Lamentations 3

1I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

1I am the man who has seen trouble by the rod of his wrath.

1Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.

2Me hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light.

2By him I have been made to go in the dark where there is no light.

2Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.

3Surely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day.

3Truly against me his hand has been turned again and again all the day.

3Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.

4My flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones.

4My flesh and my skin have been used up by him and my bones broken.

4Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.

5He hath built against me, and encompassed [me] with gall and toil.

5He has put up a wall against me, shutting me in with bitter sorrow.

5Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall, and labour.

6He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead.

6He has kept me in dark places, like those who have been long dead.

6Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.

7He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

7He has put a wall round me, so that I am not able to go out; he has made great the weight of my chain.

7Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.

8Even when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

8Even when I send up a cry for help, he keeps my prayer shut out.

8Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.

9He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

9He has put up a wall of cut stones about my ways, he has made my roads twisted.

9Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.

10He is unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.

10He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places.

10Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.

11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.

11By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been pulled in bits; he has made me waste.

11Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.

12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

12With his bow bent, he has made me the mark for his arrows.

12Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.

13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

13He has let loose his arrows into the inmost parts of my body.

13He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.

14I am become a derision to all my people; their song all the day.

14I have become the sport of all the peoples; I am their song all the day.

14He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.

15He hath sated me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood.

15He has made my life nothing but pain, he has given me the bitter root in full measure.

15He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.

16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

16By him my teeth have been broken with crushed stones, and I am bent low in the dust.

16Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.

17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I have forgotten prosperity.

17My soul is sent far away from peace, I have no more memory of good.

17Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.

18And I said, My strength is perished, and my hope in Jehovah.

18And I said, My strength is cut off, and my hope from the Lord.

18Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.

19Remember thou mine affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall.

19Keep in mind my trouble and my wandering, the bitter root and the poison.

19Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood and the gall.

20My soul hath [them] constantly in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

20My soul still keeps the memory of them; and is bent down in me.

20Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.

21— This I recall to heart, therefore have I hope.

21This I keep in mind, and because of this I have hope.

21Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.

22It is of Jehovah's loving-kindness we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not;

22It is through the Lord's love that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.

22Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.

23they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

23They are new every morning; great is your good faith.

23Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.

24Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

24I said to myself, The Lord is my heritage; and because of this I will have hope in him.

24Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.

25Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.

25The Lord is good to those who are waiting for him, to the soul which is looking for him.

25Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26It is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah.

26It is good to go on hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord.

26Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.

27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth:

27It is good for a man to undergo the yoke when he is young.

27Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.

28He sitteth solitary and keepeth silence, because he hath laid it upon him;

28Let him be seated by himself, saying nothing, because he has put it on him.

28Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.

29he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope;

29Let him put his mouth in the dust, if by chance there may be hope.

29Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.

30he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach.

30Let his face be turned to him who gives him blows; let him be full of shame.

30Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.

31For the Lord will not cast off for ever;

31For the Lord does not give a man up for ever.

31Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.

32but if he have caused grief, he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses:

32For though he sends grief, still he will have pity in the full measure of his love.

32Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.

33for he doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.

33For he has no pleasure in troubling and causing grief to the children of men.

33Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.

34To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

34In a man's crushing under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,

34Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,

35to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

35In his turning away the right of a man before the face of the Most High.

35Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,

36to wrong a man in his cause, — will not the Lord see it?

36In his doing wrong to a man in his cause, the Lord has no pleasure.

36Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.

37Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?

37Who is able to say a thing, and give effect to it, if it has not been ordered by the Lord?

37Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?

38Out of the mouth of the Most High doth not there proceed evil and good?

38Do not evil and good come from the mouth of the Most High?

38Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?

39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

39What protest may a living man make, even a man about the punishment of his sin?

39Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?

40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.

40Let us make search and put our ways to the test, turning again to the Lord;

40Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.

41Let us lift up our heart with [our] hands untoGod in the heavens.

41Lifting up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens.

41Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.

42We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.

42We have done wrong and gone against your law; we have not had your forgiveness.

42Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.

43Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not spared.

43Covering yourself with wrath you have gone after us, cutting us off without pity;

43Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.

44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through.

44Covering yourself with a cloud, so that prayer may not get through.

44Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.

45Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.

45You have made us like waste and that for which there is no use, among the peoples.

45Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.

46All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.

46The mouths of all our haters are open wide against us.

46Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

47Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and ruin.

47Fear and deep waters have come on us, wasting and destruction.

47Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.

48Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the ruin of the daughter of my people.

48Rivers of water are running down from my eyes, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

48Phe. My eye hath run down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

49My eyes are streaming without stopping, they have no rest,

49Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:

50till Jehovah look down and behold from the heavens.

50Till the Lord's eye is turned on me, till he sees my trouble from heaven.

50Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.

51Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

51The Lord is unkind to my soul, more than all the daughters of my town.

51Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.

52They that are mine enemies without cause have chased me sore like a bird.

52They who are against me without cause have gone hard after me as if I was a bird;

52Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.

53They have cut off my life in a pit, and cast a stone upon me.

53They have put an end to my life in the prison, stoning me with stones.

53Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.

54Waters streamed over my head; I said, I am cut off.

54Waters were flowing over my head; I said, I am cut off.

54Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.

55I called upon thy name, Jehovah, out of the lowest pit.

55I was making prayer to your name, O Lord, out of the lowest prison.

55Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.

56Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.

56My voice came to you; let not your ear be shut to my breathing, to my cry.

56Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.

57Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.

57You came near in the day when I made my prayer to you: you said, Have no fear.

57Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.

58Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life.

58O Lord, you have taken up the cause of my soul, you have made my life safe.

58Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.

59Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

59O Lord, you have seen my wrong; be judge in my cause.

59Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.

60Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their imaginations against me.

60You have seen all the evil rewards they have sent on me, and all their designs against me.

60Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.

61Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, all their imaginations against me;

61Their bitter words have come to your ears, O Lord, and all their designs against me;

61Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.

62the lips of those that rise up against me and their meditation against me all the day.

62The lips of those who came up against me, and their thoughts against me all the day.

62Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.

63Behold thou their sitting down and their rising up: I am their song.

63Take note of them when they are seated, and when they get up; I am their song.

63Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.

64Render unto them a recompence, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands;

64You will give them their reward, O Lord, answering to the work of their hands.

64Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.

65give them obduracy of heart, thy curse unto them;

65You will let their hearts be covered over with your curse on them.

65Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.

66pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.

66You will go after them in wrath, and put an end to them from under the heavens of the Lord.

66Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.