Lamentations 3
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
I am the man that hath seen affliction under the rod of His wrath;
2 Me hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light.
He hath led me and brought me into darkness, and not into light;
3 Surely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day.
Yea, against me doth he again and again turn his hand all the day long.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones.
My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath built against me, and encompassed [me] with gall and toil.
He hath builded against me, and encompassed me with bitterness and woe.
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead.
He hath set me in dark places, as those that have long been dead.
7 He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
He hath hedged me about, so that I cannot get out; he hath made my chain heavy;
8 Even when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
Yea, when I cry and call aloud, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
He blocketh up my way with hewn stone; he maketh my paths crooked.
10 He is unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, a lion in secret places.
A bear lying in wait hath he been to me, a lion in lurking-places.
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
He hath turned aside my ways, and torn me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath 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 hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
He hath caused the sons of his quiver to pierce my reins.
14 I am become a derision to all my people; their song all the day.
I have been a laughing-stock to all my people, their song all the day.
15 He hath sated me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood.
He hath filled me with bitterness; he hath made me drunk with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel-stones; He hath covered me with ashes.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I have forgotten prosperity.
Yea, thou hast removed my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
18 And I said, My strength is perished, and my hope in Jehovah.
And I say, “My confidence and my hope in Jehovah are gone!”
19 Remember thou mine affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul hath [them] constantly in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Yea, thou wilt remember them, for my soul sinketh within me!
21 — This I recall to heart, therefore have I hope.
This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope;
22 It is of Jehovah's loving-kindness we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not;
It is of the mercy of Jehovah that we are not consumed; yea, his compassion faileth not;
23 they are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
It is new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul, therefore do I hope in him.
25 Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.
Jehovah is good to them that trust in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that one should both wait, and that in silence, for the salvation of Jehovah.
It is good that a man hope, and quietly wait for salvation from 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 He sitteth solitary and keepeth silence, because he hath laid it upon him;
That he sit alone and keep silence, since He layeth it upon him;
29 he putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope;
That he put his mouth in the dust, [[saying to himself, ]] “Perhaps there may be hope!”
30 he giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him; he is filled full with reproach.
That he offer his cheek to the smiter; that he be filled with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever;
For the Lord will not cast off forever;
32 but if he have caused grief, he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving-kindnesses:
For though he cause grief, yet doth he have compassion according to his great mercy;
33 for he doth not willingly afflict or grieve the children of men.
For he doth not willingly afflict and grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
Doth one trample under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 to turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
Doth he bend the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 to wrong a man in his cause, — will not the Lord see it?
Doth he subvert a man in his cause, and shall not the Lord behold it?
37 Who is he that saith, and there cometh to pass, what the Lord hath not commanded?
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord hath not commanded?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High doth not there proceed evil and good?
Cometh not evil, as well as good, from the mouth of the Most High?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Wherefore then murmureth the living man? Let him murmur at his own sin!
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah!
41 Let us lift up our heart with [our] hands unto God in the heavens.
Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens!
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
We have transgressed; we have rebelled; thou hast not forgiven!
43 Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not spared.
Thou hast hidden thyself in anger, and hast pursued us; thou hast slain and hast not spared;
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that prayer should not pass through.
Thou hast hidden thyself in a cloud, that our prayer may not pass through;
45 Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the nations.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us;
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and ruin.
Terror and the pit have come upon us, desolation and destruction;
48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the ruin of the daughter of my people.
Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
Mine eye trickleth down and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 till Jehovah look down and behold from the heavens.
Until Jehovah look down and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
Mine eye is painful to me on account of all the daughters of my city.
52 They that are mine enemies without cause have chased me sore like a bird.
They that are my enemies without cause hunt me down like a bird;
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, and cast a stone upon me.
They take away my life in the dungeon; they cast a stone upon me;
54 Waters streamed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
Waters flow over my head; I say, “I am undone!”
55 I called upon thy name, Jehovah, out of the lowest pit.
I call upon thy name, O Jehovah, from the deep dungeon;
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.
Hear thou my voice! hide not thine ear from my cry for relief!
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
Be near to me, when I call upon thee! Say, “Fear not!”
58 Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul, thou hast redeemed my life.
Thou maintainest my cause, O Lord; thou redeemest my life!
59 Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
Thou, O Jehovah, seest the wrong done to me; Maintain thou my cause!
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their imaginations against me.
Thou seest all their vengeance, all their devices against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, all their imaginations against me;
Thou hearest their reproach, O Jehovah, all their devices against me,
62 the lips of those that rise up against me and their meditation against me all the day.
The words of my adversaries, and their machinations against me all the day long!
63 Behold thou their sitting down and their rising up: I am their song.
Behold their sitting down and their rising up! I am their song.
64 Render unto them a recompence, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands;
Render to them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands!
65 give them obduracy of heart, thy curse unto them;
Give them blindness of mind! thy curse be upon them!
66 pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Pursue them in thine anger, and destroy them from under Jehovah's heaven!
