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Aleph

¶ I am a man that sees affliction in the rod of his wrath.

Aleph

He has led me and brought me into darkness, but not into light.

Aleph

Surely he is turned against me; he turns his hand against me all the day.

Beth

My flesh and my skin he has made old; he has broken my bones.

Beth

He has built against me and compassed me with gall and travail.

Beth

He has set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.

Gimel

He has hedged me about that I cannot get out; he has made my chain heavy.

Gimel

Even when I cried and shouted, he shut out my prayer.

Gimel

He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone; he has made my paths crooked.

Daleth

10 He was unto me as a bear lying in wait and as a lion in secret places.

Daleth

11 He has made my ways crooked and pulled me in pieces; he has made me desolate.

Daleth

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

He

13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.

He

14 I was a derision to all my people and their song every day.

He

15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunk with wormwood.

Vau

16 He has broken my teeth with gravel stones; he has covered me with ashes.

Vau

17 My soul removed itself far from peace; I forgot about good.

Vau

18 And I said, My strength and my hope of the LORD is perished.

Zain

19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

Zain

20 My soul shall have them still in remembrance because it is humbled in me.

Zain

21 ¶ This shall go down into my heart; therefore I shall wait.

Cheth

22 It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed because his mercies never diminish.

Cheth

23 They are new every morning; great is thy faith.

Cheth

24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will wait for him.

Teth

25 The LORD is good unto those that wait in him, to the soul that seeks him.

Teth

26 It is good to wait quietly in the salvation of the LORD.

Teth

27 It is good for the man if he bears the yoke from his youth.

Jod

28 He shall sit alone and keep silence because he has borne it upon him.

Jod

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

Jod

30 He shall turn his cheek unto him that smites him; he shall be filled with reproach.

Caph

31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

Caph

32 But though he causes grief, yet he will also have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

Caph

33 For he does not afflict nor grieve the sons of men from his heart.

Lamed

34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,

Lamed

35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,

Lamed

36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.

37 Mem Who shall he be that saith that something comes which the Lord has not sent?

Mem

38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good?

Mem

39 Why does the living man have pain, the man in his sins?

Nun

40 Let us search out our ways, and seek, and turn again to the LORD.

Nun

41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Nun

42 ¶ We have rebelled and been disloyal; therefore thou hast not forgiven.

Samech

43 Thou hast unfurled anger and persecuted us; thou hast slain, thou hast not forgiven.

Samech

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

Samech

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

Pe

46 All our enemies have opened their mouths upon us.

Pe

47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

Pe

48 My eyes stream with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Ain

49 My eyes run down, and cease not, for there is no relief,

Ain

50 Until the LORD looks down, and beholds from the heavens.

Ain

51 My eyes make my soul sad because of all the daughters of my city.

Tzaddi

52 My enemies hunted me like a bird, without cause.

Tzaddi

53 They bound up my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.

Tzaddi

54 Waters flowed over my head; then I said, I am dead.

Koph

55 ¶ I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.

Koph

56 Thou hast heard my voice; do not hide thine ear at my cry that I might breath.

Koph

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

Resh

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

Resh

59 O LORD, thou hast seen where I was wrong; plead thou my cause.

Resh

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

Schin

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

Schin

62 The words of those that rose up against me, and their design against me all the day.

Schin

63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music.

Tau

64 Render unto them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.

Tau

65 Give them sorrow of heart; thy curse unto them.

Tau

66 Persecute them in thy anger and cut them off from under the heavens, oh LORD.

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

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

Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.

My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.

He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.

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

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

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

10 He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

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

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

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

14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.

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

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

18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord:

19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22 It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

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

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

25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for 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.

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

28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.

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

31 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.

33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.

35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,

36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.

37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

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

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

41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

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

43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

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

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

46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission.

50 Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.

51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.

52 Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.

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

54 Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.

55 I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon.

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

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

58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.

59 O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

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

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

62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.

63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.

64 Render unto them a recompence, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.

65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.

66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord.

Jeremiah’s Heavy Chain

Aleph

I am the man who has (A)seen affliction
Because of the rod of His wrath.
He has driven me and made me walk
In (B)darkness and not in light.
Surely against me He has (C)turned His hand
Repeatedly all the day.

Beth

He has caused my (D)flesh and my skin to waste away;
He has (E)broken my bones.
He has (F)besieged and encompassed me with (G)gall and hardship.
(H)Dark places He has made me inhabit,
Like those who have long been dead.

Gimel

He has (I)walled me in so that I cannot go out;
He has made my [a](J)chain heavy.
Even when I cry out and call for help,
He (K)shuts out my prayer.
He has (L)blocked my ways with cut stone;
He has made my paths crooked.

Daleth

10 He is to me like a bear lying in wait,
Like a lion in secret places.
11 He has turned aside my ways and (M)torn me to pieces;
He has made me desolate.
12 He (N)bent His bow
And (O)set me as a target for the arrow.

He

13 He made the [b]arrows of His (P)quiver
To enter into my [c]inward parts.
14 I have become a (Q)laughingstock to all my people,
Their (R)music of mockery all the day.
15 He has (S)saturated me with bitterness;
He has sated me with wormwood.

Vav

16 He has (T)broken my teeth with (U)gravel;
He has made me cower in the (V)dust.
17 My soul has been rejected (W)from peace;
I have forgotten goodness.
18 So I say, “My strength has perished,
As well as my (X)hopeful waiting which comes from Yahweh.”

The Lord Will Not Reject Forever

Zayin

19 Remember my affliction and my [d]homelessness, the (Y)wormwood and gall.
20 Surely (Z)my soul remembers
And is (AA)bowed down within me.
21 This I will return to my heart;
Therefore I will (AB)wait in hope.

Heth

22 The (AC)lovingkindnesses of Yahweh [e]indeed never cease,
(AD)For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new (AE)every morning;
Great is (AF)Your faithfulness.
24 “Yahweh is my (AG)portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I (AH)wait for Him.”

Teth

25 Yahweh is good to those who (AI)hope in Him,
To the soul who (AJ)seeks Him.
26 It is good that he (AK)waits silently
For the salvation of Yahweh.
27 It is good for a man that he should bear
The yoke in his youth.

Yodh

28 Let him (AL)sit alone and be silent
Since He has laid it on him.
29 Let him [f]put his mouth in the (AM)dust;
Perhaps there is (AN)hope.
30 Let him give his (AO)cheek to the one who strikes him;
Let him be saturated with reproach.

Kaph

31 For the Lord will (AP)not reject forever,
32 For if He causes grief,
Then He will have (AQ)compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness.
33 For He (AR)does not afflict from His heart
Or grieve the sons of men.

Lamedh

34 To crush under His feet
All the prisoners of the [g]land,
35 To [h]deprive a man of (AS)justice
In the presence of the Most High,
36 To [i](AT)defraud a man in his legal case—
These things the Lord does not see with approval.

Mem

37 Who is [j]there who speaks and it (AU)happens,
Unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That (AV)both calamities and [k]good go forth?
39 Why should any living [l]person or any man
(AW)Complain because of his sins?

Nun

40 Let us (AX)search out and examine our ways,
And let us return to Yahweh.
41 We (AY)lift up our heart to our hands
Toward God in heaven;
42 We have (AZ)transgressed and rebelled;
You have (BA)not pardoned.

Samekh

43 You have covered Yourself with (BB)anger
And (BC)pursued us;
You have killed and (BD)have not spared.
44 You have (BE)covered Yourself with a cloud
So that (BF)no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us mere (BG)scum and refuse
In the midst of the peoples.

Pe

46 All our enemies have (BH)opened their mouths against us.
47 (BI)Panic and pitfall have befallen us,
Devastation and destruction;
48 My [m](BJ)eyes run down with streams of water
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Ayin

49 My eyes pour down (BK)unceasingly,
Without stopping,
50 Until Yahweh (BL)looks down
And sees from heaven.
51 My eyes deal severely with my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.

Tsadhe

52 My enemies (BM)without cause
Hunted me down (BN)like a bird;
53 They have silenced my life (BO)in the pit
And have [n](BP)placed a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed (BQ)over my head;
I said, “I am cut off!”

Qoph

55 I (BR)called on Your name, O Yahweh,
Out of the lowest pit.
56 You have (BS)heard my voice,
(BT)Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief,
From my cry for help.”
57 You (BU)drew near when I called on You;
You said, “(BV)Do not fear!”

Resh

58 O Lord, You (BW)have pleaded my soul’s cause;
You have (BX)redeemed my life.
59 O Yahweh, You have (BY)seen my oppression;
(BZ)Judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
All their (CA)purposes against me.

Sin / Shin

61 You have heard their (CB)reproach, O Yahweh,
All their purposes against me.
62 The (CC)lips of those who rise against me and their whispering
Are against me all day long.
63 Look on their (CD)sitting and their rising;
(CE)I am their mocking song.

Tav

64 You will (CF)recompense them, O Yahweh,
According to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them [o](CG)dullness of heart;
Your curse will be on them.
66 You will (CH)pursue them in anger and destroy them
From under the (CI)heavens of Yahweh!

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:7 Lit bronze piece
  2. Lamentations 3:13 Lit sons
  3. Lamentations 3:13 Lit kidneys
  4. Lamentations 3:19 Or bitterness
  5. Lamentations 3:22 Or that we are not consumed
  6. Lamentations 3:29 Lit give
  7. Lamentations 3:34 Or earth
  8. Lamentations 3:35 Or turn aside a man’s case
  9. Lamentations 3:36 Lit make crooked
  10. Lamentations 3:37 Lit this
  11. Lamentations 3:38 Lit the good
  12. Lamentations 3:39 Or human being
  13. Lamentations 3:48 Lit eye brings
  14. Lamentations 3:53 Or cast stones
  15. Lamentations 3:65 Or insolence