Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
[ALEPH-BET] I [am] the man [who] has 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 has led me, and causes to go [in] darkness, and without light.
3 In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
Surely against me He turns back, He turns His hand all the day.
4 He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
He has worn out my flesh and my skin. He has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
He has built up against me, And sets around poverty and weariness.
6 He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
In dark places He has caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
7 He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
He has hedged me in, and I do not go out, He has made heavy my chain.
8 Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
Also when I call and cry out, He has shut out my prayer.
9 He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
He has hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He has made crooked.
10 He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding places.
11 He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
My ways He is turning aside, and He pulls me in pieces, He has made me a desolation.
12 He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
He has bent His bow, And sets me up as a mark for an arrow.
13 He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
He has caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.
14 Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness; he has filled me up with bitter wormwood.
He has filled me with bitter things, He has filled me [with] wormwood.
16 He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
And He breaks with gravel my teeth, He has covered me with ashes.
17 Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
And You cast off my soul from peace, I have forgotten 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 say, My strength and my hope have perished from YHWH.
19 Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
Remember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!
20 I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
Remember well, and my soul bows down in me.
21 But I still hope when I think about this:
This I turn to my heart—therefore 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.
The kindnesses of YHWH! For we have not been consumed, For His mercies have not ended.
23 He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
New every morning, abundant [is] Your faithfulness.
24 The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my hope in him.”
My portion [is] YHWH, my soul has said, Therefore I hope for Him.
25 The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
YHWH [is] good to those waiting for Him, To the soul [that] seeks Him.
26 It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
[It is] good when one stays and stands still For the salvation of YHWH.
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 bears a yoke in his youth.
28 They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
He sits alone, and is silent, For He has laid [it] on him.
29 They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
He puts his mouth in the dust, if so be, there is hope.
30 They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
He gives to his striker the cheek, He is filled with reproach.
31 For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
For the Lord does not cast off for all time.
32 Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
For though He afflicted, yet He has pitied, According to the abundance of His kindness.
33 For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
For He has not afflicted with His heart, Nor does He grieve the sons of men.
34 Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
To bruise under one’s feet any bound ones of earth,
35 Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
To turn aside the judgment 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 has not approved.
37 Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
Who [is] this—he has spoken, and it is, [And] the Lord has not commanded [it]?
38 When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
From the mouth of the Most High does not go forth the evils and the good.
39 Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
Why does a living man sigh habitually, A man for his sin?
40 We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back to YHWH.
41 Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
We lift up our heart on the hands to 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 been rebellious, You have not forgiven.
43 You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
You have covered Yourself with anger, And pursue us; You have slain—You have not pitied.
44 You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
You have covered Yourself with a cloud, So that prayer does not pass through.
45 You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
Outcast and refuse You make us In the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
47 We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
Fear and a snare has been for us, Desolation and destruction.
48 Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
Streams of water go down my eye, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
My eye is poured out, And does not cease without intermission,
50 Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
Until YHWH looks and sees from the heavens,
51 What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
My eye affects my soul, Because of all the daughters of my city.
52 For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
Hunting—my enemies have hunted me without cause like the bird.
53 They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
They have cut off my life in a pit, And they cast a stone against me.
54 Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
Waters have flowed over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
55 I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
I called Your Name, O YHWH, from the lower pit.
56 You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
You have heard my voice, do not hide Your ear at my breathing—at my cry.
57 You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
You have drawn near in the day I call You, You have said, Do not fear.
58 You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
You have pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, You have redeemed my life.
59 Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
You have seen, O YHWH, my overthrow, Judge my cause.
60 You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
You have seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me.
61 Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
You have heard their reproach, O YHWH, All their thoughts against me,
62 How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation 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.
Their sitting down, and their rising up, Behold attentively, I [am] their song.
64 Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
You return to them the deed, O YHWH, According to the work of their hands.
65 Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
You give to them a covered heart, Your curse to them.
66 Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
You pursue in anger, and destroy them, From under the heavens of YHWH!
