Lamentations 3

1 I am the man who hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

2 Me hath he driven out, and led into darkness, but not into light.

3 Surely against me doth he turn again and again his hand all the day.

4 He hath caused my flesh and my skin to wear out, he hath broken my bones.

5 He hath built around me, and encompassed me with poison and hardship.

6 In dark places hath he set me to dwell, like the dead of olden times.

7 He hath placed a fence round about me, that I cannot get out; he hath made heavy my chain.

8 Also when I cry aloud and make entreaty, he shutteth out my prayer.

9 He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stone, my paths hath he made crooked.

10 A bear lying in wait is he to me, a lion in secret places.

11 On my ways hath he placed thorns, and torn me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

12 He hath bent his bow, and placed me as a mark for the arrow.

13 He hath caused to enter into my reins the children of his quiver.

14 I am become a laughing-stock to all my people, their [jeering] song all the day.

15 He hath sated me with bitter things, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.

16 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.

18 And I said, Lost is my strength, my expectation also from the Lord.

19 Remembering my affliction and [the cause of] my complaint, wormwood and poison.

20 Remembering [this] continually my soul is bowed down deeply within me.

21 [Yet] this answer will I give to my heart: therefore will I wait [in confidence].

22 It is through the Lord's kindness that we are not consumed, because his mercies have no end;

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul, therefore will I wait for him.

25 The Lord is good unto those that hope in 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.

27 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;

29 That he put his mouth in the dust; perhaps there still is hope;

30 That he offer his cheek to him that smiteth him; that he be satisfied with reproach.

31 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.

33 For he doth not afflict of his own will, and aggrieve the children of men.

34 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.

36 To subvert a man in his contest—should the Lord not see this?

37 Who is he that saith aught, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord hath not ordained it?

38 Do not out of the mouth of the Most High come both the evil things and the good?

39 Wherefore should a living man complain? let every man complain because of his sins.

40 Let us search through and investigate our ways, and let us return to the Lord.

41 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.

43 Thou hast covered [us] with thy anger, and made pursuit after us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that no prayer should pass through.

45 As something loathsome and rejected hast thou rendered us in the midst of the people.

46 Wide have all our enemies opened against us their mouth.

47 Terror and a snare are come upon us, [with] desolation and breaches.

48 With streams of water runneth my eye down, because of the breach of the daughter of my people.

49 My eye trickleth down, and resteth not, without any intermission,

50 Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.

51 My eye affecteth my soul because of all the daughters of my city.

52 Those who are my enemies, without a cause, have chased me about like a bird.

53 They have shut up in the dungeon my life, and have cast stones upon me.

54 Waters streamed over my head: I said, I am cut off.

55 I called on thy name, O Lord, out of the dungeon of the lowest depth.

56 Thou didst hear my voice: hide not thy ear to give me enlargement at my cry.

57 Thou wast ever near on the day that I called on thee: thou saidst, Fear not.

58 Thou didst plead, O Lord, the causes of my soul: thou didst [before this] redeem my life.

59 Thou hast [now] seen, O Lord, the wrong I suffer: judge thou my cause.

60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their plans against me.

61 Thou hast heard their reviling, O Lord, all their plans against me,

62 The speeches of these that rise 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.

64 Render unto them a recompense, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.

65 Give them confusion of heart, thy curse he upon them.

66 Pursue them in anger and destroy from under the heavens of the Lord.