The Lamentations of Jeremias — Lamentationes Jeremiæ Prophetæ
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Chapter 3
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1 2 3 4 5
Vulgate><Douay-Rheims><Knox Bible
1
Aleph Ego vir videns paupertatem meam in virga indignationis ejus.
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Aleph. I AM the man that see my poverty by the rod of his indignation.
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Ah, what straits have I not known, under the avenging rod!
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Aleph Me minavit, et adduxit in tenebras, et non in lucem.
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Aleph. He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, and not into light.
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Asked I for light, into deeper shadow the Lord’s guidance led me;
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Aleph Tantum in me vertit et convertit manum suam tota die.
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Aleph. Only against me he hath turned, and turned again his hand all the day.
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Always upon me, none other, falls endlessly the blow.
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Beth Vetustam fecit pellem meam et carnem meam; contrivit ossa mea.
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Beth. My skin and my flesh he hath made old, he hath broken my bones.
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Broken this frame, under the wrinkled skin, the sunk flesh.
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Beth Ædificavit in gyro meo, et circumdedit me felle et labore.
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Beth. He hath built round about me, and he hath compassed me with gall and labour.
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Bitterness of despair fills my prospect, walled in on every side;
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Beth In tenebrosis collocavit me, quasi mortuos sempiternos.
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Beth. He hath set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
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Buried in darkness, and, like the dead, interminably.
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Ghimel Circumædificavit adversum me, ut non egrediar; aggravavit compedem meum.
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Ghimel. He hath built against me round about, that I may not get out: he hath made my fetters heavy.
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Closely he fences me in, beyond hope of rescue; loads me with fetters.
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Ghimel Sed et cum clamavero, et rogavero, exclusit orationem meam.
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Ghimel. Yea, and when I cry, and entreat, he hath shut out my prayer.
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Cry out for mercy as I will, prayer of mine wins no audience;
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Ghimel Conclusit vias meas lapidibus quadris; semitas meas subvertit.
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Ghimel. He hath shut up my ways with square stones, he hath turned my paths upside down.
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Climb these smooth walls I may not; every way of escape he has undone.
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Daleth Ursus insidians factus est mihi, leo in absconditis.
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Daleth. He is become to me as a bear lying in wait: as a lion in secret places.
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Deep ambushed he lies, as lurking bear or lion from the covert;
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Daleth Semitas meas subvertit, et confregit me; posuit me desolatam.
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Daleth. He hath turned aside my paths, and hath broken me in pieces, he hath made me desolate.
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Drawn aside from my path, I fall a lonely prey to his ravening.
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Daleth Tetendit arcum suum, et posuit me quasi signum ad sagittam.
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Daleth. He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for his arrows.
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Dread archer, of me he makes a target for all his arrows;
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He Misit in renibus meis filias pharetræ suæ.
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He. He hath shot into my reins the daughters of his quiver.
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Each shaft of his quiver at my vitals taught to strike home!
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He Factus sum in derisum omni populo meo, canticum eorum tota die.
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He. I am made a derision to all my people, their song all the day long.
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Evermore for me the taunts of my neighbours, their songs of derision.
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He Replevit me amaritudinibus; inebriavit me absinthio.
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He. He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath inebriated me with wormwood.
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Entertainment of bitter herbs he gives me, and of wormwood my fill,
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Vau Et fregit ad numerum dentes meos; cibavit me cinere.
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Vau. And he hath broken my teeth one by one, he hath fed me with ashes.
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Files all my teeth with hard gravel-stones, bids me feed on ashes.
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Vau Et repulsa est a pace anima mea; oblitus sum bonorum.
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Vau. And my soul is removed far off from peace, I have forgotten good things.
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Far away is my old contentment, happier days forgotten;
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Vau Et dixi: Periit finis meus, et spes mea a Domino.
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Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.
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Farewell, my hopes of long continuance, my patient trust in the Lord!
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Zain Recordare paupertatis, et transgressionis meæ, absinthii et fellis.
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Zain. Remember my poverty, and transgression, the wormwood, and the gall.
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Guilt and suffering, gall and wormwood, keep all this well in memory.
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Zain Memoria memor ero, et tabescet in me anima mea.
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Zain. I will be mindful and remember, and my soul shall languish within me.
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God knows it shall be remembered, and with sinking of the heart;
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Zain Hæc recolens in corde meo, ideo sperabo.
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Zain. These things I shall think over in my heart, therefore will I hope.
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Gage there can be none other of remaining confidence.
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Heth Misericordiæ Domini, quia non sumus consumpti; quia non defecerunt miserationes ejus.
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Heth. The mercies of the Lord that we are not consumed: because his commiserations have not failed.
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His be the thanks if we are not extinguished; his mercies never weary;
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Heth Novi diluculo, multa est fides tua.
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Heth. They are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness.
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Hope comes with each dawn; art thou not faithful, Lord, to thy promise?
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Heth Pars mea Dominus, dixit anima mea; propterea exspectabo eum.
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Heth. The Lord is my portion, said my soul: therefore will I wait for him.
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Heart whispers, The Lord is my portion; I will trust him yet.
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Teth Bonus est Dominus sperantibus in eum, animæ quærenti illum.
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Teth. The Lord is good to them that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
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In him be thy trust, for him thy heart’s longing, gracious thou shalt find him;
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Teth Bonum est præstolari cum silentio salutare Dei.
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Teth. It is good to wait with silence for the salvation of God.
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If deliverance thou wouldst have from the Lord, in silence await it.
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Teth Bonum est viro cum portaverit jugum ab adolescentia sua.
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Teth. It is good for a man, when he hath borne the yoke from his youth.
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It is well thou shouldst learn to bear the yoke, now in thy youth,
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Jod Sedebit solitarius, et tacebit, quia levavit super se.
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Jod. He shall sit solitary, and hold his peace: because he hath taken it up upon himself.
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Just burden, in solitude and silence justly borne.
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Jod Ponet in pulvere os suum, si forte sit spes.
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Jod. He shall put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
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Joy may yet be thine, for mouth that kisses the dust,
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Jod Dabit percutienti se maxillam: saturabitur opprobriis.
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Jod. He shall give his cheek to him that striketh him, he shall be filled with reproaches.
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Jeering of the multitude, and cheek buffeted in scorn, bravely endured.
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Caph Quia non repellet in sempiternum Dominus.
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Caph. For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
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Know for certain, the Lord has not finally abandoned thee;
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Caph Quia si abjecit, et miserebitur, secundum multitudinem misericordiarum suarum.
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Caph. For if he hath cast off, he will also have mercy, according to the multitude of his mercies.
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Kind welcome the outcast shall have, from one so rich in kindness.
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Caph Non enim humiliavit ex corde suo et abjecit filios hominum.
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Caph. For he hath not willingly afflicted, nor cast off the children of men.
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Kin of Adam he will not crush or cast away wantonly;
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Lamed Ut conteret sub pedibus suis omnes vinctos terræ.
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Lamed. To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the land,
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Let there be oppression of the poor under duress,
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Lamed Ut declinaret judicium viri in conspectu vultus Altissimi.
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Lamed. To turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the most High,
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Law’s right denied, such as the most High grants to all men,
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Lamed Ut perverteret hominem in judicio suo; Dominus ignoravit.
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Lamed. To destroy a man wrongfully in his judgment, the Lord hath not approved.
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Lying perversion of justice, then he cannot overlook it.
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Mem Quis est iste qui dixit ut fieret, Domino non jubente?
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Mem. Who is he that hath commanded a thing to be done, when the Lord commandeth it not?
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Man may foretell; only the Lord brings his word to pass;
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Mem Ex ore Altissimi non egredientur nec mala nec bona?
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Mem. Shall not both evil and good proceed out of the mouth of the Highest?
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Mingled good and evil proceed both from the will of the most High;
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Mem Quid murmuravit homo vivens, vir pro peccatis suis?
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Mem. Why hath a living man murmured, man suffering for his sins?
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Mortal is none may repine; let each his own sins remember.
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Nun Scrutemur vias nostras, et quæramus, et revertamur ad Dominum.
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Nun. Let us search our ways, and seek, and return to the Lord.
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Narrowly our path scan we, and to the Lord return;
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Nun Levemus corda nostra cum manibus ad Dominum in cælos.
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Nun. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the Lord in the heavens.
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Never hand or heart but must point heavenward this day!
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Nun Nos inique egimus, et ad iracundiam provocavimus; idcirco tu inexorabilis es.
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Nun. We have done wickedly, and provoked thee to wrath: therefore thou art inexorable.
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Nothing but defiant transgression on our part; and shouldst thou relent?
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Samech Operuisti in furore, et percussisti nos; occidisti, nec pepercisti.
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Samech. Thou hast covered in thy wrath, and hast struck us: thou hast killed and hast not spared.
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Over our heads thy angry vengeance lowered; smiting, thou wouldst not spare.
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Samech Opposuisti nubem tibi, ne transeat oratio.
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Samech. Thou hast set a cloud before thee, that our prayer may not pass through.
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Oh, barrier of cloud, our prayers had no strength to pierce!
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Samech Eradicationem et abjectionem posuisti me in medio populorum.
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Samech. Thou hast made me as an outcast, and refuse in the midst of the people.
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Offscouring and refuse of mankind thou hast made us,
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Phe Aperuerunt super nos os suum omnes inimici.
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Phe. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
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Put to shame by the mocking grimaces of our enemies.
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Phe Formido et laqueus facta est nobis vaticinatio, et contritio.
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Phe. Prophecy is become to us a fear, and a snare, and destruction.
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Prophets we had, but their word was peril and pitfall, and ruin at the last.
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Phe Divisiones aquarum deduxit oculus meus, in contritione filiæ populi mei.
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Phe. My eye hath run down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
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Poor Sion, for thy calamity these cheeks are furrowed with tears;
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Ain Oculus meus afflictus est, nec tacuit, eo quod non esset requies.
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Ain. My eye is afflicted, and hath not been quiet, because there was no rest:
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Quell if thou wouldst the restless fever of my weeping,
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Ain Donec respiceret et videret Dominus de cælis.
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Ain. Till the Lord regarded and looked down from the heavens.
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Quickly, Lord, look down from heaven and pay heed to us,
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Ain Oculus meus deprædatus est animam meam in cunctis filiabus urbis meæ.
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Ain. My eye hath wasted my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
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Quite forspent, eye and soul, with grief Jerusalem’s daughters bear.
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Sade Venatione ceperunt me quasi avem inimici mei gratis.
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Sade. My enemies have chased me and caught me like a bird, without cause.
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Relentless as hawk in air they pursued me, enemies unprovoked,
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Sade Lapsa est in lacum vita mea, et posuerunt lapidem super me.
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Sade. My life is fallen into the pit, and they have laid a stone over me.
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Reft me of life itself, sealed with a stone my prison door.
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Sade Inundaverunt aquæ super caput meum; dixi: Perii.
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Sade. Waters have flowed over my head: I said: I am cut off.
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Round my head the waters closed, and I had given myself up for lost,
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Coph Invocavi nomen tuum, Domine, de lacu novissimo.
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Coph. I have called upon thy name, O Lord, from the lowest pit.
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Save for one hope; to thee, Lord, I cried from the pit’s depth,
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Coph Vocem meam audisti; ne avertas aurem tuam a singultu meo et clamoribus.
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Coph. Thou hast heard my voice: turn not away thy ear from my sighs, and cries.
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Sure of thy audience; wouldst thou turn a deaf ear to sighs of complaint?
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Coph Appropinquasti in die quando invocavi te; dixisti: Ne timeas.
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Coph. Thou drewest near in the day, when I called upon thee, thou saidst: Fear not.
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Summoned, thou didst come to my side, whispering, Do not be afraid.
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Res Judicasti, Domine, causam animæ meæ, redemptor vitæ meæ.
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Res. Thou hast judged, O Lord, the cause of my soul, thou the Redeemer of my life.
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Thine, Lord, to take my part; thine to rescue me from death;
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Res Vidisti, Domine, iniquitatem illorum adversum me: judica judicium meum.
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Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
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The malice of my enemies to discover, my wrongs to redress.
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Res Vidisti omnem furorem, universas cogitationes eorum adversum me.
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Res. Thou hast seen all their fury, and all their thoughts against me.
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Thrust away from thy sight, the grudge they bear me, the ill they purpose,
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Sin Audisti opprobrium eorum, Domine, omnes cogitationes eorum adversum me.
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Sin. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, all their imaginations against me.
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Unheard by thee their taunts, their whispered plottings?
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Sin Labia insurgentium mihi, et meditationes eorum adversum me tota die.
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Sin. The lips of them that rise up against me: and their devices against me all the day.
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Uttered aloud or in secret, their malice assails me from morn till night;
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Sin Sessionem eorum et resurrectionem eorum vide; ego sum psalmus eorum.
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Sin. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up, I am their song.
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Up in arms, or met in secret conclave, ever against me they raise the battle-song.
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Thau Redes eis vicem, Domine, juxta opera manuum suarum.
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Thau. Thou shalt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
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Visit them with the punishment their ill deeds have earned;
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Thau Dabis eis scutum cordis, laborem tuum.
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Thau. Thou shalt give them a buckler of heart, thy labour.
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Veiled be those blind hearts with fresh blindness of thy own making;
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Thau Persequeris in furore, et conteres eos sub cælis, Domine.
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Thau. Thou shalt persecute them in anger, and shalt destroy them from under the heavens, O Lord.
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Vanish from the earth their whole brood, ere thy vengeance leaves off pursuing them!