ר (Resh) O Lord, you championed my cause, you redeemed my life.

Though he causes us grief, he then has compassion on us according to the abundance of his loyal kindness.

צ (Tsade) For no good reason my enemies hunted me down like a bird.

You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord; pronounce judgment on my behalf!

ה (He) He shot his arrows into my heart.

to defraud a person in a lawsuit – the Lord does not approve of such things!

For he is not predisposed to afflict or to grieve people.

What my eyes see grieves me – all the suffering of the daughters in my city.

ח (Khet) The Lord was determined to tear down Daughter Zion’s wall. He prepared to knock it down; he did not withdraw his hand from destroying. He made the ramparts and fortified walls lament; together they mourned their ruin.

ע (Ayin) The Lord has done what he planned; he has fulfilled his promise that he threatened long ago: He has overthrown you without mercy and has enabled the enemy to gloat over you; he has exalted your adversaries’ power.

ו (Vav) He destroyed his temple as if it were a vineyard; he destroyed his appointed meeting place. The Lord has made those in Zion forget both the festivals and the Sabbaths. In his fierce anger he has spurned both king and priest.

ב (Bet) He has made my mortal skin waste away; he has broken my bones.

He has made me reside in deepest darkness like those who died long ago.

נ (Nun) Your prophets saw visions for you that were worthless lies. They failed to expose your sin so as to restore your fortunes. They saw oracles for you that were worthless lies.

ט (Tet) Those who died by the sword are better off than those who die of hunger, those who waste away, struck down from lack of food.

כ (Kaf) The Lord fully vented his wrath; he poured out his fierce anger. He started a fire in Zion; it consumed her foundations.

ה (He) Her foes subjugated her; her enemies are at ease. For the Lord afflicted her because of her many acts of rebellion. Her children went away captive before the enemy.

ח (Khet) Jerusalem committed terrible sin; therefore she became an object of scorn. All who admired her have despised her because they have seen her nakedness. She groans aloud and turns away in shame.

נ (Nun) My sins are bound around my neck like a yoke; they are fastened together by his hand. He has placed his yoke on my neck; he has sapped my strength. The Lord has handed me over to those whom I cannot resist.

ג (Gimel) In fierce anger he destroyed the whole army of Israel. He withdrew his right hand as the enemy attacked. He was like a raging fire in the land of Jacob; it consumed everything around it.