Lamentations 3
1 ALEPH. I am the man that sees poverty, through the rod of his wrath upon me.
Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
2 He has taken me, and led me away into darkness, and not [into] light.
Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3 Nay, against me has he turned his hand all the day.
Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
4 He has made old my flesh and my skin; he has broken my bones.
Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
5 BETH. He has built against me, and compassed my head, and brought travail [upon me].
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 them that have long been dead.
Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 He has builded against me, and I can’t come forth: he has made my brazen [chain] heavy.
Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
8 GIMEL. Yes, [though] I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
9 DALETH. He has built up my ways, he has hedged my paths;
Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
10 he has troubled me, [as] a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me [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 pursued [me] after I departed, and brought me to a stand: he has utterly ruined me.
Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
12 HE. 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 became a laughing stock 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 VAU. He has filled me with bitterness, he has drenched me with gall.
He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
16 And he has dashed out my teeth with gravel, he has fed me with ashes.
Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
17 He has also removed my soul from peace: I forgot prosperity.
Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
18 Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
19 ZAIN. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered;
Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
20 and my soul shall meditate with me.
Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
21 This will I lay up in my heart, therefore I will endure.
Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
22 HETH. [It is] the mercies of the Lord, that he has not failed me, because his compassions are not exhausted. Pity [us], O Lord, early [every] month: for we are not brought to an end, because his compassions are not exhausted.
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 wait for him.
Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
25 TETH. The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him
Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 [is] good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.
Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
27 TETH. [It is] good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth.
Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
28 He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne [it] upon him.
Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 JOD. He will give [his] cheek to him that smites him: he will be filled full with reproaches.
Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
31 For the Lord will not reject for ever.
Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 CHAPH. For he that has brought down will pity, and [that] according to the abundance of his mercy.
Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 He has not answered [in anger] from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man.
Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
34 LAMED. To bring down 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 judgment 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 condemn a man [unjustly] in his judgment, the Lord has not given commandment.
Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
37 Who has thus spoken, and it has come to pass? the Lord has not commanded it.
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 there shall not come forth evil and good.
Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
39 MEM. Why should a living man complain, a man concerning his sin?
Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
40 NUN. Our way has been searched out and examined, and we will turn to the Lord.
Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hearts with [our] hand to the lofty One in heaven.
Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
42 We have sinned, we have transgressed; and you have not pardoned.
Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
43 SAMECH. You has visited [us] in wrath, and driven us away: you has slain, you has not pitied.
Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
44 You have veiled yourself with a cloud because of prayer, that I might be blind,
Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
45 and be cast off. AIN. You have set us [alone] in the midst of the nations.
Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and wrath are come upon us, suspense and destruction.
Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
48 Mine eye shall pour down torrents 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 PHE. Mine eye is drowned [with tears], and I will not be silent, so that there shall be no rest,
Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
50 until the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
51 Mine eye shall prey upon my soul, because of all the daughters of the city.
Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 TSADE. The fowlers chased me as a sparrow, all mine enemies destroyed my life in a pit without cause,
Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
53 and laid a stone upon me.
Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
54 Water flowed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
55 KOPH. I called upon your name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon.
Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
56 You heard my voice: close not your ears to my supplication.
Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
57 You drew near to my help: in the day wherein I called upon you you said to me, Fear not.
Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
58 RECHS. O Lord, you has pleaded the causes of my soul; you has redeemed my life.
Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
59 You have seen, O Lord, my troubles: you have judged my cause.
Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, [you have looked] on all their devices against me.
Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
61 CHSEN. You have heard their reproach [and] all their devices against me;
Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
62 the lips of them that rose up against me, and their plots against me all the day;
Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
63 their sitting down and their rising up: look you upon their eyes.
Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
64 You will render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
65 THAU. You will give them [as] a covering, the grief of my heart.
Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
66 You will persecute them in anger, and will consume them from under the heaven, O Lord.
Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
