Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
He has driven me away, forcing me to walk in darkness instead of the light.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
4 My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.
He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
6 He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
7 He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
11 He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
12 He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
He has filled me with bitterness; he has filled me up with bitter wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
That's why I say, “My expectation of a long life is gone, along with all that I hoped for from Lord.
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
But I still hope when I think about this:
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
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.
23 They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
24 The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my 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 trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
27 It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth.
It is good for people to learn to patiently bear discipline while they're still young.
28 He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.
They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
30 Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
35 In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,
Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
36 In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord seeth it not.
Or cheating someone in their legal case—these things the Lord doesn't approve of.
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
38 Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?
When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
41 Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
“We are the ones who sinned; we are the ones who rebelled; and you haven't forgiven us!”
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
44 Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
45 Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
49 Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
55 I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
63 Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
65 Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
