< איכה 3 >

אֲנִי הַגֶּבֶר רָאָה עֳנִי בְּשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃ 1
I AM the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
אוֹתִי נָהַג וַיֹּלַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֽוֹר׃ 2
He has led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
אַךְ בִּי יָשֻׁב יַהֲפֹךְ יָדוֹ כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ 3
Surely against me is he turned; he turns his hand against me all the day.
בִּלָּה בְשָׂרִי וְעוֹרִי שִׁבַּר עַצְמוֹתָֽי׃ 4
My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones.
בָּנָה עָלַי וַיַּקַּף רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָֽה׃ 5
He has built against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים הוֹשִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עוֹלָֽם׃ 6
He has set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
גָּדַר בַּעֲדִי וְלֹא אֵצֵא הִכְבִּיד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃ 7
He has hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he has made my chain heavy.
גַּם כִּי אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ שָׂתַם תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃ 8
Also when I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
גָּדַר דְּרָכַי בְּגָזִית נְתִיבֹתַי עִוָּֽה׃ 9
He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone, he has made my paths crooked.
דֹּב אֹרֵב הוּא לִי אריה אֲרִי בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ 10
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
דְּרָכַי סוֹרֵר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי שָׂמַנִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃ 11
He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he has made me desolate.
דָּרַךְ קַשְׁתוֹ וַיַּצִּיבֵנִי כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵֽץ׃ 12
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
הֵבִיא בְּכִלְיוֹתָי בְּנֵי אַשְׁפָּתֽוֹ׃ 13
He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
הָיִיתִי שְּׂחֹק לְכָל־עַמִּי נְגִינָתָם כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ 14
I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
הִשְׂבִּיעַנִי בַמְּרוֹרִים הִרְוַנִי לַעֲנָֽה׃ 15
He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood.
וַיַּגְרֵס בֶּֽחָצָץ שִׁנָּי הִכְפִּישַׁנִי בָּאֵֽפֶר׃ 16
He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he has covered me with ashes.
וַתִּזְנַח מִשָּׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי נָשִׁיתִי טוֹבָֽה׃ 17
And you have removed my soul far off from peace: I forgotten about prosperity.
וָאֹמַר אָבַד נִצְחִי וְתוֹחַלְתִּי מֵיְהוָֽה׃ 18
And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
זְכָר־עָנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי לַעֲנָה וָרֹֽאשׁ׃ 19
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
זָכוֹר תִּזְכּוֹר ותשיח וְתָשׁוֹחַ עָלַי נַפְשִֽׁי׃ 20
My soul has them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
זֹאת אָשִׁיב אֶל־לִבִּי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִֽיל׃ 21
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
חַֽסְדֵי יְהוָה כִּי לֹא־תָמְנוּ כִּי לֹא־כָלוּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃ 22
It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ 23
They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.
חֶלְקִי יְהוָה אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לֽוֹ׃ 24
The LORD is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
טוֹב יְהוָה לְקֹוָו לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶֽׁנּוּ׃ 25
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
טוֹב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לִתְשׁוּעַת יְהוָֽה׃ 26
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
טוֹב לַגֶּבֶר כִּֽי־יִשָּׂא עֹל בִּנְעוּרָֽיו׃ 27
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth.
יֵשֵׁב בָּדָד וְיִדֹּם כִּי נָטַל עָלָֽיו׃ 28
He sits alone and keeps silence, because he has borne it upon him.
יִתֵּן בֶּֽעָפָר פִּיהוּ אוּלַי יֵשׁ תִּקְוָֽה׃ 29
He puts his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
יִתֵּן לְמַכֵּהוּ לֶחִי יִשְׂבַּע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃ 30
He gives his cheek to him that strikes him: he is filled full with reproach.
כִּי לֹא יִזְנַח לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָֽי׃ 31
For the LORD will not cast off for ever:
כִּי אִם־הוֹגָה וְרִחַם כְּרֹב חסדו חֲסָדָֽיו׃ 32
But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
כִּי לֹא עִנָּה מִלִבּוֹ וַיַּגֶּה בְנֵי־אִֽישׁ׃ 33
For he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
לְדַכֵּא תַּחַת רַגְלָיו כֹּל אֲסִירֵי אָֽרֶץ׃ 34
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.
לְהַטּוֹת מִשְׁפַּט־גָּבֶר נֶגֶד פְּנֵי עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ 35
To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
לְעַוֵּת אָדָם בְּרִיבוֹ אֲדֹנָי לֹא רָאָֽה׃ 36
To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approves not.
מִי זֶה אָמַר וַתֶּהִי אֲדֹנָי לֹא צִוָּֽה׃ 37
Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord commands it not?
מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃ 38
Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good?
מַה־יִּתְאוֹנֵן אָדָם חָי גֶּבֶר עַל־חטאו חֲטָאָֽיו׃ 39
Wherefore does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְֽנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה עַד־יְהוָֽה׃ 40
Let us search and try our ways, and return to the LORD.
נִשָּׂא לְבָבֵנוּ אֶל־כַּפָּיִם אֶל־אֵל בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ 41
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
נַחְנוּ פָשַׁעְנוּ וּמָרִינוּ אַתָּה לֹא סָלָֽחְתָּ׃ 42
We have transgressed and have rebelled: you have not pardoned.
סַכֹּתָה בָאַף וַֽתִּרְדְּפֵנוּ הָרַגְתָּ לֹא חָמָֽלְתָּ׃ 43
You have covered with anger, and persecuted us: you have slain, you have not pitied.
סַכּוֹתָה בֶֽעָנָן לָךְ מֵעֲבוֹר תְּפִלָּֽה׃ 44
You have covered yourself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
סְחִי וּמָאוֹס תְּשִׂימֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הָעַמִּֽים׃ 45
You have made us as the waste and refuse in the midst of the people.
פָּצוּ עָלֵינוּ פִּיהֶם כָּל־אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃ 46
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
פַּחַד וָפַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשָּֽׁבֶר׃ 47
Fear and a snare has come upon us, desolation and destruction.
פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם תֵּרַד עֵינִי עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ 48
Mine eye runs down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
עֵינִי נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תִדְמֶה מֵאֵין הֲפֻגֽוֹת׃ 49
Mine eye trickes down, and ceases not, without any intermission.
עַד־יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא יְהוָה מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ 50
Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
עֵינִי עֽוֹלְלָה לְנַפְשִׁי מִכֹּל בְּנוֹת עִירִֽי׃ 51
Mine eye affects mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.
צוֹד צָדוּנִי כַּצִּפּוֹר אֹיְבַי חִנָּֽם׃ 52
Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.
צָֽמְתוּ בַבּוֹר חַיָּי וַיַּדּוּ־אֶבֶן בִּֽי׃ 53
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.
צָֽפוּ־מַיִם עַל־רֹאשִׁי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְזָֽרְתִּי׃ 54
Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.
קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת׃ 55
I called upon your name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.
קוֹלִי שָׁמָעְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵם אָזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִֽי׃ 56
You have heard my voice: hide not your ear at my breathing, at my cry.
קָרַבְתָּ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָאֶךָּ אָמַרְתָּ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃ 57
You drew near in the day that I called upon you: you said, Fear not.
רַבְתָּ אֲדֹנָי רִיבֵי נַפְשִׁי גָּאַלְתָּ חַיָּֽי׃ 58
O LORD, you have pleaded the causes of my soul; you have redeemed my life.
רָאִיתָה יְהוָה עַוָּתָתִי שָׁפְטָה מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ 59
O LORD, you have seen my wrong: judge you my cause.
רָאִיתָה כָּל־נִקְמָתָם כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לִֽי׃ 60
You have seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
שָׁמַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתָם יְהוָה כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם עָלָֽי׃ 61
You have heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;
שִׂפְתֵי קָמַי וְהֶגְיוֹנָם עָלַי כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ 62
The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
שִׁבְתָּם וְקִֽימָתָם הַבִּיטָה אֲנִי מַנְגִּינָתָֽם׃ 63
Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music.
תָּשִׁיב לָהֶם גְּמוּל יְהוָה כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃ 64
Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מְגִנַּת־לֵב תַּאֲלָֽתְךָ לָהֶֽם׃ 65
Give them sorrow of heart, your curse unto them.
תִּרְדֹּף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי יְהוָֽה׃ 66
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

< איכה 3 >