Lamentations Chapter 3
Project Gutenberg EPUB3 edition
3:1. Aleph. I am the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
3:2. Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
3:3. Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
3:4. Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
3:5. Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall, and labour.
3:6. Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
3:7. Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
3:8. Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
3:9. Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
3:10. Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
3:11. Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
3:12. Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
3:13. He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
3:14. He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
3:15. He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
3:16. Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
3:17. Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
3:18. Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
3:19. Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood and the gall.
3:20. Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
3:21. Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
3:22. Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
3:23. Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
3:24. Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
3:25. Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
3:26. Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
3:27. Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
3:28. Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
3:29. Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
3:30. Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
3:31. Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
3:32. Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
3:33. Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
3:34. Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
3:35. Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,
3:36. Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
3:37. Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
3:38. Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
3:39. Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
3:40. Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.