Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
I am the man that 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 against me he turns his hand again and again all the day.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
My flesh and my skin he has made 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 surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
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, like those that have been long dead.
7 He has walled me about, so that I cannot go out. He has made my chain heavy.
He has walled me in, so I can't escape; he has made my chains heavy.
8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
Yes, 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 cut 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 hiding.
11 He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
He has obstructed my path, and torn 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 arrows of his quiver to pierce my inward parts.
14 I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.
I have become a laughingstock to all peoples, 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 given me in full measure wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
He has also broken my teeth with gravel; he has pressed me down in the dust.
17 You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
You have removed my soul far away from peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from the LORD.”
And I said, "My strength and my hope has perished from the LORD."
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 considers them, and is depressed.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
But this I call 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.
The LORD's faithful love does not cease; his compassion does not fail.
23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”
"The LORD 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.
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that 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 the LORD.
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 while he is young.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
Let him sit alone and keep silence when he is disciplining him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
Let him put his mouth to the dust, there may yet 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 strikes him; let him be filled with insults.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
For the LORD will not reject forever.
32 For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
For though he may cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the abundance of his loving kindness.
33 For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
For he is not predisposed to bring affliction or suffering to human beings.
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 deprive a man of justice 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 can speak a thing and have it come to pass, unless the LORD has commanded it?
38 Does not evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
Doesn't both calamity and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
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 examine and search our ways, and return to the LORD.
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, and you have not forgiven.
43 “You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you killed without sparing.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
You have covered yourself 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.
You have made us rubbish 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 on us, devastation and destruction.
48 My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Streams of tears run down from my eyes because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye pours down and does not cease, without any intermission,
My tears flow and do not cease, without respite,
50 until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
until the LORD looks down and sees from heaven.
51 My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
My eyes bring my soul grief, 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 relentlessly 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 a pit, and have cast a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
Waters flowed over my head; I said, 'I am finished.'
55 I called on your name, LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
I called on your name, LORD, out of the depths of the pit.
56 You heard my voice: “Do not hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
You heard my voice; do not hide your ear at my sighs, to my cry.
57 You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Do not be afraid.”
You drew near in the day that I called on you; you said, "Do not be afraid."
58 Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
LORD, you have taken up the case for my soul; you have redeemed my life.
59 LORD, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
You have seen, LORD, the wrong done to me; judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
You have seen all their vengeance and all their plots against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, LORD, and all their plans against me,
You have heard their insults, LORD, and all their plots against me.
62 the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
The lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
63 You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
Look their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their mocking song.
64 You will pay them back, LORD, according to the work of their hands.
You will render to them what they deserve, LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
You will give them hardness of heart as your curse to them.
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
