איכה 3

1 אֲנִי הַגֶּבֶר רָאָה עֳנִי בְּשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃

I am the man that hath seen affliction under the rod of His wrath;

2 אוֹתִי נָהַג וַיֹּלַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֽוֹר׃

He hath led me and brought me into darkness, and not into light;

3 אַךְ בִּי יָשֻׁב יַהֲפֹךְ יָדוֹ כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

Yea, against me doth he again and again turn his hand all the day long.

4 בִּלָּה בְשָׂרִי וְעוֹרִי שִׁבַּר עַצְמוֹתָֽי׃

My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

5 בָּנָה עָלַי וַיַּקַּף רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָֽה׃

He hath builded against me, and encompassed me with bitterness and woe.

6 בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים הוֹשִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עוֹלָֽם׃

He hath set me in dark places, as those that have long been dead.

7 גָּדַר בַּעֲדִי וְלֹא אֵצֵא הִכְבִּיד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃

He hath hedged me about, so that I cannot get out; he hath made my chain heavy;

8 גַּם כִּי אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ שָׂתַם תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃

Yea, when I cry and call aloud, he shutteth out my prayer.

9 גָּדַר דְּרָכַי בְּגָזִית נְתִיבֹתַי עִוָּֽה׃

He blocketh up my way with hewn stone; he maketh my paths crooked.

10 דֹּב אֹרֵב הוּא לִי אריה אֲרִי בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃

A bear lying in wait hath he been to me, a lion in lurking-places.

11 דְּרָכַי סוֹרֵר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי שָׂמַנִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃

He hath turned aside my ways, and torn me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.

12 דָּרַךְ קַשְׁתוֹ וַיַּצִּיבֵנִי כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵֽץ׃

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

13 הֵבִיא בְּכִלְיוֹתָי בְּנֵי אַשְׁפָּתֽוֹ׃

He hath caused the sons of his quiver to pierce my reins.

14 הָיִיתִי שְּׂחֹק לְכָל־עַמִּי נְגִינָתָם כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

I have been a laughing-stock to all my people, their song all the day.

15 הִשְׂבִּיעַנִי בַמְּרוֹרִים הִרְוַנִי לַעֲנָֽה׃

He hath filled me with bitterness; he hath made me drunk with wormwood.

16 וַיַּגְרֵס בֶּֽחָצָץ שִׁנָּי הִכְפִּישַׁנִי בָּאֵֽפֶר׃

He hath also broken my teeth with gravel-stones; He hath covered me with ashes.

17 וַתִּזְנַח מִשָּׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי נָשִׁיתִי טוֹבָֽה׃

Yea, thou hast removed my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.

18 וָאֹמַר אָבַד נִצְחִי וְתוֹחַלְתִּי מֵיְהוָֽה׃

And I say, “My confidence and my hope in Jehovah are gone!”

19 זְכָר־עָנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי לַעֲנָה וָרֹֽאשׁ׃

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

20 זָכוֹר תִּזְכּוֹר ותשיח וְתָשׁוֹחַ עָלַי נַפְשִֽׁי׃

Yea, thou wilt remember them, for my soul sinketh within me!

21 זֹאת אָשִׁיב אֶל־לִבִּי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִֽיל׃

This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope;

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

It is of the mercy of Jehovah that we are not consumed; yea, his compassion faileth not;

23 חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃

It is new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

24 חֶלְקִי יְהוָה אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לֽוֹ׃

Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul, therefore do I hope in him.

25 טוֹב יְהוָה לְקֹוָו לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶֽׁנּוּ׃

Jehovah is good to them that trust in him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26 טוֹב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לִתְשׁוּעַת יְהוָֽה׃

It is good that a man hope, and quietly wait for salvation from 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׃

That he sit alone and keep silence, since He layeth it upon him;

29 יִתֵּן בֶּֽעָפָר פִּיהוּ אוּלַי יֵשׁ תִּקְוָֽה׃

That he put his mouth in the dust, [[saying to himself, ]] “Perhaps there may be hope!”

30 יִתֵּן לְמַכֵּהוּ לֶחִי יִשְׂבַּע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃

That he offer his cheek to the smiter; that he be filled with reproach.

31 כִּי לֹא יִזְנַח לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָֽי׃

For the Lord will not cast off forever;

32 כִּי אִם־הוֹגָה וְרִחַם כְּרֹב חסדו חֲסָדָֽיו׃

For though he cause grief, yet doth he have compassion according to his great mercy;

33 כִּי לֹא עִנָּה מִלִבּוֹ וַיַּגֶּה בְנֵי־אִֽישׁ׃

For he doth not willingly afflict and grieve the children of men.

34 לְדַכֵּא תַּחַת רַגְלָיו כֹּל אֲסִירֵי אָֽרֶץ׃

Doth one trample under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

35 לְהַטּוֹת מִשְׁפַּט־גָּבֶר נֶגֶד פְּנֵי עֶלְיֽוֹן׃

Doth he bend the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

36 לְעַוֵּת אָדָם בְּרִיבוֹ אֲדֹנָי לֹא רָאָֽה׃

Doth he subvert a man in his cause, and shall not the Lord behold it?

37 מִי זֶה אָמַר וַתֶּהִי אֲדֹנָי לֹא צִוָּֽה׃

Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord hath not commanded?

38 מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃

Cometh not evil, as well as good, from the mouth of the Most High?

39 מַה־יִּתְאוֹנֵן אָדָם חָי גֶּבֶר עַל־חטאו חֲטָאָֽיו׃

Wherefore then murmureth the living man? Let him murmur at his own sin!

40 נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְֽנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה עַד־יְהוָֽה׃

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 hearts with our hands to God in the heavens!

42 נַחְנוּ פָשַׁעְנוּ וּמָרִינוּ אַתָּה לֹא סָלָֽחְתָּ׃

We have transgressed; we have rebelled; thou hast not forgiven!

43 סַכֹּתָה בָאַף וַֽתִּרְדְּפֵנוּ הָרַגְתָּ לֹא חָמָֽלְתָּ׃

Thou hast hidden thyself in anger, and hast pursued us; thou hast slain and hast not spared;

44 סַכּוֹתָה בֶֽעָנָן לָךְ מֵעֲבוֹר תְּפִלָּֽה׃

Thou hast hidden thyself in a cloud, that our prayer may not pass through;

45 סְחִי וּמָאוֹס תְּשִׂימֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הָעַמִּֽים׃

Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the nations.

46 פָּצוּ עָלֵינוּ פִּיהֶם כָּל־אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃

All our enemies have opened their mouths against us;

47 פַּחַד וָפַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשָּֽׁבֶר׃

Terror and the pit have come upon us, desolation and destruction;

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

Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 עֵינִי נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תִדְמֶה מֵאֵין הֲפֻגֽוֹת׃

Mine eye trickleth down and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

50 עַד־יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא יְהוָה מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

Until Jehovah look down and behold from heaven.

51 עֵינִי עֽוֹלְלָה לְנַפְשִׁי מִכֹּל בְּנוֹת עִירִֽי׃

Mine eye is painful to me on account of all the daughters of my city.

52 צוֹד צָדוּנִי כַּצִּפּוֹר אֹיְבַי חִנָּֽם׃

They that are my enemies without cause hunt me down like a bird;

53 צָֽמְתוּ בַבּוֹר חַיָּי וַיַּדּוּ־אֶבֶן בִּֽי׃

They take away my life in the dungeon; they cast a stone upon me;

54 צָֽפוּ־מַיִם עַל־רֹאשִׁי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְזָֽרְתִּי׃

Waters flow over my head; I say, “I am undone!”

55 קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת׃

I call upon thy name, O Jehovah, from the deep dungeon;

56 קוֹלִי שָׁמָעְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵם אָזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִֽי׃

Hear thou my voice! hide not thine ear from my cry for relief!

57 קָרַבְתָּ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָאֶךָּ אָמַרְתָּ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃

Be near to me, when I call upon thee! Say, “Fear not!”

58 רַבְתָּ אֲדֹנָי רִיבֵי נַפְשִׁי גָּאַלְתָּ חַיָּֽי׃

Thou maintainest my cause, O Lord; thou redeemest my life!

59 רָאִיתָה יְהוָה עַוָּתָתִי שָׁפְטָה מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

Thou, O Jehovah, seest the wrong done to me; Maintain thou my cause!

60 רָאִיתָה כָּל־נִקְמָתָם כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לִֽי׃

Thou seest all their vengeance, all their devices against me.

61 שָׁמַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתָם יְהוָה כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם עָלָֽי׃

Thou hearest their reproach, O Jehovah, all their devices against me,

62 שִׂפְתֵי קָמַי וְהֶגְיוֹנָם עָלַי כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

The words of my adversaries, and their machinations against me all the day long!

63 שִׁבְתָּם וְקִֽימָתָם הַבִּיטָה אֲנִי מַנְגִּינָתָֽם׃

Behold their sitting down and their rising up! I am their song.

64 תָּשִׁיב לָהֶם גְּמוּל יְהוָה כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃

Render to them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands!

65 תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מְגִנַּת־לֵב תַּאֲלָֽתְךָ לָהֶֽם׃

Give them blindness of mind! thy curse be upon them!

66 תִּרְדֹּף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי יְהוָֽה׃

Pursue them in thine anger, and destroy them from under Jehovah's heaven!