1 אֲנִי הַגֶּבֶר רָאָה עֳנִי בְּשֵׁבֶט עֶבְרָתֹו | 1 ALEPH. I am a man watching my own poverty by the rod of his indignation. |
2 אֹותִי נָהַג וַיֹּלַךְ חֹשֶׁךְ וְלֹא־אֹור | 2 ALEPH. He has driven me and led me into darkness, and not into light. |
3 אַךְ בִּי יָשֻׁב יַהֲפֹךְ יָדֹו כָּל־הַיֹּום׃ ס | 3 ALEPH. Against me only, he has turned and turned again his hand, all day long. |
4 בִּלָּה בְשָׂרִי וְעֹורִי שִׁבַּר עַצְמֹותָי | 4 BETH. My skin and my flesh, he has made old; he has crushed my bones. |
5 בָּנָה עָלַי וַיַּקַּף רֹאשׁ וּתְלָאָה | 5 BETH. He has built all around me, and he has encircled me with gall and hardship. |
6 בְּמַחֲשַׁכִּים הֹושִׁיבַנִי כְּמֵתֵי עֹולָם׃ ס | 6 BETH. He has gathered me into darkness, like those who are forever dead. |
7 גָּדַר בַּעֲדִי וְלֹא אֵצֵא הִכְבִּיד נְחָשְׁתִּי | 7 GHIMEL. He has built against me all around, so that I may not depart. He has increased the burden of my confinement. |
8 גַּם כִּי אֶזְעַק וַאֲשַׁוֵּעַ שָׂתַם תְּפִלָּתִי | 8 GHIMEL. Yet even when I cry out and beg, he excludes my prayer. |
9 גָּדַר דְּרָכַי בְּגָזִית נְתִיבֹתַי עִוָּה׃ ס | 9 GHIMEL. He has enclosed my ways with square stones; he has subverted my paths. |
10 דֹּב אֹרֵב הוּא לִי [אַרְיֵה כ] (אֲרִי ק) בְּמִסְתָּרִים | 10 DALETH. He has become to me like a bear lying in ambush, like a lion in hiding. |
11 דְּרָכַי סֹורֵר וַיְפַשְּׁחֵנִי שָׂמַנִי שֹׁמֵם | 11 DALETH. He has subverted my paths, and he has broken me. He has placed me in desolation. |
12 דָּרַךְ קַשְׁתֹּו וַיַּצִּיבֵנִי כַּמַּטָּרָא לַחֵץ׃ ס | 12 DALETH. He has bent his bow, and he has positioned me like a target for his arrows. |
13 הֵבִיא בְּכִלְיֹותָי בְּנֵי אַשְׁפָּתֹו | 13 HE. He has shot into my kidneys the daughters of his quiver. |
14 הָיִיתִי שְּׂחֹק לְכָל־עַמִּי נְגִינָתָם כָּל־הַיֹּום | 14 HE. I have become a derision to all my people, their song throughout the day. |
15 הִשְׂבִּיעַנִי בַמְּרֹורִים הִרְוַנִי לַעֲנָה׃ ס | 15 HE. He has filled me with bitterness; he has inebriated me with wormwood. |
16 וַיַּגְרֵס בֶּחָצָץ שִׁנָּי הִכְפִּישַׁנִי בָּאֵפֶר | 16 VAU. And he has broken each one of my teeth; he has fed me with ashes. |
17 וַתִּזְנַח מִשָּׁלֹום נַפְשִׁי נָשִׁיתִי טֹובָה | 17 VAU. And my soul has been driven away from peace; I have forgotten what is good. |
18 וָאֹמַר אָבַד נִצְחִי וְתֹוחַלְתִּי מֵיְהוָה׃ ס | 18 VAU. And I said, “My end and my hope from the Lord has perished.” |
19 זְכָר־עָנְיִי וּמְרוּדִי לַעֲנָה וָרֹאשׁ | 19 ZAIN. Remember my poverty and my transgression, the wormwood and the gall. |
20 זָכֹור תִּזְכֹּור [וְתָשִׁיחַ כ] (וְתָשֹׁוחַ ק) עָלַי נַפְשִׁי | 20 ZAIN. I will call to mind the past, and my soul shall languish within me. |
21 זֹאת אָשִׁיב אֶל־לִבִּי עַל־כֵּן אֹוחִיל׃ ס | 21 ZAIN. These recollections are in my heart; therefore, I shall hope. |
22 חַסְדֵי יְהוָה כִּי לֹא־תָמְנוּ כִּי לֹא־כָלוּ רַחֲמָיו | 22 HETH. By the mercies of the Lord, we are not consumed. For his compassion has not passed away. |
23 חֲדָשִׁים לַבְּקָרִים רַבָּה אֱמוּנָתֶךָ | 23 HETH. I know it at first light; great is your faithfulness. |
24 חֶלְקִי יְהוָה אָמְרָה נַפְשִׁי עַל־כֵּן אֹוחִיל לֹו׃ ס | 24 HETH. “The Lord is my portion,” said my soul. Because of this, I will wait for him. |
25 טֹוב יְהוָה לְקֹוָו לְנֶפֶשׁ תִּדְרְשֶׁנּוּ | 25 TETH. The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to the soul that seeks him. |
26 טֹוב וְיָחִיל וְדוּמָם לִתְשׁוּעַת יְהוָה | 26 TETH. It is good to stand ready in silence for the salvation of God. |
27 טֹוב לַגֶּבֶר כִּי־יִשָּׂא עֹל בִּנְעוּרָיו׃ ס | 27 TETH. It is good for a man, when he has carried the yoke from his youth. |
28 יֵשֵׁב בָּדָד וְיִדֹּם כִּי נָטַל עָלָיו | 28 JOD. He shall sit solitary and silent. For he has lifted it upon himself. |
29 יִתֵּן בֶּעָפָר פִּיהוּ אוּלַי יֵשׁ תִּקְוָה | 29 JOD. He shall place his mouth in the dirt, if perhaps there may be hope. |
30 יִתֵּן לְמַכֵּהוּ לֶחִי יִשְׂבַּע בְּחֶרְפָּה׃ ס | 30 JOD. He shall give his cheek to those who strike him; he shall be saturated with reproaches. |
31 כִּי לֹא יִזְנַח לְעֹולָם אֲדֹנָי | 31 CAPH. For the Lord will not rebuke forever. |
32 כִּי אִם־הֹוגָה וְרִחַם כְּרֹב [חַסְדֹּו כ] (חֲסָדָיו׃ ק) | 32 CAPH. For, if he has cast down, he will also have compassion, according to the multitude of his mercies. |
33 כִּי לֹא עִנָּה מִלִּבֹּו וַיַּגֶּה בְּנֵי־אִישׁ׃ ס | 33 CAPH. For he has not humiliated from his heart, nor has he thrown aside the sons of men, |
34 לְדַכֵּא תַּחַת רַגְלָיו כֹּל אֲסִירֵי אָרֶץ | 34 LAMED. as if to crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land, |
35 לְהַטֹּות מִשְׁפַּט־גָּבֶר נֶגֶד פְּנֵי עֶלְיֹון | 35 LAMED. as if to turn aside the judgment of a man in the sight of the presence of the Most High, |
36 לְעַוֵּת אָדָם בְּרִיבֹו אֲדֹנָי לֹא רָאָה׃ ס | 36 LAMED. as if to pervert a man in his judgment: the Lord does not do this. |
37 מִי זֶה אָמַר וַתֶּהִי אֲדֹנָי לֹא צִוָּה | 37 MEM. Who is this, who said to do what the Lord did not command? |
38 מִפִּי עֶלְיֹון לֹא תֵצֵא הָרָעֹות וְהַטֹּוב | 38 MEM. Does not both misfortune and good proceed from the mouth of the Most High? |
39 מַה־יִּתְאֹונֵן אָדָם חָי גֶּבֶר עַל־ [חֶטְאֹו כ] (חֲטָאָיו׃ ק) ס | 39 MEM. Why has a living man murmured, a man suffering for his sins? |
40 נַחְפְּשָׂה דְרָכֵינוּ וְנַחְקֹרָה וְנָשׁוּבָה עַד־יְהוָה | 40 NUN. Let us examine our ways, and seek out, and return to the Lord. |
41 נִשָּׂא לְבָבֵנוּ אֶל־כַּפָּיִם אֶל־אֵל בַּשָּׁמָיִם | 41 NUN. Let us lift up our hearts, with our hands, toward the Lord in the heavens. |
42 נַחְנוּ פָשַׁעְנוּ וּמָרִינוּ אַתָּה לֹא סָלָחְתָּ׃ ס | 42 NUN. We have acted sinfully, and we have provoked to wrath. About this, you are relentless. |
43 סַכֹּתָה בָאַף וַתִּרְדְּפֵנוּ הָרַגְתָּ לֹא חָמָלְתָּ | 43 SAMECH. You have covered us in your fury, and you have struck us. You have killed, and have not spared. |
44 סַכֹּותָה בֶעָנָן לָךְ מֵעֲבֹור תְּפִלָּה | 44 SAMECH. You have set a cloud opposite you, lest our prayer pass through. |
45 סְחִי וּמָאֹוס תְּשִׂימֵנוּ בְּקֶרֶב הָעַמִּים׃ ס | 45 SAMECH. In the midst of the peoples, you have uprooted me and cast me out. |
46 פָּצוּ עָלֵינוּ פִּיהֶם כָּל־אֹיְבֵינוּ | 46 PHE. All our enemies have opened their mouths over us. |
47 פַּחַד וָפַחַת הָיָה לָנוּ הַשֵּׁאת וְהַשָּׁבֶר | 47 PHE. Prediction has become for us a dread, and a snare, and a grief. |
48 פַּלְגֵי־מַיִם תֵּרַד עֵינִי עַל־שֶׁבֶר בַּת־עַמִּי׃ ס | 48 PHE. My eye has brought forth streams of water at the contrition of the daughter of my people. |
49 עֵינִי נִגְּרָה וְלֹא תִדְמֶה מֵאֵין הֲפֻגֹות | 49 AIN. My eye has been afflicted, and it has not been quieted, because there would be no rest |
50 עַד־יַשְׁקִיף וְיֵרֶא יְהוָה מִשָּׁמָיִם | 50 AIN. until the Lord looked down and saw from the heavens. |
51 עֵינִי עֹולְלָה לְנַפְשִׁי מִכֹּל בְּנֹות עִירִי׃ ס | 51 AIN. My eye has exhausted my soul over every one of the daughters of my city. |
52 צֹוד צָדוּנִי כַּצִּפֹּור אֹיְבַי חִנָּם | 52 SADE. My enemies have chased me, and they have caught me like a bird, without reason. |
53 צָמְתוּ בַבֹּור חַיָּי וַיַּדּוּ־אֶבֶן בִּי | 53 SADE. My life has fallen into a pit, and they have placed a stone over me. |
54 צָפוּ־מַיִם עַל־רֹאשִׁי אָמַרְתִּי נִגְזָרְתִּי׃ ס | 54 SADE. The waters have flooded over my head. I said, “I am lost.” |
55 קָרָאתִי שִׁמְךָ יְהוָה מִבֹּור תַּחְתִּיֹּות | 55 COPH. I called upon your name, O Lord, from the furthest pit. |
56 קֹולִי שָׁמָעְתָּ אַל־תַּעְלֵם אָזְנְךָ לְרַוְחָתִי לְשַׁוְעָתִי | 56 COPH. You have heard my voice. Do not turn away your ear from my sobbing and my cries. |
57 קָרַבְתָּ בְּיֹום אֶקְרָאֶךָּ אָמַרְתָּ אַל־תִּירָא׃ ס | 57 COPH. You drew near in the daytime, when I called upon you. You said, “Fear not.” |
58 רַבְתָּ אֲדֹנָי רִיבֵי נַפְשִׁי גָּאַלְתָּ חַיָּי | 58 RES. You have judged, O Lord, the case of my soul. You are the Redeemer of my life. |
59 רָאִיתָה יְהוָה עַוָּתָתִי שָׁפְטָה מִשְׁפָּטִי | 59 RES. You have seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me. Judge my case. |
60 רָאִיתָה כָּל־נִקְמָתָם כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם לִי׃ ס | 60 RES. You have seen all their fury, every one of their thoughts is against me. |
61 שָׁמַעְתָּ חֶרְפָּתָם יְהוָה כָּל־מַחְשְׁבֹתָם עָלָי | 61 SIN. You have heard their reproach, O Lord, all their thoughts are against me. |
62 שִׂפְתֵי קָמַי וְהֶגְיֹונָם עָלַי כָּל־הַיֹּום | 62 SIN. The lips of those who rise up against me, and their meditations, are against me all day long. |
63 שִׁבְתָּם וְקִימָתָם הַבִּיטָה אֲנִי מַנְגִּינָתָם׃ ס | 63 SIN. Watch their sitting down and their rising up: I am their psalm. |
64 תָּשִׁיב לָהֶם גְּמוּל יְהוָה כְּמַעֲשֵׂה יְדֵיהֶם | 64 THAU. You shall pay a recompense to them, O Lord, according to the works of their hands. |
65 תִּתֵּן לָהֶם מְגִנַּת־לֵב תַּאֲלָתְךָ לָהֶם | 65 THAU. You shall give them a heavy shield of the heart: your hardship. |
66 תִּרְדֹּף בְּאַף וְתַשְׁמִידֵם מִתַּחַת שְׁמֵי יְהוָה׃ פ | 66 THAU. You shall pursue them in fury, and you shall destroy them under the heavens, O Lord. |