Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
I am the man who hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
Me hath he driven out, and led into darkness, but not into light.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
Surely against me doth he turn again and again his hand all the day.
4 My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.
He hath caused my flesh and my skin to wear out, he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
He hath built around me, and encompassed me with poison and hardship.
6 He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
In dark places hath he set me to dwell, like the dead of olden times.
7 He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
He hath placed a fence round about me, that I cannot get out; he hath made heavy my chain.
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
Also when I cry aloud and make entreaty, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stone, my paths hath he made crooked.
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
A bear lying in wait is he to me, a lion in secret places.
11 He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
On my ways hath he placed thorns, and torn me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
He hath bent his bow, and placed me as a mark for the arrow.
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
He hath caused to enter into my reins the children of his quiver.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
I am become a laughing-stock to all my people, their [jeering] song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
He hath sated me with bitter things, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel-stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
And my soul hath given up all thoughts of peace: I forget happiness.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
And I said, Lost is my strength, my expectation also from the Lord.
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
Remembering my affliction and [the cause of] my complaint, wormwood and poison.
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
Remembering [this] continually my soul is bowed down deeply within me.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
[Yet] this answer will I give to my heart: therefore will I wait [in confidence].
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
It is through the Lord's kindness that we are not consumed, because his mercies have no end;
23 They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I wait for him.
25 The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.
The Lord is good unto those that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
It is good that one should wait and this in silence 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 that he bear the yoke in his youth;
28 He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.
That he sit in solitude and be silent; because He hath laid it upon him;
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
That he put his mouth in the dust; perhaps there still is hope;
30 Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
That he offer his cheek to him that smiteth him; that he be satisfied with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
For the Lord will not cast off for ever;
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
But though he have caused grief, yet will he have mercy according to the abundance of his kindnesses.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
For he doth not afflict of his own will, and aggrieve the children of men.
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35 In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,
To pervert the justice [due to man] before the face of the Most High.
36 In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord seeth it not.
To subvert a man in his contest—should the Lord not see this?
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
Who is he that saith aught, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord hath not ordained it?
38 Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?
Do not out of the mouth of the Most High come both the evil things and the good?
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
Wherefore should a living man complain? let every man complain because of his sins.
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
Let us search through and investigate our ways, and let us return to the Lord.
41 Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
We have indeed transgressed and rebelled: thou hast truly not pardoned.
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
Thou hast covered [us] with thy anger, and made pursuit after us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that no prayer should pass through.
45 Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
As something loathsome and rejected hast thou rendered us in the midst of the people.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
Wide have all our enemies opened against us their mouth.
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
Terror and a snare are come upon us, [with] desolation and breaches.
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
With streams of water runneth my eye down, because of the breach of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
My eye trickleth down, and resteth not, without any intermission,
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
My eye affecteth my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
Those who are my enemies, without a cause, have chased me about like a bird.
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
They have shut up in the dungeon my life, and have cast stones upon me.
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
Waters streamed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
55 I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
I called on thy name, O Lord, out of the dungeon of the lowest depth.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
Thou didst hear my voice: hide not thy ear to give me enlargement at my cry.
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
Thou wast ever near on the day that I called on thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
Thou didst plead, O Lord, the causes of my soul: thou didst [before this] redeem my life.
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
Thou hast [now] seen, O Lord, the wrong I suffer: judge thou my cause.
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their plans against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
Thou hast heard their reviling, O Lord, all their plans against me,
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
The speeches of these that rise up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
Oh look upon their sitting down, and their rising up: I am their [jeering] song.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
Render unto them a recompense, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
65 Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
Give them confusion of heart, thy curse he upon them.
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
Pursue them in anger and destroy from under the heavens of the Lord.
