Lamentations 3
1 I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness and not in light.
He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.
Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; 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 travail.
He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
7 He hath fenced me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
He has walled me about, so that I cannot go out. He has made my chain heavy.
8 Yea, when I cry and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.
Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
10 He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
11 He hath turned aside my ways, 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 set me as a mark for the arrow.
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
14 I am become 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 bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.
He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.
You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
18 And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.
I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from the LORD.”
19 Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
22 [It is of] the LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
It is because of the LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies do not fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation 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 bear the yoke in his youth.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust; if so be there may he hope.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 For though he cause grief, yet will he have 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 doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
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 foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 To turn aside 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 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.
to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord does not command it?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
Does not evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.
“We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
43 Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
“You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that [our] prayer should not pass through.
You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Thou hast made us [as] the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
46 all our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.
Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers 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 poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
My eye pours down and does not cease, without any intermission,
50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me sore like a bird, that are mine enemies without cause.
They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed over mine head; I said, I am cut off.
Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
55 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
I called on your name, LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
You heard my voice: “Do not hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Do not be afraid.”
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
LORD, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their devices against me;
You have heard their reproach, LORD, and all their plans against me,
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their imagination against me all the day.
the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
63 Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
64 Thou wilt render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
You will pay them back, LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
