Lamentationes 3
1 ALEPH. Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis eius.
I [, the one who am writing this, ] am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh because he was angry.
2 ALEPH. Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.
[It was as though] he caused me to walk in a very dark place without any light [at all].
3 ALEPH. Tantum in me vertit, et convertit manum suam tota die.
He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
4 BETH. Vetustam fecit pellem meam, et carnem meam, contrivit ossa mea.
He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old. He has broken my bones.
5 BETH. Aedificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle, et labore.
He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
6 BETH. In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.
[It is as though] he has buried me in a dark place like [SIM] [the graves of] those who have been dead for a long time.
7 GHIMEL. Circumaedificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar: aggravavit compedem meum.
[It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
8 GHIMEL. Sed et cum clamavero, et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.
Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
9 GHIMEL. Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris, semitas meas subvertit.
[It is as though] he has blocked my path with a [high] stone [wall] and has caused my path to become crooked.
10 DALETH. Ursus insidians factus est mihi: leo in absconditis.
He has waited to attack me like [SIM] a bear or a lion hides and waits [to attack other animals].
11 DALETH. Semitas meas subvertit, et confregit me: posuit me desolatam.
[It is as though] he has dragged me off the path and (mauled me/torn me into pieces), and left me without help.
12 DALETH. Tetendit arcum suum, et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.
[It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
13 HE. Misit in renibus meis filias pharetrae suae.
[It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
14 HE. Factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die.
All my relatives laugh at me; all day, [every] day they sing songs that make fun of me.
15 HE. Replevit me amaritudinibus, inebriavit me absynthio.
He has filled me with (bitterness/great suffering), [like] [MET] someone who drinks a very bitter liquid suffers.
16 VAU. Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos, cibavit me cinere.
[It is as though] he has caused me to chew gravel that broke my teeth, and he has trampled me in the dirt.
17 VAU. Et repulsa est a pace anima mea, oblitus sum bonorum.
Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
18 VAU. Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino.
I [continued to] say [to myself], “I no longer expect to live much longer; I no longer confidently expect [to receive good things] from Yahweh!”
19 ZAIN. Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis meae, absinthii, et fellis.
When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
20 ZAIN. Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea.
I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
21 ZAIN. Haec recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.
However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
22 HETH. Misericordiae Domini quia non sumus consumpti: quia non defecerunt miserationes eius.
Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
23 HETH. Novi diluculo, multa est fides tua.
[He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
24 HETH. Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea: propterea expectabo eum.
[So] I say to myself, “Yahweh is all that I need; so I will confidently wait for him [to do good things for me].”
25 TETH. Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animae quaerenti illum.
Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
26 TETH. Bonum est praestolari cum silentio salutare Dei.
[So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
27 TETH. Bonum est viro, cum portaverit iugum ab adolescentia sua.
And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
28 IOD. Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit: quia levavit se super se.
Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
29 IOD. Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.
They should lie in the dirt, with their faces on the ground, [because] they can still hope [that Yahweh will help them].
30 IOD. Dabit percutienti se maxillam, saturabitur opprobriis.
If someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek toward that person [in order that he may strike it, too], and accept/endure it when we are insulted.
31 CAPH. Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.
Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
32 CAPH. Quia si abiecit, miserebitur secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.
Sometimes he causes us to suffer, but sometimes he is kind [to us] because he continually and faithfully loves [us].
33 CAPH. Non enim humiliavit ex corde suo, et abiecit filios hominum,
And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
34 LAMED. Ut conteret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terrae,
If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
35 LAMED. Ut declinaret iudicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.
or if they rebel against God by refusing to give to people the things that it is right for them [to receive],
36 LAMED. Ut perverteret hominem in iudicio suo, Dominus ignoravit.
or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
37 MEM. Quis est iste, qui dixit ut fieret, Domino non iubente?
No one can [RHQ] command something to happen [and then cause it to happen] if Yahweh has not already decided that it should happen.
38 MEM. Ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona?
God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
39 MEM. Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?
[So] it is certainly not [RHQ] right for us, who are only humans, to complain when he punishes us for the sins that we have committed.
40 NUN. Scrutemur vias nostras, et quaeramus, et revertamur ad Dominum.
Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
41 NUN. Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in caelos.
We should pray [IDM] sincerely and lift up our arms toward God in heaven, [and say, ]
42 NUN. Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam provocavimus: idcirco tu inexorabilis es.
“We have sinned and rebelled [against you], and you have not forgiven [us].
43 SAMECH. Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos: occidisti, nec pepercisti.
You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
44 SAMECH. Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.
You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
45 SAMECH. Eradicationem, et abiectionem posuisti me in medio populorum.
You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
46 PHE. Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici.
All our enemies have insulted us.
47 PHE. Formido, et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio, et contritio.
We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
48 PHE. Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus, in contritione filiae populi mei.
I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
49 AIN. Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod non esset requies,
My tears continually flow; they will not stop
50 AIN. Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de caelis.
until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
51 AIN. Oculus meus depraedatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meae.
I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
52 SADE. Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.
Those who are my enemies hunted for me like [SIM] [people hunt for] a bird [to kill it] [even though] there was no reason [for them to do that].
53 SADE. Lapsa est in lacum vita mea, et posuerunt lapidem super me.
They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
54 SADE. Inundaverunt aquae super caput meum: dixi: Perii.
The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
55 COPH. Invocavi nomen tuum Domine de lacu novissimo.
But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
56 COPH. Vocem meam audisti: ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo, et clamoribus.
I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
57 COPH. Appropinquasti in die, quando invocavi te: dixisti: Ne timeas.
Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
58 RES. Iudicasti Domine causam animae meae, redemptor vitae meae.
Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
59 RES. Vidisti Domine iniquitatem illorum adversum me: iudica iudicium meum.
[Now], Yahweh, you have seen the evil things that my enemies have done to me, [so] decide my case [and show that I am right]!
60 RES. Vidisti omnem furorem, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.
You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
61 SIN. Audisti opprobrium eorum Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me:
Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
62 SIN. Labia insurgentium mihi; et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.
Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
63 SIN. Sessionem eorum, et resurrectionem eorum vide, ego sum psalmus eorum.
Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
64 THAU. Redes eis vicem Domine iuxta opera manuum suarum.
Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
65 THAU. Dabis eis scutum cordis laborem tuum.
Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
66 THAU. Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub caelis Domine.
Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
