Chapter 3

¹ Aleph. I am the man that sees poverty, through the rod of his wrath upon me. ² He has taken me, and led me away into darkness, and not into light. ³ Nay, against me has he turned his hand all the day. ⁴ He has made old my flesh and my skin; he has broken my bones.

⁵ Beth. He has built against me, and compassed my head, and ¹brought travail upon me. ⁶ He has set me in dark places, as them that have long been dead. ⁷ He has builded against me, and I cannot come forth: he has made my ²brazen chain heavy.

⁸ Gimel. Yea, though I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.

⁹ Daleth. He has built up my ways, he

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has hedged my paths; ¹⁰ he has troubled me, as a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me as a lion in secret places. ¹¹ He pursued me ³after I departed, and brought me to a stand: he has utterly ruined me.

¹² He. He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. ¹³ He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. ¹⁴ I became a laughing-stock to all my people; and their song all the day.

¹⁵ Vau. He has filled me with bitterness, he has ⁴drenched me with gall. ¹⁶ And he has dashed out my teeth with gravel, he has fed me with ashes. ¹⁷ He has also removed my soul from peace: I forgot prosperity. ¹⁸ Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.

¹⁹ Zain. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered; ²⁰ and my soul shall meditate with me. ²¹ This will I ⁵lay up in my heart, therefore I will endure.

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. ²³ They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. ²⁴ The Lord is my portion, says 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 ²⁶ is good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.

²⁷ Teth. It is good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth. ²⁸ He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne it upon him.

^{29 30} Jod. He will give his cheek to him that smites him: he will be filled full with reproaches. ³¹ For the Lord will not reject for ever.

³² Chaph. For he that has brought down will pity, and that according to the abundance of his mercy. ³³ He has not answered in anger from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man.

³⁴ Lamed. To bring down under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, ³⁵ 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. ³⁷ Who has thus spoken, and it has come to pass? the Lord has not commanded it. ³⁸ Out of the mouth of the Most High there shall not come forth evil and good.

³⁹ Mem. Why should a living man complain, a man concerning his sin?

⁴⁰ Nun. Our way has been searched out and examined, and we will turn to the Lord. ⁴¹ Let us lift up our hearts ⁶with our hand to the lofty One in heaven. ⁴² We have sinned, we have transgressed; and thou hast not ⁷pardoned.

⁴³ Samech. Thou has visited us in wrath, and driven us away: thou has slain, thou has not pitied. ⁴⁴ Thou hast veiled thyself with a cloud because of prayer, ⁸that I might be blind, ⁴⁵ and be cast off. Ain. Thou

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hast set us alone in the midst of the nations. ⁴⁶ All our enemies have opened their mouth against us. ⁴⁷ Fear and wrath are come upon us, ⁹suspense and destruction. ⁴⁸ Mine eye shall pour down torrents 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, ⁵⁰ until the Lord look down, and behold from heaven. ⁵¹ Mine eye shall ¹⁰prey upon my soul, because of all the daughters of the city.

⁵² Tsade. The fowlers chased me as a sparrow, ¹¹all mine enemies destroyed my life in a pit without cause, ⁵³ and laid a stone upon me. ⁵⁴ Water flowed over my head: I said, I am cut off.

⁵⁵ Koph. I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon. ⁵⁶ Thou heardest my voice: close not thine ears to my supplication. ⁵⁷ Thou drewest nigh to my help: in the day wherein I called upon thee thou saidst to me, Fear not.

⁵⁸ Rechs. O Lord, thou has pleaded the causes of my soul; thou has redeemed my life. ⁵⁹ Thou hast seen, O Lord, my troubles: thou hast judged my cause. ⁶⁰ Thou hast seen all their vengeance, thou hast looked on all their devices against me.

⁶¹ Chsen. Thou hast heard their reproach and all their devices against me; ⁶² the lips of them that rose up against me, and their plots against me all the day; ⁶³ their sitting down and their rising up: look thou upon their eyes. ⁶⁴ Thou wilt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.

⁶⁵ Thau. Thou wilt give them as ¹²a covering, the grief of my heart. ⁶⁶ Thou wilt persecute them in anger, and wilt consume them from under the heaven, O Lord.