א (Alef) 1
3:1 I am the man 2 who has experienced 3 affliction
from the rod 4 of his wrath.
3:2 He drove me into captivity 5 and made me walk 6
in darkness and not light.
3:3 He repeatedly 7 attacks me,
he turns his hand 8 against me all day long. 9
ב (Bet)
3:4 He has made my mortal skin 10 waste away;
he has broken my bones.
3:5 He has besieged 11 and surrounded 12 me
with bitter hardship. 13
3:6 He has made me reside in deepest darkness 14
like those who died long ago.
ג (Gimel)
3:7 He has walled me in 15 so that I cannot get out;
he has weighted me down with heavy prison chains. 16
3:8 Also, when I cry out desperately 17 for help, 18
he has shut out my prayer. 19
3:9 He has blocked 20 every road I take 21 with a wall of hewn stones;
he has made every path impassable. 22
ד (Dalet)
3:10 To me he is like a bear lying in ambush, 23
like a hidden lion 24 stalking its prey. 25
3:11 He has obstructed my paths 26 and torn me to pieces; 27
he has made me desolate.
3:12 He drew 28 his bow and made me 29
the target for his arrow.
ה (He)
3:13 He shot 30 his arrows 31
into my heart. 32
3:14 I have become the laughingstock of all people, 33
their mocking song 34 all day long. 35
3:15 He has given me my fill of bitter herbs
and made me drunk with bitterness. 36
ו (Vav)
3:16 He ground 37 my teeth in gravel;
he trampled 38 me in the dust.
3:17 I 39 am deprived 40 of peace; 41
I have forgotten what happiness 42 is.
3:18 So I said, “My endurance has expired;
I have lost all hope of deliverance 43 from the Lord.”