Lamentationes 3
1 [Aleph Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis ejus.
I [, the one who am writing this, ] am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh because he was angry.
2 Aleph Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.
[It was as though] he caused me to walk in a very dark place without any light [at all].
3 Aleph Tantum in me vertit et convertit manum suam tota die.
He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
4 Beth Vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem meam; contrivit ossa mea.
He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old. He has broken my bones.
5 Beth Ædificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle et labore.
He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
6 Beth In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.
[It is as though] he has buried me in a dark place like [SIM] [the graves of] those who have been dead for a long time.
7 Ghimel Circumædificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar; aggravavit compedem meum.
[It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
8 Ghimel Sed et cum clamavero, et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.
Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
9 Ghimel Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris; semitas meas subvertit.
[It is as though] he has blocked my path with a [high] stone [wall] and has caused my path to become crooked.
10 Daleth Ursus insidians factus est mihi, leo in absconditis.
He has waited to attack me like [SIM] a bear or a lion hides and waits [to attack other animals].
11 Daleth Semitas meas subvertit, et confregit me; posuit me desolatam.
[It is as though] he has dragged me off the path and (mauled me/torn me into pieces), and left me without help.
12 Daleth Tetendit arcum suum, et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.
[It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
13 He Misit in renibus meis filias pharetræ suæ.
[It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
14 He Factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die.
All my relatives laugh at me; all day, [every] day they sing songs that make fun of me.
15 He Replevit me amaritudinibus; inebriavit me absinthio.
He has filled me with (bitterness/great suffering), [like] [MET] someone who drinks a very bitter liquid suffers.
16 Vau Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos; cibavit me cinere.
[It is as though] he has caused me to chew gravel that broke my teeth, and he has trampled me in the dirt.
17 Vau Et repulsa est a pace anima mea; oblitus sum bonorum.
Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
18 Vau Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino.
I [continued to] say [to myself], “I no longer expect to live much longer; I no longer confidently expect [to receive good things] from Yahweh!”
19 Zain Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis meæ, absinthii et fellis.
When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
20 Zain Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea.
I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
21 Zain Hæc recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.
However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
22 Heth Misericordiæ Domini, quia non sumus consumpti; quia non defecerunt miserationes ejus.
Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
23 Heth Novi diluculo, multa est fides tua.
[He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
24 Heth Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea; propterea exspectabo eum.
[So] I say to myself, “Yahweh is all that I need; so I will confidently wait for him [to do good things for me].”
25 Teth Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animæ quærenti illum.
Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
26 Teth Bonum est præstolari cum silentio salutare Dei.
[So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
27 Teth Bonum est viro cum portaverit jugum ab adolescentia sua.
And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
28 Jod Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit, quia levavit super se.
Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
29 Jod Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.
They should lie in the dirt, with their faces on the ground, [because] they can still hope [that Yahweh will help them].
30 Jod Dabit percutienti se maxillam: saturabitur opprobriis.
If someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek toward that person [in order that he may strike it, too], and accept/endure it when we are insulted.
31 Caph Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.
Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
32 Caph Quia si abjecit, et miserebitur, secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.
Sometimes he causes us to suffer, but sometimes he is kind [to us] because he continually and faithfully loves [us].
33 Caph Non enim humiliavit ex corde suo et abjecit filios hominum.
And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
34 Lamed Ut conteret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terræ.
If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
35 Lamed Ut declinaret judicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.
or if they rebel against God by refusing to give to people the things that it is right for them [to receive],
36 Lamed Ut perverteret hominem in judicio suo; Dominus ignoravit.
or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
37 Mem Quis est iste qui dixit ut fieret, Domino non jubente?
No one can [RHQ] command something to happen [and then cause it to happen] if Yahweh has not already decided that it should happen.
38 Mem Ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona?
God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
39 Mem Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?
[So] it is certainly not [RHQ] right for us, who are only humans, to complain when he punishes us for the sins that we have committed.
40 Nun Scrutemur vias nostras, et quæramus, et revertamur ad Dominum.
Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
41 Nun Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in cælos.
We should pray [IDM] sincerely and lift up our arms toward God in heaven, [and say, ]
42 Nun Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam provocavimus; idcirco tu inexorabilis es.
“We have sinned and rebelled [against you], and you have not forgiven [us].
43 Samech Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos; occidisti, nec pepercisti.
You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
44 Samech Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.
You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
45 Samech Eradicationem et abjectionem posuisti me in medio populorum.
You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
46 Phe Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici.
All our enemies have insulted us.
47 Phe Formido et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio, et contritio.
We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
48 Phe Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus, in contritione filiæ populi mei.
I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
49 Ain Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod non esset requies.
My tears continually flow; they will not stop
50 Ain Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de cælis.
until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
51 Ain Oculus meus deprædatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meæ.
I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
52 Sade Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.
Those who are my enemies hunted for me like [SIM] [people hunt for] a bird [to kill it] [even though] there was no reason [for them to do that].
53 Sade Lapsa est in lacum vita mea, et posuerunt lapidem super me.
They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
54 Sade Inundaverunt aquæ super caput meum; dixi: Perii.
The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
55 Coph Invocavi nomen tuum, Domine, de lacu novissimo.
But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
56 Coph Vocem meam audisti; ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo et clamoribus.
I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
57 Coph Appropinquasti in die quando invocavi te; dixisti: Ne timeas.
Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
58 Res Judicasti, Domine, causam animæ meæ, redemptor vitæ meæ.
Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
59 Res Vidisti, Domine, iniquitatem illorum adversum me: judica judicium meum.
[Now], Yahweh, you have seen the evil things that my enemies have done to me, [so] decide my case [and show that I am right]!
60 Res Vidisti omnem furorem, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.
You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
61 Sin Audisti opprobrium eorum, Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me.
Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
62 Sin Labia insurgentium mihi, et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.
Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
63 Sin Sessionem eorum et resurrectionem eorum vide; ego sum psalmus eorum.
Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
64 Thau Redes eis vicem, Domine, juxta opera manuum suarum.
Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
65 Thau Dabis eis scutum cordis, laborem tuum.
Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
66 Thau Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub cælis, Domine.]
Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
