Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
I AM the man that hath 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 hath 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 turneth 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 hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as 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 hath fenced me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath 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 shutteth out my prayer.
9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
10 He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
11 He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
He hath 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 hath 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 am 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 hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
17 You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.
18 I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from the LORD.”
And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.
19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
My soul hath them still 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 have I 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] the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
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.”
The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh 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 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 hath 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 he 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 that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children 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 approveth not.
37 Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord does not command it?
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Does not evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
39 Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Wherefore doth 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 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 unto God in the heavens.
42 “We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.
43 “You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that [our] prayer should not pass through.
45 You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
Thou hast made us [as] the offscouring 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 are come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48 My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye pours down and does not cease, without any intermission,
Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
51 My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
Mine eye affecteth 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 sore like a bird, that are mine 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 mine 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 LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 You heard my voice: “Do not hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
Thou heardest 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 drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
58 Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 LORD, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, LORD, and all their plans against me,
Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, 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 that rose up against me, and their imagination 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 wilt render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
