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 under 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 brought me into darkness, and not into light;
3 In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
Yea, against me doth he again and again turn his hand all the day long.
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 encompassed me with bitterness and woe.
6 He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
He hath set me in dark places, as those that have long been dead.
7 He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
He hath hedged me about, so that I cannot get out; 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 aloud, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
He blocketh up my way with hewn stone; he maketh my paths crooked.
10 He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
A bear lying in wait hath he been to me, a lion in lurking-places.
11 He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
He hath turned aside my ways, and torn 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 sons of his quiver to pierce my reins.
14 Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
I have been a laughing-stock 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 hath filled me with bitterness; he hath made me drunk 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.
Yea, thou hast removed my soul far 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 confidence and my hope in Jehovah are gone!”
19 Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
Remember my 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.
Yea, thou wilt remember them, for my soul sinketh 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 the mercy of Jehovah that we are not consumed; yea, his compassion faileth not;
23 He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
It is 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 do 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 to them that trust in 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 hope, and quietly wait for salvation from 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.
That he sit alone and keep silence, since He layeth it upon him;
29 They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
That he put his mouth in the dust, [[saying to himself, ]] “Perhaps there may be hope!”
30 They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
That he offer his cheek to the smiter; that he be filled with reproach.
31 For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
For the Lord will not cast off forever;
32 Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
For though he cause grief, yet doth he have compassion according to his great mercy;
33 For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
For he doth not willingly afflict and grieve the children of men.
34 Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
Doth one trample under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
Doth he bend 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.
Doth he subvert a man in his cause, and shall not the Lord behold it?
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 hath not commanded?
38 When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
Cometh not evil, as well as good, from the mouth of the Most High?
39 Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
Wherefore then murmureth the living man? Let him murmur at his own sin!
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 hearts with our 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; we have rebelled; thou hast not forgiven!
43 You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
Thou hast hidden thyself in anger, and hast pursued us; thou hast slain and hast not spared;
44 You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
Thou hast hidden thyself in a cloud, that our prayer may not pass through;
45 You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the nations.
46 All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us;
47 We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
Terror and the pit have come upon us, desolation 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 trickleth down and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
Until 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 is painful to me on account of all the daughters of my city.
52 For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
They that are my enemies without cause hunt me down like a bird;
53 They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
They take away my life in the dungeon; they cast a stone upon me;
54 Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
Waters flow over my head; I say, “I am undone!”
55 I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
I call upon thy name, O Jehovah, from the deep dungeon;
56 You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
Hear thou my voice! hide not thine ear from my cry for relief!
57 You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
Be near to me, when I call upon thee! Say, “Fear not!”
58 You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
Thou maintainest my cause, O Lord; thou redeemest my life!
59 Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
Thou, O Jehovah, seest the wrong done to me; Maintain thou my cause!
60 You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
Thou seest all their vengeance, all their devices against me.
61 Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
Thou hearest their reproach, O Jehovah, all their devices against me,
62 How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
The words of my adversaries, and their machinations against me all the day long!
63 Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
Behold their sitting down and their rising up! I am their song.
64 Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
Render to 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!
Give them blindness of mind! thy curse be upon them!
66 Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
Pursue them in thine anger, and destroy them from under Jehovah's heaven!
