Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
I am the man who has seen trouble by the rod of his wrath.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
By him I have been made to go in the dark where there is no light.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
Truly against me his hand has been turned again and again all the day.
4 My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.
My flesh and my skin have been used up by him and my bones broken.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
He has put up a wall against me, shutting me in with bitter sorrow.
6 He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
He has kept me in dark places, like those who have been long dead.
7 He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
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.
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
Even when I send up a cry for help, he keeps my prayer shut out.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
He has put up a wall of cut stones about my ways, he has made my roads twisted.
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places.
11 He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been pulled in bits; he has made me waste.
12 He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
With his bow bent, he has made me the mark for his arrows.
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
He has let loose his arrows into the inmost parts of my body.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
I have become the sport of all the peoples; I am their song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
He has made my life nothing but pain, he has given me the bitter root in full measure.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
By him my teeth have been broken with crushed stones, and I am bent low in the dust.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
My soul is sent far away from peace, I have no more memory of good.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
And I said, My strength is cut off, and my hope from the Lord.
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
Keep in mind my trouble and my wandering, the bitter root and the poison.
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
My soul still keeps the memory of them; and is bent down in me.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
This I keep in mind, and because of this I have hope.
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
It is through the Lord's love that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.
23 They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
They are new every morning; great is your good faith.
24 The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
I said to myself, The Lord is my heritage; and because of this I will have hope in him.
25 The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.
The Lord is good to those who are waiting for him, to the soul which is looking for him.
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
It is good to go on hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth.
It is good for a man to undergo the yoke when he is young.
28 He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.
Let him be seated by himself, saying nothing, because he has put it on him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if by chance there may be hope.
30 Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
Let his face be turned to him who gives him blows; let him be full of shame.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
For the Lord does not give a man up for ever.
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
For though he sends grief, still he will have pity in the full measure of his love.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
For he has no pleasure in troubling and causing grief to the children of men.
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
In a man's crushing under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35 In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,
In his turning away the right of a man before the face of the Most High.
36 In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord seeth it not.
In his doing wrong to a man in his cause, the Lord has no pleasure.
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
Who is able to say a thing, and give effect to it, if it has not been ordered by the Lord?
38 Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?
Do not evil and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
What protest may a living man make, even a man about the punishment of his sin?
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
Let us make search and put our ways to the test, turning again to the Lord;
41 Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
Lifting up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
We have done wrong and gone against your law; we have not had your forgiveness.
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
Covering yourself with wrath you have gone after us, cutting us off without pity;
44 Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
Covering yourself with a cloud, so that prayer may not get through.
45 Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
You have made us like waste and that for which there is no use, among the peoples.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
The mouths of all our haters are open wide against us.
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
Fear and deep waters have come on us, wasting and destruction.
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Rivers of water are running down from my eyes, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
My eyes are streaming without stopping, they have no rest,
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
Till the Lord's eye is turned on me, till he sees my trouble from heaven.
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
The Lord is unkind to my soul, more than all the daughters of my town.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
They who are against me without cause have gone hard after me as if I was a bird;
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
They have put an end to my life in the prison, stoning me with stones.
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
Waters were flowing over my head; I said, I am cut off.
55 I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
I was making prayer to your name, O Lord, out of the lowest prison.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
My voice came to you; let not your ear be shut to my breathing, to my cry.
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
You came near in the day when I made my prayer to you: you said, Have no fear.
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
O Lord, you have taken up the cause of my soul, you have made my life safe.
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
O Lord, you have seen my wrong; be judge in my cause.
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
You have seen all the evil rewards they have sent on me, and all their designs against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
Their bitter words have come to your ears, O Lord, and all their designs against me;
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
The lips of those who came up against me, and their thoughts against me all the day.
63 Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
Take note of them when they are seated, and when they get up; I am their song.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
You will give them their reward, O Lord, answering to the work of their hands.
65 Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
You will let their hearts be covered over with your curse on them.
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
You will go after them in wrath, and put an end to them from under the heavens of the Lord.
