Lamentations 3
1 I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
I AM the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
He has led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
3 Surely against me he turns his hand again and again all the day.
Surely against me is he turned; he turns his hand against me all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin he has made old; he has broken my bones.
My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones.
5 He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
He has built against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 He has made me to dwell in dark places, like those that have been long dead.
He has set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
7 He has walled me in, so I can't escape; he has made my chains heavy.
He has hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he has made my chain heavy.
8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
Also when I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone; he has made my paths crooked.
He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone, he has made my paths crooked.
10 He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
He was to me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
11 He has obstructed my path, and torn me in pieces; he has made me desolate.
He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he has made me desolate.
12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to pierce my inward parts.
He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I have become a laughingstock to all peoples, and their song all the day.
I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has given me in full measure wormwood.
He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel; he has pressed me down in the dust.
He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he has covered me with ashes.
17 You have removed my soul far away from peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
And you have removed my soul far off from peace: I forgot prosperity.
18 And I said, "My strength and my hope has perished from YHWH."
And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
Remembering my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul considers them, and is depressed.
My soul has them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
21 But this I call to my mind; therefore I have hope:
This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 YHWH's faithful love does not cease; his compassion does not fail.
It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.
24 "YHWH is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
The LORD is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 YHWH is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
The LORD is good to them that wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of YHWH.
It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke while he is young.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence when he is disciplining him.
He sits alone and keeps silence, because he has borne it on him.
29 Let him put his mouth to the dust, there may yet be hope.
He puts his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him; let him be filled with insults.
He gives his cheek to him that smites him: he is filled full with reproach.
31 For YHWH will not reject forever.
For the LORD will not cast off for ever:
32 For though he may cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the abundance of his loving kindness.
But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For he is not predisposed to bring affliction or suffering to human beings.
For he does not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth;
To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.
35 to deprive a man of justice 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 cause, YHWH does not approve.
To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approves not.
37 Who can speak a thing and have it come to pass, unless YHWH has commanded it?
Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord commands it not?
38 Doesn't both calamity and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good?
39 Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us examine and search our ways, and return to YHWH.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled, and you have not forgiven.
We have transgressed and have rebelled: you have not pardoned.
43 You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you killed without sparing.
You have covered with anger, and persecuted us: you have slain, you have not pitied.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
You have covered yourself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
45 You have made us rubbish and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
You have made us as the offscouring and refuse in the middle of the people.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.
Fear and a snare is come on us, desolation and destruction.
48 Streams of tears run down from my eyes because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
My eye runs down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My tears flow and do not cease, without respite,
My eye trickles down, and ceases not, without any intermission.
50 until YHWH looks down and sees from heaven.
Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
51 My eyes bring my soul grief, because of all the daughters of my city.
My eye affects my heart because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
My enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in a pit, and have cast a stone on me.
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed over my head; I said, 'I am finished.'
Waters flowed over my head; then I said, I am cut off.
55 I called on your name, YHWH, out of the depths of the pit.
I called on your name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.
56 You heard my voice; do not hide your ear at my sighs, to my cry.
You have heard my voice: hide not your ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 You drew near in the day that I called on you; you said, "Do not be afraid."
You drew near in the day that I called on you: you said, Fear not.
58 YHWH, you have taken up the case for my soul; you have redeemed my life.
O LORD, you have pleaded the causes of my soul; you have redeemed my life.
59 You have seen, YHWH, the wrong done to me; judge my case.
O LORD, you have seen my wrong: judge you my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their plots against me.
You have seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
61 You have heard their insults, YHWH, and all their plots against me.
You have heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Look their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their mocking song.
Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music.
64 You will render to them what they deserve, YHWH, according to the work of their hands.
Render to them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them hardness of heart as your curse to them.
Give them sorrow of heart, your curse to them.
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of YHWH.
Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.
