Lamentations 3
1 [ALEPH-BET] I [am] the man [who] has seen affliction By the rod of His wrath.
I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
2 He has led me, and causes to go [in] darkness, and without light.
He has driven me away, forcing me to walk in darkness instead of the light.
3 Surely against me He turns back, He turns His hand all the day.
In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
4 He has worn out my flesh and my skin. He has broken my bones.
He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
5 He has built up against me, And sets around poverty and weariness.
He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
6 In dark places He has caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.
He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
7 He has hedged me in, and I do not go out, He has made heavy my chain.
He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
8 Also when I call and cry out, He has shut out my prayer.
Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
9 He has hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He has made crooked.
He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
10 A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, A lion in secret hiding places.
He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
11 My ways He is turning aside, and He pulls me in pieces, He has made me a desolation.
He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
12 He has bent His bow, And sets me up as a mark for an arrow.
He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
13 He has caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.
He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
14 I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.
Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitter things, He has filled me [with] wormwood.
He has filled me with bitterness; he has filled me up with bitter wormwood.
16 And He breaks with gravel my teeth, He has covered me with ashes.
He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
17 And You cast off my soul from peace, I have forgotten prosperity.
Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
18 And I say, My strength and my hope have perished from YHWH.
That's why I say, “My expectation of a long life is gone, along with all that I hoped for from Lord.
19 Remember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!
Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
20 Remember well, and my soul bows down in me.
I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
21 This I turn to my heart—therefore I hope.
But I still hope when I think about this:
22 The kindnesses of YHWH! For we have not been consumed, For His mercies have not ended.
It's because of the Lord's trustworthy love that our lives are not finished, for through his merciful actions he never lets us down.
23 New every morning, abundant [is] Your faithfulness.
He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
24 My portion [is] YHWH, my soul has said, Therefore I hope for Him.
The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my hope in him.”
25 YHWH [is] good to those waiting for Him, To the soul [that] seeks Him.
The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
26 [It is] good when one stays and stands still For the salvation of YHWH.
It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
27 [It is] good for a man that he bears a yoke in his youth.
It is good for people to learn to patiently bear discipline while they're still young.
28 He sits alone, and is silent, For He has laid [it] on him.
They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
29 He puts his mouth in the dust, if so be, there is hope.
They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
30 He gives to his striker the cheek, He is filled with reproach.
They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
31 For the Lord does not cast off for all time.
For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
32 For though He afflicted, yet He has pitied, According to the abundance of His kindness.
Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
33 For He has not afflicted with His heart, Nor does He grieve the sons of men.
For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
34 To bruise under one’s feet any bound ones of earth,
Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
35 To turn aside the judgment of a man, Before the face of the Most High,
Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord has not approved.
Or cheating someone in their legal case—these things the Lord doesn't approve of.
37 Who [is] this—he has spoken, and it is, [And] the Lord has not commanded [it]?
Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
38 From the mouth of the Most High does not go forth the evils and the good.
When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
39 Why does a living man sigh habitually, A man for his sin?
Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
40 We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back to YHWH.
We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
41 We lift up our heart on the hands to God in the heavens.
Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
42 We have transgressed and been rebellious, You have not forgiven.
“We are the ones who sinned; we are the ones who rebelled; and you haven't forgiven us!”
43 You have covered Yourself with anger, And pursue us; You have slain—You have not pitied.
You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud, So that prayer does not pass through.
You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
45 Outcast and refuse You make us In the midst of the peoples.
You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
46 Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
47 Fear and a snare has been for us, Desolation and destruction.
We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
48 Streams of water go down my eye, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
49 My eye is poured out, And does not cease without intermission,
My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
50 Until YHWH looks and sees from the heavens,
Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
51 My eye affects my soul, Because of all the daughters of my city.
What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
52 Hunting—my enemies have hunted me without cause like the bird.
For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, And they cast a stone against me.
They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
54 Waters have flowed over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
55 I called Your Name, O YHWH, from the lower pit.
I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
56 You have heard my voice, do not hide Your ear at my breathing—at my cry.
You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
57 You have drawn near in the day I call You, You have said, Do not fear.
You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
58 You have pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, You have redeemed my life.
You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
59 You have seen, O YHWH, my overthrow, Judge my cause.
Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
60 You have seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me.
You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O YHWH, All their thoughts against me,
Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
62 The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation against me all the day.
How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
63 Their sitting down, and their rising up, Behold attentively, I [am] their song.
Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
64 You return to them the deed, O YHWH, According to the work of their hands.
Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
65 You give to them a covered heart, Your curse to them.
Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
66 You pursue in anger, and destroy them, From under the heavens of YHWH!
Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
