Ratapan 3:31-32

כ (Kaf)

3:31 For the Lord ¹  will not

reject us forever. ² 

3:32 Though he causes us ³  grief, he then has compassion on us ⁴ 

according to the abundance of his loyal kindness. ⁵ 

Ratapan 3:40

נ (Nun)

3:40 Let us carefully examine our ways, ⁶ 

and let us return to the Lord.

[3:31]  ¹ tc The MT reads אֲדֹנָי (’adonay, “the Lord”) here rather than יהוה (YHWH, “the Lord”). See the tc note at 1:14.

[3:31]  ² tn The verse is unusually short and something unrecoverable may be missing.

[3:32]  ³ tn Heb “Although he has caused grief.” The word “us” is added in the translation.

[3:32]  ⁴ tn Heb “He will have compassion.” The words “on us” are added in the translation.

[3:32]  ⁵ tc The Kethib preserves the singular form חַסְדּוֹ (khasdo, “his kindness”), also reflected in the LXX and Aramaic Targum. The Qere reads the plural form חֲסָדָיו (khasadayv, “his kindnesses”) which is reflected in the Latin Vulgate.

[3:40]  ⁶ tn Heb “Let us test our ways and examine.” The two verbs וְנַחְקֹרָה…נַחְפְּשָׂה (nakhpÿsah…vÿnakhqorah, “Let us test and let us examine”) form a verbal hendiadys in which the first functions adverbially and the second retains its full verbal force: “Let us carefully examine our ways.”