Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 Me hath he driven out, and led into darkness, but not into light.
He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
3 Surely against me doth he turn again and again his hand all the day.
Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
4 He hath caused my flesh and my skin to wear out, he hath broken my bones.
My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath built around me, and encompassed me with poison and hardship.
He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 In dark places hath he set me to dwell, like the dead of olden times.
He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
7 He hath placed a fence round about me, that I cannot get out; he hath made heavy my chain.
He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
8 Also when I cry aloud and make entreaty, he shutteth out my prayer.
Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stone, my paths hath he made crooked.
He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
10 A bear lying in wait is he to me, a lion in secret places.
He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
11 On my ways hath he placed thorns, and torn me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow, and placed me as a mark for the arrow.
He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He hath caused to enter into my reins the children of his quiver.
He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I am become a laughing-stock to all my people, their [jeering] song all the day.
I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 He hath sated me with bitter things, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel-stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
17 And my soul hath given up all thoughts of peace: I forget happiness.
And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.
18 And I said, Lost is my strength, my expectation also from the Lord.
And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from Yhwh:
19 Remembering my affliction and [the cause of] my complaint, wormwood and poison.
Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 Remembering [this] continually my soul is bowed down deeply within me.
My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
21 [Yet] this answer will I give to my heart: therefore will I wait [in confidence].
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is through the Lord's kindness that we are not consumed, because his mercies have no end;
It is of Yhwh's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I wait for him.
Yhwh is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The Lord is good unto those that hope in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
Yhwh is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that one should wait and this in silence for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yhwh.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth;
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 That he sit in solitude and be silent; because He hath laid it upon him;
He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
29 That he put his mouth in the dust; perhaps there still is hope;
He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
30 That he offer his cheek to him that smiteth him; that he be satisfied with reproach.
He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever;
For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
32 But though he have caused grief, yet will he have mercy according to the abundance of his kindnesses.
But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For he doth not afflict of his own will, and aggrieve the children of men.
For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35 To pervert the justice [due to man] before the face of the Most High.
To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
36 To subvert a man in his contest—should the Lord not see this?
To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.
37 Who is he that saith aught, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord hath not ordained it?
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Do not out of the mouth of the Most High come both the evil things and the good?
Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?
39 Wherefore should a living man complain? let every man complain because of his sins.
Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search through and investigate our ways, and let us return to the Lord.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yhwh.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 We have indeed transgressed and rebelled: thou hast truly not pardoned.
We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
43 Thou hast covered [us] with thy anger, and made pursuit after us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that no prayer should pass through.
Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
45 As something loathsome and rejected hast thou rendered us in the midst of the people.
Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 Wide have all our enemies opened against us their mouth.
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Terror and a snare are come upon us, [with] desolation and breaches.
Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.
48 With streams of water runneth my eye down, because of the breach of the daughter of my people.
Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye trickleth down, and resteth not, without any intermission,
Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
Till Yhwh look down, and behold from heaven.
51 My eye affecteth my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Those who are my enemies, without a cause, have chased me about like a bird.
Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.
53 They have shut up in the dungeon my life, and have cast stones upon me.
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters streamed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.
55 I called on thy name, O Lord, out of the dungeon of the lowest depth.
I called upon thy name, O Yhwh, out of the low dungeon.
56 Thou didst hear my voice: hide not thy ear to give me enlargement at my cry.
Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 Thou wast ever near on the day that I called on thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
58 Thou didst plead, O Lord, the causes of my soul: thou didst [before this] redeem my life.
O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 Thou hast [now] seen, O Lord, the wrong I suffer: judge thou my cause.
O Yhwh, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their plans against me.
Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reviling, O Lord, all their plans against me,
Thou hast heard their reproach, O Yhwh, and all their imaginations against me;
62 The speeches of these that rise up against me, and their device against me all the day.
The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Oh look upon their sitting down, and their rising up: I am their [jeering] song.
Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.
64 Render unto them a recompense, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
Render unto them a recompence, O Yhwh, according to the work of their hands.
65 Give them confusion of heart, thy curse he upon them.
Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 Pursue them in anger and destroy from under the heavens of the Lord.
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of Yhwh.
