Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He has driven me away, forcing me to walk in darkness instead of the light.
He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.
4 He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
7 He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
8 Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.
10 He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
11 He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
12 He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me 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 filled me up with bitter wormwood.
He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.
16 He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes.
17 Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.
18 That's why I say, “My expectation of a long life is gone, along with all that I hoped for from Lord.
And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah.
19 Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21 But I still hope when I think about this:
This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.
22 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.
[It is of] Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my hope in him.”
Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
27 It is good for people to learn to patiently bear discipline while they're still young.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
29 They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
33 For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 Or cheating someone in their legal case—these things the Lord doesn't approve of.
To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.
37 Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
39 Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
41 Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 “We are the ones who sinned; we are the ones who rebelled; and you haven't forgiven us!”
We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.
43 You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
Thou hast made us an offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48 Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.
51 What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause.
53 They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
54 Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
55 I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
58 You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
60 You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,
62 How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
64 Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
65 Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
