Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
I am a man who has seen misery under the rod of Yahweh's fury.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
He drove me away and caused me to walk in darkness rather than light.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
Surely he turned his hand against me again and again, the whole day long.
4 My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.
He made my flesh and my skin waste away; he broke my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
He built up siege works against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.
He made me live in dark places, like those who died long ago.
7 He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.
He built a wall around me and I cannot escape. He made my chains heavy
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
and though I call out and cry for help, he shut out my prayer.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
He blocked my path with a wall of hewn stone; he made my paths crooked.
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
He is like a bear waiting to ambush me, a lion in hiding;
11 He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
he turned aside my paths, he has made me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
He bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrow.
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
He pierced my kidneys with the arrows of his quiver.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
I became a laughingstock to all my people, the object of their taunting all day long.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
He filled me with bitterness and forced me to drink wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
He has made my teeth grind with gravel, and he made me cower in the ashes.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
My soul is deprived of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
So I say, “My endurance has perished and so has my hope in Yahweh.”
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
I continually remember it and I am bowed down within me.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
But I call this to mind and therefore I have hope:
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
The steadfast love of Yahweh never ceases and his compassions never end,
23 They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
they are new every morning; your faithfulness is great.
24 The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
“Yahweh is my inheritance,” I said, therefore I will hope in him.
25 The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.
Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the one who seeks him.
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
It is good to wait silently for the salvation of Yahweh.
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.
Let him sit alone in silence, when it is laid upon him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.
Let him put his mouth in the dust—there may yet be hope.
30 Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
Let him offer his cheek to the one who strikes him, and let him be filled to the full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
For the Lord will not reject us forever,
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
but though he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
For he does not afflict from his heart or torment the children of mankind.
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,
to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High,
36 In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord seeth it not.
to deny justice to a person—the Lord would not approve such things!
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord decreed it?
38 Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and the good come?
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
How can any person alive complain? How can a person complain about the punishment for his sins?
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to Yahweh.
41 Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in the heavens:
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
“We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven.
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us, you have killed and you have not spared.
44 Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.
You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.
You have made us like filthy scum and refuse among the nations.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
All our enemies curse us,
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
panic and pitfall have come upon us, ruin and destruction.
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
My eyes flow with streams of tears because my people are destroyed.
49 Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
My eyes will shed tears without ceasing, without relief,
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
until Yahweh from heaven looks down and sees.
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
My eyes cause me grief because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies; they hunted me without a reason.
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
They cast me into a pit and they threw a stone on me,
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
and they caused waters to overflow, covering my head. I said, 'I have been cut off!'
55 I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.
I called on your name, Yahweh, from the depths of the pit.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
You heard my voice when I said, 'Do not close your ear to my cry for help.'
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
You came near on the day I called on you; you said, 'Do not fear.'
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
Lord, you defended my case, you saved my life!
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
Yahweh, you have seen the wrong they have done to me; judge my case.
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
You have seen their insults, all their plots against me—
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
You have heard their scorn, Yahweh, and all their plans regarding me.
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
The lips and the accusations of my enemies come against me all the day.
63 Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
Look at how they sit and then rise up; they mock me with their songs.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
Pay back to them, Yahweh, according to what they have done.
65 Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
You will let their hearts be shameless! May your condemnation be upon them!
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
You pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens, Yahweh!”
