Lamentations 3
1 I AM the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
2 He has led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Surely against me is he turned; he turns his hand against me all the day.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones.
Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 He has built against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
6 He has set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 He has hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he has made my chain heavy.
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 Also when I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone, he has made my paths crooked.
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 He was to me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
11 He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he has made me desolate.
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood.
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he has covered me with ashes.
Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
17 And you have removed my soul far off from peace: I forgot prosperity.
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 Remembering my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 My soul has them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
23 They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.
Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
25 The LORD is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth.
Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
28 He sits alone and keeps silence, because he has borne it on him.
Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
29 He puts his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 He gives his cheek to him that smites him: he is filled full with reproach.
Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 For the LORD will not cast off for ever:
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.
Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approves not.
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord commands it not?
Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good?
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: you have not pardoned.
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 You have covered with anger, and persecuted us: you have slain, you have not pitied.
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 You have made us as the offscouring and refuse in the middle of the people.
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and a snare is come on us, desolation and destruction.
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 My eye runs down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Phe. My eye hath run down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye trickles down, and ceases not, without any intermission.
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 My eye affects my heart because of all the daughters of my city.
Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone on me.
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 Waters flowed over my head; then I said, I am cut off.
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 I called on your name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 You have heard my voice: hide not your ear at my breathing, at my cry.
Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
57 You drew near in the day that I called on you: you said, Fear not.
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 O LORD, you have pleaded the causes of my soul; you have redeemed my life.
Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
59 O LORD, you have seen my wrong: judge you my cause.
Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music.
Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
64 Render to them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 Give them sorrow of heart, your curse to them.
Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
