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 brought me into darkness, but not into light.
3 Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.
Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me 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 besieged me, and surrounded me with gall and travail.
6 He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
He hath set me in dark places, as they that are dead of old.
7 He has walled me about, so that I cannot go out. He has made my chain heavy.
He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
He hath inclosed 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 was to me as a bear lying in wait, and 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 arrows 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 was 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 made me drunk 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 forgot prosperity.
18 I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from the LORD.”
And I said, My strength and my hope hath perished from the LORD:
19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
Remembering my 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 humbled in 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 to 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 both 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 should bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
He putteth his mouth in the dust; if there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is 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.
But though he causeth 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 his feet 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 proceedeth not evil and good?
39 Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Why 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 to 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 persecuted 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 people.
46 “All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.
48 My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
My 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,
My eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
Till the LORD shall look down, and behold from heaven.
51 My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
My eye affecteth my heart because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
My enemies chased me hard, like a bird, 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 cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
Waters flowed over my head; then 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 low dungeon.
56 You heard my voice: “Do not hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thy 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 imaginations 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 imaginations 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 they plot against me all the day.
63 You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music.
64 You will pay them back, LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Render to them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse to them.
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.
