Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.
Surely he turns his hand against me, again and again all the day.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
5 He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
He has built against me, and encompassed me with gall and travail.
6 He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those who have long been dead.
7 He has walled me about, so that I cannot go out. He has made my chain heavy.
He has walled me around, that I cannot go forth. He has made my chain heavy.
8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
He has walled up my ways with hewn stone. He has made my paths crooked.
10 He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in concealed places.
11 He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.
I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.
He has filled me with bitterness. He has sated me with wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones. He has covered me with ashes.
17 You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
And thou have removed my soul far off from peace. I forgot prosperity.
18 I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from the LORD.”
And I said, My strength is perished, and my expectation from Jehovah.
19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
My soul still has them in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
This I recall to my mind, therefore I have hope:
22 It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies do not fail.
It is of Jehovah's loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions do not fail.
23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
They are new every morning. Great is thy faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”
Jehovah is my portion, says my soul, therefore I will hope in him.
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Jehovah is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it upon him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
Let him give his cheek to him who smites him. Let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
33 For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the sons of men.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.
to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.
37 Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord does not command it?
Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord does not command it?
38 Does not evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
Out of the mouth of the Most High does there not come evil and good?
39 Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
41 Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 “We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
We have transgressed and have rebelled. Thou have not pardoned.
43 “You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
Thou have covered with anger and pursued us. Thou have slain; thou have not pitied.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
Thou have covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
Thou have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 “All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
Fear and the pit have come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48 My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye pours down and does not cease, without any intermission,
My eye pours down, and does not cease, without any intermission,
50 until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
till Jehovah looks down, and beholds from heaven.
51 My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
My eye stirs my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
They have chased me grievously like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
Waters flowed over my head. I said, I am cut off.
55 I called on your name, LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 You heard my voice: “Do not hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
Thou heard my voice. Hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Do not be afraid.”
Thou drew near in the day that I called upon thee. Thou said, Fear not.
58 Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
O Lord, thou have pleaded the causes of my soul. Thou have redeemed my life.
59 LORD, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
O Jehovah, thou have seen my wrong. Judge thou my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
Thou have seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, LORD, and all their plans against me,
Thou have heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,
62 the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
the lips of those who rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up. I am their song.
64 You will pay them back, LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Thou will render to them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
Thou will give them hardness of heart, thy curse to them.
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
Thou will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
