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 כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

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

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 surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.

6 בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים הוֹשִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עוֹלָֽם׃

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

7 גָּדַר בַּעֲדִי וְלֹא אֵצֵא הִכְבִּיד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃

He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.

8 גַּם כִּי אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ שָׂתַם תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃

Yes, 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 cut 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 hiding.

11 דְּרָכַי סוֹרֵר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי שָׂמַנִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃

He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.

12 דָּרַךְ קַשְׁתוֹ וַיַּצִּיבֵנִי כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵֽץ׃

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

13 הֵבִיא בְּכִלְיוֹתָי בְּנֵי אַשְׁפָּתֽוֹ׃

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

14 הָיִיתִי שְּׂחֹק לְכָל־עַמִּי נְגִינָתָם כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

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

15 הִשְׂבִּיעַנִי בַמְּרוֹרִים הִרְוַנִי לַעֲנָֽה׃

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

16 וַיַּגְרֵס בֶּֽחָצָץ שִׁנָּי הִכְפִּישַׁנִי בָּאֵֽפֶר׃

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

17 וַתִּזְנַח מִשָּׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי נָשִׁיתִי טוֹבָֽה׃

You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.

18 וָאֹמַר אָבַד נִצְחִי וְתוֹחַלְתִּי מֵיְהוָֽה׃

I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”

19 זְכָר־עָנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי לַעֲנָה וָרֹֽאשׁ׃

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

20 זָכוֹר תִּזְכּוֹר ותשיח וְתָשׁוֹחַ עָלַי נַפְשִֽׁי׃

My soul still remembers them, 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 יְהוָה כִּי לֹא־תָמְנוּ כִּי לֹא־כָלוּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃

It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail.

23 חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃

They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.

24 חֶלְקִי יְהוָה אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לֽוֹ׃

“Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”

25 טוֹב יְהוָה לְקֹוָו לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶֽׁנּוּ׃

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

26 טוֹב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לִתְשׁוּעַת יְהוָֽה׃

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

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 on him.

29 יִתֵּן בֶּֽעָפָר פִּיהוּ אוּלַי יֵשׁ תִּקְוָֽה׃

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

30 יִתֵּן לְמַכֵּהוּ לֶחִי יִשְׂבַּע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃

Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of 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 causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

33 כִּי לֹא עִנָּה מִלִבּוֹ וַיַּגֶּה בְנֵי־אִֽישׁ׃

For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children 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 away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

36 לְעַוֵּת אָדָם בְּרִיבוֹ אֲדֹנָי לֹא רָאָֽה׃

to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.

37 מִי זֶה אָמַר וַתֶּהִי אֲדֹנָי לֹא צִוָּֽה׃

Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?

38 מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃

Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?

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

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

40 נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְֽנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה עַד־יְהוָֽה׃

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

41 נִשָּׂא לְבָבֵנוּ אֶל־כַּפָּיִם אֶל־אֵל בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

Let’s 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. You have not pardoned.

43 סַכֹּתָה בָאַף וַֽתִּרְדְּפֵנוּ הָרַגְתָּ לֹא חָמָֽלְתָּ׃

“You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.

44 סַכּוֹתָה בֶֽעָנָן לָךְ מֵעֲבוֹר תְּפִלָּֽה׃

You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

45 סְחִי וּמָאוֹס תְּשִׂימֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הָעַמִּֽים׃

You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.

46 פָּצוּ עָלֵינוּ פִּיהֶם כָּל־אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃

“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

47 פַּחַד וָפַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשָּֽׁבֶר׃

Terror and the pit have come on 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 doesn’t cease, without any intermission,

50 עַד־יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא יְהוָה מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃

until Yahweh looks down, and sees from heaven.

51 עֵינִי עֽוֹלְלָה לְנַפְשִׁי מִכֹּל בְּנוֹת עִירִֽי׃

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

52 צוֹד צָדוּנִי כַּצִּפּוֹר אֹיְבַי חִנָּֽם׃

They have chased me relentlessly 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 on me.

54 צָֽפוּ־מַיִם עַל־רֹאשִׁי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְזָֽרְתִּי׃

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

55 קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת׃

I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.

56 קוֹלִי שָׁמָעְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵם אָזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִֽי׃

You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”

57 קָרַבְתָּ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָאֶךָּ אָמַרְתָּ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃

You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”

58 רַבְתָּ אֲדֹנָי רִיבֵי נַפְשִׁי גָּאַלְתָּ חַיָּֽי׃

Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.

59 רָאִיתָה יְהוָה עַוָּתָתִי שָׁפְטָה מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃

Yahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.

60 רָאִיתָה כָּל־נִקְמָתָם כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לִֽי׃

You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.

61 שָׁמַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתָם יְהוָה כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם עָלָֽי׃

You have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their plans against me,

62 שִׂפְתֵי קָמַי וְהֶגְיוֹנָם עָלַי כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃

the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.

63 שִׁבְתָּם וְקִֽימָתָם הַבִּיטָה אֲנִי מַנְגִּינָתָֽם׃

You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.

64 תָּשִׁיב לָהֶם גְּמוּל יְהוָה כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃

You will pay them back, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.

65 תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מְגִנַּת־לֵב תַּאֲלָֽתְךָ לָהֶֽם׃

You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.

66 תִּרְדֹּף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי יְהוָֽה׃

You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.