3:59 You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord;
pronounce judgment on my behalf! 1
ג (Gimel)
4:3 Even the jackals 2 nurse their young
at their breast, 3
but my people 4 are cruel,
like ostriches 5 in the desert.
מ (Mem)
2:13 With what can I equate 6 you?
To what can I compare you, O Daughter Jerusalem?
To what can I liken you 7
so that 8 I might comfort you, O Virgin Daughter Zion?
Your wound is as deep 9 as the sea. 10
Who can heal you? 11
3:26 It is good to wait patiently 12
for deliverance from the Lord. 13
ל (Lamed)
3:34 To crush underfoot
all the earth’s prisoners, 14
פ (Pe)
1:17 Zion spread out her hands,
but there is no one to comfort her.
The Lord has issued a decree against Jacob;
his neighbors 15 have become his enemies.
Jerusalem has become
like filthy garbage 16 in their midst. 17
ר (Resh)
4:20 Our very life breath – the Lord’s anointed king 18 –
was caught in their traps, 19
of whom we thought, 20
“Under his protection 21 we will survive among the nations.”
ב (Bet)
1:2 She weeps bitterly at night;
tears stream down her cheeks. 22
She has no one to comfort her
among all her lovers. 23
All her friends have betrayed her;
they have become her enemies.
ג (Gimel)
1:3 Judah 24 has departed into exile
under 25 affliction and harsh oppression. 26
She 27 lives among the nations;
she has found no resting place.
All who pursued her overtook her
in 28 narrow straits. 29
ז (Zayin)
1:7 Jerusalem 30 remembers, 31
when 32 she became a poor homeless person, 33
all her treasures
that she owned in days of old. 34
When her people fell into an enemy’s grip, 35
none of her allies came to her rescue. 36
Her enemies 37 gloated over 38 her;
they sneered 39 at her downfall. 40
3:30 Let him offer his cheek to the one who hits him; 41
let him have his fill of insults.
כ (Kaf)
1:11 All her people groaned
as they searched for a morsel of bread. 42
They exchanged 43 their valuables 44
for 45 just enough food
to stay alive. 46
“Look, O Lord! Consider 47
that I have become worthless!”
3:35 to deprive a person 48 of his rights 49
in the presence of the Most High,
ד (Dalet)
4:4 The infant’s tongue sticks
to the roof of its mouth due to thirst;
little children beg for bread, 50
but no one gives them even a morsel. 51
3:32 Though he causes us 52 grief, he then has compassion on us 53
according to the abundance of his loyal kindness. 54
ה (He)
4:5 Those who once feasted on delicacies 55
are now starving to death 56 in the streets.
Those who grew up 57 wearing expensive clothes 58
are now dying 59 amid garbage. 60
5:5 We are pursued – they are breathing down our necks; 61
we are weary and have no rest. 62
ח (Khet)
2:8 The Lord was determined to tear down
Daughter Zion’s wall.
He prepared to knock it down; 63
he did not withdraw his hand from destroying. 64
He made the ramparts and fortified walls lament;
together they mourned their ruin. 65
ח (Khet)
1:8 Jerusalem committed terrible sin; 66
therefore she became an object of scorn. 67
All who admired 68 her have despised her 69
because they have seen her nakedness. 70
She groans aloud 71
and turns away in shame. 72
3:11 He has obstructed my paths 73 and torn me to pieces; 74
he has made me desolate.
ע (Ayin)
1:16 I weep because of these things;
my eyes 75 flow with tears. 76
For there is no one in sight who can comfort me 77
or encourage me. 78
My children 79 are desolated 80
because an enemy has prevailed.
ו (Vav)
3:16 He ground 81 my teeth in gravel;
he trampled 82 me in the dust.
3:15 He has given me my fill of bitter herbs
and made me drunk with bitterness. 83
ה (He)
3:13 He shot 84 his arrows 85
into my heart. 86
ג (Gimel)
2:3 In fierce anger 87 he destroyed 88
the whole army 89 of Israel.
He withdrew his right hand 90
as the enemy attacked. 91
He was like a raging fire in the land of Jacob; 92
it consumed everything around it. 93
ע (Ayin)
4:17 Our eyes continually failed us
as we looked in vain for help. 94
From our watchtowers we watched
for a nation that could not rescue us.
י (Yod)
3:28 Let a person 95 sit alone in silence,
when the Lord 96 is disciplining him. 97
צ (Tsade)
2:18 Cry out 98 from your heart 99 to the Lord, 100
O wall of Daughter Zion! 101
Make your tears flow like a river
all day and all night long! 102
Do not rest;
do not let your tears 103 stop!
ע (Ayin)
2:17 The Lord has done what he planned;
he has fulfilled 104 his promise 105
that he threatened 106 long ago: 107
He has overthrown you without mercy 108
and has enabled the enemy to gloat over you;
he has exalted your adversaries’ power. 109
3:65 Give them a distraught heart; 110
may your curse be on them!
3:3 He repeatedly 111 attacks me,
he turns his hand 112 against me all day long. 113
3:42 “We 114 have blatantly rebelled; 115
you 116 have not forgiven.”