם׃

He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those who have long been dead.

7 גָּדַר בַּעֲדִי וְלֹא אֵצֵא הִכְבִּיד נְחׇשְׁתִּֽי׃

He has walled me around, that I cannot go forth. He has made my chain heavy.

8 גַּם כִּי אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ שָׂתַם תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃

Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.

9 גָּדַר דְּרָכַי בְּגָזִית נְתִיבֹתַי עִוָּֽה׃

He has walled up my ways with hewn stone. He has made my paths crooked.

10 דֹּב אֹרֵב הוּא לִי (אריה) [אֲרִי] בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃

He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in concealed places.

11 דְּרָכַי סוֹרֵר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי שָׂמַנִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃

He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.

12 דָּרַךְ קַשְׁתּוֹ וַיַּצִּיבֵנִי כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵֽץ׃

He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

13 הֵבִיא בְּכִלְיֹתָי בְּנֵי אַשְׁפָּתֽוֹ׃

He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.

14 הָיִיתִי שְּׂחֹק לְכׇל־עַמִּי נְגִינָתָם כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.

15 הִשְׂבִּיעַנִי בַמְּרוֹרִים הִרְוַנִי לַעֲנָֽה׃

He has filled me with bitterness. He has sated me with wormwood.

16 וַיַּגְרֵס בֶּֽחָצָץ שִׁנָּי הִכְפִּישַׁנִי בָּאֵֽפֶר׃

He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones. He has covered me with ashes.

17 וַתִּזְנַח מִשָּׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי נָשִׁיתִי טוֹבָֽה׃

And thou have removed my soul far off from peace. I forgot prosperity.

18 וָאֹמַר אָבַד נִצְחִי וְתוֹחַלְתִּי מֵיְהֹוָֽה׃

And I said, My strength is perished, and my expectation from Jehovah.

19 זְכׇר־עׇנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי לַעֲנָה וָרֹֽאשׁ׃

Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

20 זָכוֹר תִּזְכּוֹר (ותשיח) [וְתָשׁוֹחַ] עָלַי נַפְשִֽׁי׃

My soul still has them in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.

21 זֹאת אָשִׁיב אֶל־לִבִּי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִֽיל׃

This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope:

22 חַֽסְדֵי יְהֹוָה כִּי לֹא־תָמְנוּ כִּי לֹא־כָלוּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃

It is of Jehovah's loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions do not fail.

23 חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃

They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.

24 חֶלְקִי יְהֹוָה אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לֽוֹ׃

Jehovah is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.

25 טוֹב יְהֹוָה לְקֹוָו לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶֽׁנּוּ׃

Jehovah is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

26 טוֹב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לִתְשׁוּעַת יְהֹוָֽה׃

It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.

27 טוֹב לַגֶּבֶר כִּֽי־יִשָּׂא עֹל בִּנְעוּרָֽיו׃

It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

28 יֵשֵׁב בָּדָד וְיִדֹּם כִּי נָטַל עָלָֽיו׃

Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it upon him.

29 יִתֵּן בֶּֽעָפָר פִּיהוּ אוּלַי יֵשׁ תִּקְוָֽה׃

Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.

30 יִתֵּן לְמַכֵּהוּ לֶחִי יִשְׂבַּע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃

Let him give his cheek to him who smites him. Let him be filled full with reproach.

31 כִּי לֹא יִזְנַח לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָֽי׃

For the Lord will not cast off forever.

32 כִּי אִם־הוֹגָה וְרִחַם כְּרֹב חֲסָדָֽיו׃

For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

33 כִּי לֹא עִנָּה מִלִּבּוֹ וַיַּגֶּה בְּנֵי־אִֽישׁ׃

For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the sons of men.

34 לְדַכֵּא תַּחַת רַגְלָיו כֹּל אֲסִירֵי אָֽרֶץ׃

To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

35 לְהַטּוֹת מִשְׁפַּט־גָּבֶר נֶגֶד פְּנֵי עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

36 לְ עַ וֵּת אָדָם בְּרִיבוֹ אֲדֹנָי לֹא רָאָֽה׃

to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.

37 מִי זֶה אָמַר וַתֶּהִי אֲדֹנָי לֹא צִוָּֽה׃

Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord does not command it?

38 מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃

Out of the mouth of the Most High does there not come evil and good?

39 מַה־יִּתְאוֹנֵן אָדָם חָי גֶּבֶר עַל־חֲטָאָֽו׃

Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

40 נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְֽנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה עַד־יְהֹוָֽה׃

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.

41 נִשָּׂא לְבָבֵנוּ אֶל־כַּפָּיִם אֶל־אֵל בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.

42 נַחְנוּ פָשַׁעְנוּ וּמָרִינוּ אַתָּה לֹא סָלָֽחְתָּ׃

We have transgressed and have rebelled. Thou have not pardoned.

43 סַכּוֹתָה בָאַף וַֽתִּרְדְּפֵנוּ הָרַגְתָּ לֹא חָמָֽלְתָּ׃

Thou have covered with anger and pursued us. Thou have slain; thou have not pitied.

44 סַכּוֹתָה בֶֽעָנָן לָךְ מֵעֲבוֹר תְּפִלָּֽה׃

Thou have covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

45 סְחִי וּמָאוֹס תְּשִׂימֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הָעַמִּֽים׃

Thou have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.

46 פָּצוּ עָלֵינוּ פִּיהֶם כׇּל־אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃

All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

47 פַּחַד וָפַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשָּֽׁבֶר׃

Fear and the pit have come upon us, devastation and destruction.

48 פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם תֵּרַד עֵינִי עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃

My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 עֵינִי נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תִדְמֶה מֵאֵין הֲפֻגֽוֹת׃

My eye pours down, and does not cease, without any intermission,

50 עַד־יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא יְהֹוָה מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

till Jehovah looks down, and beholds from heaven.

51 עֵינִי עֽוֹלְלָה לְנַפְשִׁי מִכֹּל בְּנוֹת עִירִֽי׃

My eye stirs my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

52 צוֹד צָדוּנִי כַּצִּפּוֹר אֹיְבַי חִנָּֽם׃

They have chased me grievously like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.

53 צָֽמְתוּ בַבּוֹר חַיָּי וַיַּדּוּ־אֶבֶן בִּֽי׃

They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.

54 צָֽפוּ־מַיִם עַל־רֹאשִׁי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְזָֽרְתִּי׃

Waters flowed over my head. I said, I am cut off.

55 קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ יְהֹוָה מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת׃

I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.

56 קוֹלִי שָׁמָעְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵם אׇזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִֽי׃

Thou heard my voice. Hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.

57 קָרַבְתָּ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָאֶךָּ אָמַרְתָּ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃

Thou drew near in the day that I called upon thee. Thou said, Fear not.

58 רַבְתָּ אֲדֹנָי רִיבֵי נַפְשִׁי גָּאַלְתָּ חַיָּֽי׃

O Lord, thou have pleaded the causes of my soul. Thou have redeemed my life.

59 רָאִיתָה יְהֹוָה עַוָּתָתִי שׇׁפְטָה מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

O Jehovah, thou have seen my wrong. Judge thou my cause.

60 רָאִיתָה כׇּל־נִקְמָתָם כׇּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לִֽי׃

Thou have seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.

61 שָׁמַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתָם יְהֹוָה כׇּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם עָלָֽי׃

Thou have heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,

62 שִׂפְתֵי קָמַי וְהֶגְיוֹנָם עָלַי כׇּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

the lips of those who rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.

63 שִׁבְתָּם וְקִֽימָתָם הַבִּיטָה אֲנִי מַנְגִּינָתָֽם׃

Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up. I am their song.

64 תָּשִׁיב לָהֶם גְּמוּל יְהֹוָה כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃

Thou will render to them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.

65 תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מְגִנַּת־לֵב תַּאֲלָֽתְךָ לָהֶֽם׃

Thou will give them hardness of heart, thy curse to them.

66 תִּרְדֹּף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי יְהֹוָֽה׃

Thou will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.