Lamentations 3
1 I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.
He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.
Surely he turns his hand against 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 made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall, and labour.
He has built 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 has made me dwell in dark places, as 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 walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.
8 Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.
Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.
He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
10 He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
11 He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.
He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
14 I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.
15 He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.
He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.
He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
17 Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,
You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
18 And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,
I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from the LORD.”
19 Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
20 My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
21 I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.
This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
22 It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.
It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail.
23 They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.
They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will 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 wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.
It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait 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.
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid 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 it is so that there may be hope.
30 Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.
Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
31 For the Lord will not forsake for euer.
For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
33 For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,
For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,
To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,
to turn 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.
to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.
37 Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?
Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?
38 Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?
Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
39 Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.
Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
41 Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.
Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.
“We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
43 Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.
“You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
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 an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
46 All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.
“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.
Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
48 Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,
My eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,
50 Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.
until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
51 Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.
My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.
They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
53 They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.
Waters flowed 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 your name, LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.
You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
57 Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.
You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
58 O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.
Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
59 O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.
LORD, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
60 Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.
You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:
You have heard their reproach, LORD, and all their plans against me,
62 The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.
the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
63 Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.
You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
64 Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.
You will pay them back, LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.
You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
66 Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.
You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
