< איכה 3 >
אֲנִי הַגֶּבֶר רָאָה עֳנִי בְּשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתֽוֹ׃ | 1 |
I am a man who has seen misery under the rod of Yahweh's fury.
אוֹתִי נָהַג וַיֹּלַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֽוֹר׃ | 2 |
He drove me away and caused me to walk in darkness rather than light.
אַךְ בִּי יָשֻׁב יַהֲפֹךְ יָדוֹ כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ | 3 |
Surely he turned his hand against me again and again, the whole day long.
בִּלָּה בְשָׂרִי וְעוֹרִי שִׁבַּר עַצְמוֹתָֽי׃ | 4 |
He made my flesh and my skin waste away; he broke my bones.
בָּנָה עָלַי וַיַּקַּף רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָֽה׃ | 5 |
He built up siege works against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים הוֹשִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עוֹלָֽם׃ | 6 |
He made me live in dark places, like those who died long ago.
גָּדַר בַּעֲדִי וְלֹא אֵצֵא הִכְבִּיד נְחָשְׁתִּֽי׃ | 7 |
He built a wall around me and I cannot escape. He made my chains heavy
גַּם כִּי אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ שָׂתַם תְּפִלָּתִֽי׃ | 8 |
and though I call out and cry for help, he shut out my prayer.
גָּדַר דְּרָכַי בְּגָזִית נְתִיבֹתַי עִוָּֽה׃ | 9 |
He blocked my path with a wall of hewn stone; he made my paths crooked.
דֹּב אֹרֵב הוּא לִי אריה אֲרִי בְּמִסְתָּרִֽים׃ | 10 |
He is like a bear waiting to ambush me, a lion in hiding;
דְּרָכַי סוֹרֵר וַֽיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי שָׂמַנִי שֹׁמֵֽם׃ | 11 |
he turned aside my paths, he has made me desolate.
דָּרַךְ קַשְׁתוֹ וַיַּצִּיבֵנִי כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵֽץ׃ | 12 |
He bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrow.
הֵבִיא בְּכִלְיוֹתָי בְּנֵי אַשְׁפָּתֽוֹ׃ | 13 |
He pierced my kidneys with the arrows of his quiver.
הָיִיתִי שְּׂחֹק לְכָל־עַמִּי נְגִינָתָם כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ | 14 |
I became a laughingstock to all my people, the object of their taunting all day long.
הִשְׂבִּיעַנִי בַמְּרוֹרִים הִרְוַנִי לַעֲנָֽה׃ | 15 |
He filled me with bitterness and forced me to drink wormwood.
וַיַּגְרֵס בֶּֽחָצָץ שִׁנָּי הִכְפִּישַׁנִי בָּאֵֽפֶר׃ | 16 |
He has made my teeth grind with gravel, and he made me cower in the ashes.
וַתִּזְנַח מִשָּׁלוֹם נַפְשִׁי נָשִׁיתִי טוֹבָֽה׃ | 17 |
My soul is deprived of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is.
וָאֹמַר אָבַד נִצְחִי וְתוֹחַלְתִּי מֵיְהוָֽה׃ | 18 |
So I say, “My endurance has perished and so has my hope in Yahweh.”
זְכָר־עָנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי לַעֲנָה וָרֹֽאשׁ׃ | 19 |
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and bitterness.
זָכוֹר תִּזְכּוֹר ותשיח וְתָשׁוֹחַ עָלַי נַפְשִֽׁי׃ | 20 |
I continually remember it and I am bowed down within me.
זֹאת אָשִׁיב אֶל־לִבִּי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִֽיל׃ | 21 |
But I call this to mind and therefore I have hope:
חַֽסְדֵי יְהוָה כִּי לֹא־תָמְנוּ כִּי לֹא־כָלוּ רַחֲמָֽיו׃ | 22 |
The steadfast love of Yahweh never ceases and his compassions never end,
חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶֽךָ׃ | 23 |
they are new every morning; your faithfulness is great.
חֶלְקִי יְהוָה אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל־כֵּן אוֹחִיל לֽוֹ׃ | 24 |
“Yahweh is my inheritance,” I said, therefore I will hope in him.
טוֹב יְהוָה לְקֹוָו לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶֽׁנּוּ׃ | 25 |
Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the one who seeks him.
טוֹב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לִתְשׁוּעַת יְהוָֽה׃ | 26 |
It is good to wait silently for the salvation of Yahweh.
טוֹב לַגֶּבֶר כִּֽי־יִשָּׂא עֹל בִּנְעוּרָֽיו׃ | 27 |
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
יֵשֵׁב בָּדָד וְיִדֹּם כִּי נָטַל עָלָֽיו׃ | 28 |
Let him sit alone in silence, when it is laid upon him.
יִתֵּן בֶּֽעָפָר פִּיהוּ אוּלַי יֵשׁ תִּקְוָֽה׃ | 29 |
Let him put his mouth in the dust—there may yet be hope.
יִתֵּן לְמַכֵּהוּ לֶחִי יִשְׂבַּע בְּחֶרְפָּֽה׃ | 30 |
Let him offer his cheek to the one who strikes him, and let him be filled to the full with reproach.
כִּי לֹא יִזְנַח לְעוֹלָם אֲדֹנָֽי׃ | 31 |
For the Lord will not reject us forever,
כִּי אִם־הוֹגָה וְרִחַם כְּרֹב חסדו חֲסָדָֽיו׃ | 32 |
but though he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
כִּי לֹא עִנָּה מִלִבּוֹ וַיַּגֶּה בְנֵי־אִֽישׁ׃ | 33 |
For he does not afflict from his heart or torment the children of mankind.
לְדַכֵּא תַּחַת רַגְלָיו כֹּל אֲסִירֵי אָֽרֶץ׃ | 34 |
To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth,
לְהַטּוֹת מִשְׁפַּט־גָּבֶר נֶגֶד פְּנֵי עֶלְיֽוֹן׃ | 35 |
to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High,
לְעַוֵּת אָדָם בְּרִיבוֹ אֲדֹנָי לֹא רָאָֽה׃ | 36 |
to deny justice to a person—the Lord would not approve such things!
מִי זֶה אָמַר וַתֶּהִי אֲדֹנָי לֹא צִוָּֽה׃ | 37 |
Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord decreed it?
מִפִּי עֶלְיוֹן לֹא תֵצֵא הָרָעוֹת וְהַטּֽוֹב׃ | 38 |
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and the good come?
מַה־יִּתְאוֹנֵן אָדָם חָי גֶּבֶר עַל־חטאו חֲטָאָֽיו׃ | 39 |
How can any person alive complain? How can a person complain about the punishment for his sins?
נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְֽנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה עַד־יְהוָֽה׃ | 40 |
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to Yahweh.
נִשָּׂא לְבָבֵנוּ אֶל־כַּפָּיִם אֶל־אֵל בַּשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ | 41 |
Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in the heavens:
נַחְנוּ פָשַׁעְנוּ וּמָרִינוּ אַתָּה לֹא סָלָֽחְתָּ׃ | 42 |
“We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven.
סַכֹּתָה בָאַף וַֽתִּרְדְּפֵנוּ הָרַגְתָּ לֹא חָמָֽלְתָּ׃ | 43 |
You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us, you have killed and you have not spared.
סַכּוֹתָה בֶֽעָנָן לָךְ מֵעֲבוֹר תְּפִלָּֽה׃ | 44 |
You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.
סְחִי וּמָאוֹס תְּשִׂימֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הָעַמִּֽים׃ | 45 |
You have made us like filthy scum and refuse among the nations.
פָּצוּ עָלֵינוּ פִּיהֶם כָּל־אֹיְבֵֽינוּ׃ | 46 |
All our enemies curse us,
פַּחַד וָפַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשָּֽׁבֶר׃ | 47 |
panic and pitfall have come upon us, ruin and destruction.
פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם תֵּרַד עֵינִי עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּֽי׃ | 48 |
My eyes flow with streams of tears because my people are destroyed.
עֵינִי נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תִדְמֶה מֵאֵין הֲפֻגֽוֹת׃ | 49 |
My eyes will shed tears without ceasing, without relief,
עַד־יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא יְהוָה מִשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ | 50 |
until Yahweh from heaven looks down and sees.
עֵינִי עֽוֹלְלָה לְנַפְשִׁי מִכֹּל בְּנוֹת עִירִֽי׃ | 51 |
My eyes cause me grief because of all the daughters of my city.
צוֹד צָדוּנִי כַּצִּפּוֹר אֹיְבַי חִנָּֽם׃ | 52 |
I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies; they hunted me without a reason.
צָֽמְתוּ בַבּוֹר חַיָּי וַיַּדּוּ־אֶבֶן בִּֽי׃ | 53 |
They cast me into a pit and they threw a stone on me,
צָֽפוּ־מַיִם עַל־רֹאשִׁי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְזָֽרְתִּי׃ | 54 |
and they caused waters to overflow, covering my head. I said, 'I have been cut off!'
קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה מִבּוֹר תַּחְתִּיּֽוֹת׃ | 55 |
I called on your name, Yahweh, from the depths of the pit.
קוֹלִי שָׁמָעְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵם אָזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִֽי׃ | 56 |
You heard my voice when I said, 'Do not close your ear to my cry for help.'
קָרַבְתָּ בְּיוֹם אֶקְרָאֶךָּ אָמַרְתָּ אַל־תִּירָֽא׃ | 57 |
You came near on the day I called on you; you said, 'Do not fear.'
רַבְתָּ אֲדֹנָי רִיבֵי נַפְשִׁי גָּאַלְתָּ חַיָּֽי׃ | 58 |
Lord, you defended my case, you saved my life!
רָאִיתָה יְהוָה עַוָּתָתִי שָׁפְטָה מִשְׁפָּטִֽי׃ | 59 |
Yahweh, you have seen the wrong they have done to me; judge my case.
רָאִיתָה כָּל־נִקְמָתָם כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לִֽי׃ | 60 |
You have seen their insults, all their plots against me—
שָׁמַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתָם יְהוָה כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם עָלָֽי׃ | 61 |
You have heard their scorn, Yahweh, and all their plans regarding me.
שִׂפְתֵי קָמַי וְהֶגְיוֹנָם עָלַי כָּל־הַיּֽוֹם׃ | 62 |
The lips and the accusations of my enemies come against me all the day.
שִׁבְתָּם וְקִֽימָתָם הַבִּיטָה אֲנִי מַנְגִּינָתָֽם׃ | 63 |
Look at how they sit and then rise up; they mock me with their songs.
תָּשִׁיב לָהֶם גְּמוּל יְהוָה כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶֽם׃ | 64 |
Pay back to them, Yahweh, according to what they have done.
תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מְגִנַּת־לֵב תַּאֲלָֽתְךָ לָהֶֽם׃ | 65 |
You will let their hearts be shameless! May your condemnation be upon them!
תִּרְדֹּף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי יְהוָֽה׃ | 66 |
You pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens, Yahweh!”