Into my reins. 14. I, with my people, was
All the day long, a song and mockery.
15. He hath fill’d me with bitterness, and He
Hath made me drunk with wormwood. 16. He hath burst
My teeth with stones, and cover’d me with dust.
17. And thus my soul far off from peace was set,
And my prosperity I did forget.
18. My strength, my hope—unto myself I said—
Which from the Lord should come, is perished?
19. But when my mournings I do think upon,
My wormwood, hemlock, and affliction,
20. My soul is humbled in rememb’ring this;
21. My heart considers, therefore, hope there is.
22. ’Tis God’s great mercy we’re not utterly
Consumed, for His compassions do not die;
23. For every morning they renewed be,
For great, O Lord, is Thy fidelity.
24. The Lord is—saith my soul—my portion,
And therefore in Him will I hope alone.
25. The Lord is good to them, who on Him rely,
And to the soul that seeks Him earnestly.
26. It is both good to trust, and to attend
The Lord’s salvation unto the end.
27. ’Tis good for one His yoke in youth to bear.
28. He sits alone, and doth all speech forbear,
Because he hath borne it. 29. And his mouth he lays
Deep in the dust, yet then in hope he stays.
30. He gives his cheeks to whosoever will
Strike him, and so he is reproached still.
31. For not forever doth the Lord forsake;
32. But when He hath struck with sadness, He doth take
Compassion, as His mercy’s infinite;
33. Nor is it with His heart, that He doth smite,
34. That underfoot the prisoners stamped be,
35. That a man’s right the judge himself doth see
To be wrung from him; 36. That he subverted is
In his just cause, the Lord allows not this.
37. Who then will say, that aught doth come to pass,
But that which by the Lord commanded was?
38. Both good and evil from His mouth proceeds;
39. Why then grieves any man for his misdeeds?
40. Turn we to God, by trying out our ways;
41. To Him in heav’n our hands with hearts upraise.
42. We have rebell’d, and fallen away from Thee;
Thou pardon’st not; 43. Usest no clemency;
125 Pursuest us, kill’st us, cover’st us with wrath;
44. Cover’st Thyself with clouds, that our prayer hath
No power to pass. 45. And Thou hast made us fall
As refuse, and off-scouring to them all.
46. All our foes gape at us. 47. Fear and a snare
With ruin, and with waste upon us are.
48. With watery rivers doth mine eye o’erflow
For ruin of my people’s daughters so;
49. Mine eye doth drop down tears incessantly,
50. Until the Lord look down from heav’n to see.
51. And for my city daughters’ sake, mine eye
Doth break mine heart. 52. Causeless mine enemy
Like a bird chased me. 53. In a dungeon
They’ve shut my life, and cast me on a stone.
54. Waters flow’d o’er my head; then thought I, I am
Destroy’d; 55. I called, Lord, upon Thy name
Out of the pit; 56. And Thou my voice didst hear;
O from my sigh and cry, stop not Thine ear.
57. Then when I call’d upon Thee, Thou drew’st near
Unto me, and said’st unto me, “Do not fear.”
58. Thou, Lord, my soul’s cause handled hast, and Thou
Rescuest my life. 59. O Lord, do Thou judge now.
Thou heardst my wrong, 60. Their vengeance, all they’ve wrought;
61. How they reproach’d, Thou’st heard, and what they thought;
62. What their lips utter’d, which against me rose,
And what was ever whisper’d by my foes.
63. I am their song, whether they rise or sit;
64. Give them rewards, Lord, for their working fit,
65. Sorrow of heart, Thy curse; 66. And with Thy might
Follow, and from under heaven destroy them quite.
Chapter IV
1. How is the gold become so dim? How is
Purest and finest gold thus changed to this?
The stones which were stones of the sanctuary,
Scatter’d in corners of each street do lie.
2. The precious sons of Zion, which should be
Valued at purest gold, how do we see
Low rated now, as earthen pitchers, stand,
Which are the work of a poor potter’s hand?
3. Even the sea-calfs draw their breasts, and give
Suck to their young; my people’s daughters live,
By reason of the foes’ great cruelness,
As do the owls in the vast wilderness.
4. And when the sucking child doth strive to draw,
His tongue for thirst cleaves to his upper jaw;
And when for bread the children cry,
There is no man that doth them satisfy.
5. They which before were delicately fed,
Now in the streets forlorn have perished;
And they which ever were in scarlet clothed,
Sit and embrace the dunghills which they loathed.
6. The daughters of my people have sinn’d more,
Than did the town of Sodom sin before;
Which being at once destroy’d, there did remain
No hands amongst them to vex them again.
7. But heretofore, purer her Nazarite
Was than the snow, and milk was not so white;
As carbuncles did their pure bodies shine,
And all their polish’dness was sapphirine.
8. They’re darker now than blackness; none can know
Them by the face, as through the street they go;
For now their skin doth cleave unto their bone,
And withered, is like to dry wood grown.
9. Better by sword than famine ’tis to die;
And better through-pierced, than through penury.
10. Women, by nature pitiful, have eat
Their children—dress’d with their own hand—for meat.
11. Jehovah here fully accomplish’d hath
His indignation, and pour’d forth His wrath;
Kindled a fire in Zion, which hath power
To eat, and her foundations to devour.
12. Nor would the kings of th’ earth, nor all which live
In the inhabitable world believe,
That any adversary, any foe,
Into Jerusalem should enter so.
13. For the priests’ sins, and prophets’, which have shed
Blood in the streets and the just murdered;
14. Which, when those men whom they made blind did stray
Thorough the streets, defiled by the way
With blood, the which impossible it was
Their garment should ’scape touching, as they pass,
15. Would cry aloud, “Depart, defilèd men,
Depart, depart, and touch not us!” and then
They fled, and stray’d, and with the Gentiles were;
Yet told their friends, they should not long dwell there.
16. For this they’re scatter’d by Jehovah’s face,
Who never will regard them more; no grace
Unto their old men shall the foe
