Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen trouble by the rod of his wrath.
I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
2 By him I have been made to go in the dark where there is no light.
He has driven me away, forcing me to walk in darkness instead of the light.
3 Truly against me his hand has been turned again and again all the day.
In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
4 My flesh and my skin have been used up by him and my bones broken.
He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
5 He has put up a wall against me, shutting me in with bitter sorrow.
He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
6 He has kept me in dark places, like those who have been long dead.
He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
7 He has put a wall round me, so that I am not able to go out; he has made great the weight of my chain.
He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
8 Even when I send up a cry for help, he keeps my prayer shut out.
Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
9 He has put up a wall of cut stones about my ways, he has made my roads twisted.
He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
10 He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places.
He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
11 By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been pulled in bits; he has made me waste.
He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
12 With his bow bent, he has made me the mark for his arrows.
He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
13 He has let loose his arrows into the inmost parts of my body.
He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
14 I have become the sport of all the peoples; I am their song all the day.
Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
15 He has made my life nothing but pain, he has given me the bitter root in full measure.
He has filled me with bitterness; he has filled me up with bitter wormwood.
16 By him my teeth have been broken with crushed stones, and I am bent low in the dust.
He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
17 My soul is sent far away from peace, I have no more memory of good.
Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
18 And I said, My strength is cut off, and my hope from the Lord.
That's why I say, “My expectation of a long life is gone, along with all that I hoped for from Lord.
19 Keep in mind my trouble and my wandering, the bitter root and the poison.
Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
20 My soul still keeps the memory of them; and is bent down in me.
I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
21 This I keep in mind, and because of this I have hope.
But I still hope when I think about this:
22 It is through the Lord's love that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.
It's because of the Lord's trustworthy love that our lives are not finished, for through his merciful actions he never lets us down.
23 They are new every morning; great is your good faith.
He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
24 I said to myself, The Lord is my heritage; and because of this I will have hope in him.
The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who are waiting for him, to the soul which is looking for him.
The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
26 It is good to go on hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
27 It is good for a man to undergo the yoke when he is young.
It is good for people to learn to patiently bear discipline while they're still young.
28 Let him be seated by himself, saying nothing, because he has put it on him.
They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if by chance there may be hope.
They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
30 Let his face be turned to him who gives him blows; let him be full of shame.
They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
31 For the Lord does not give a man up for ever.
For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
32 For though he sends grief, still he will have pity in the full measure of his love.
Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
33 For he has no pleasure in troubling and causing grief to the children of men.
For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
34 In a man's crushing under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
35 In his turning away the right of a man before the face of the Most High.
Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
36 In his doing wrong to a man in his cause, the Lord has no pleasure.
Or cheating someone in their legal case—these things the Lord doesn't approve of.
37 Who is able to say a thing, and give effect to it, if it has not been ordered by the Lord?
Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
38 Do not evil and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
39 What protest may a living man make, even a man about the punishment of his sin?
Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
40 Let us make search and put our ways to the test, turning again to the Lord;
We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
41 Lifting up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens.
Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
42 We have done wrong and gone against your law; we have not had your forgiveness.
“We are the ones who sinned; we are the ones who rebelled; and you haven't forgiven us!”
43 Covering yourself with wrath you have gone after us, cutting us off without pity;
You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
44 Covering yourself with a cloud, so that prayer may not get through.
You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
45 You have made us like waste and that for which there is no use, among the peoples.
You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
46 The mouths of all our haters are open wide against us.
All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
47 Fear and deep waters have come on us, wasting and destruction.
We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
48 Rivers of water are running down from my eyes, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
49 My eyes are streaming without stopping, they have no rest,
My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
50 Till the Lord's eye is turned on me, till he sees my trouble from heaven.
Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
51 The Lord is unkind to my soul, more than all the daughters of my town.
What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
52 They who are against me without cause have gone hard after me as if I was a bird;
For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
53 They have put an end to my life in the prison, stoning me with stones.
They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
54 Waters were flowing over my head; I said, I am cut off.
Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
55 I was making prayer to your name, O Lord, out of the lowest prison.
I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
56 My voice came to you; let not your ear be shut to my breathing, to my cry.
You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
57 You came near in the day when I made my prayer to you: you said, Have no fear.
You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
58 O Lord, you have taken up the cause of my soul, you have made my life safe.
You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
59 O Lord, you have seen my wrong; be judge in my cause.
Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
60 You have seen all the evil rewards they have sent on me, and all their designs against me.
You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
61 Their bitter words have come to your ears, O Lord, and all their designs against me;
Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
62 The lips of those who came up against me, and their thoughts against me all the day.
How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
63 Take note of them when they are seated, and when they get up; I am their song.
Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
64 You will give them their reward, O Lord, answering to the work of their hands.
Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
65 You will let their hearts be covered over with your curse on them.
Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
66 You will go after them in wrath, and put an end to them from under the heavens of the Lord.
Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
