Lamentations 3

1 I, am the man, that hath seen affliction, by the rod of his indignation;

2 Me, hath he driven out and brought into darkness, and not light;

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

4 He hath worn out my flesh and my skin, hath broken my bones;

5 He hath built up against me, and carried round me, fortifications and a trench;

6 In dark places, hath he made me sit, like the dead of age-past times.

7 He hath walled up around me, that I cannot get out, hath weighted my fetter;

8 Yea, when I make outcry and implore, he hath shut out my prayer;

9 He hath walled in my ways with hewn stone, my paths, hath he caused to wind back.

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

11 My ways, hath he turned aside, and hath torn me in pieces, hath made me desolate;

12 He hath trodden his bow, and set me up, as a mark for the arrow.

13 He hath caused to enter my reins, the sons of his quiver;

14 I have become a derision to all my people, their song all the day;

15 He hath sated me with bitter things, hath drenched me with wormwood.

16 And he hath crushed, with gravel-stones, my teeth, hath made me cower in ashes;

17 And thou hast thrust away from welfare, my soul, I have forgotten prosperity;

18 And I said, Vanished is mine endurance, even mine expectation, from Yahweh.

19 Remember my humiliation and my fleeings, the wormwood and poison;

20 Thou wilt, indeed remember, that, bowed down concerning myself, is my soul;

21 This, will I bring back to my heart, therefore, will I hope.

22 The lovingkindnesses of Yahweh, verily they are not exhausted, Verily! not at an end, are his compassions:

23 New things for the mornings! Abundant is thy faithfulness:

24 My portion, is Yahweh, saith my soul, For this cause, will I wait for him.

25 Good is Yahweh, to them who wait for him, to the soul that will seek him;

26 Good it is—both to wait and to be silent, for the deliverance of Yahweh;

27 Good it is for a man, that he should bear the yoke in his youth.

28 Let him sit alone, and keep silence, because he took it upon himself:

29 Let him put, in the dust, his mouth, peradventure, there is hope!

30 Let him give, to him that smiteth him, his cheek, let him be sated with reproach.

31 Surely My Lord, will not cast off, unto times age-abiding;

32 Surely, though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion, according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses;

33 Surely he hath not afflicted from his heart, nor caused sorrow to the sons of men.

34 To crush, under his feet, any of the prisoners of the earth;

35 To turn aside the right of a man, before the face of the Most High;

36 To oppress a son of earth in his cause, My Lord, hath made no provision.

37 Who was it that spake, and it was done, [when], My Lord, had not commanded?

38 Out of the mouth of the Most High, Proceed there not misfortunes and blessing?

39 Why should a living son of earth complain, [Let] a man [complain] because of his sins?

40 Let us search out our ways, and examine them well, and let us return unto Yahweh;

41 Let us lift up our heart, to the opened palms, to the Mighty One in the heavens;

42 We, have trespassed and rebelled, Thou, hast not pardoned.

43 Thou hast covered thyself with anger, and pursued us, hast slain—hast not spared;

44 Thou hast screened thyself with the clouds, that prayer, should not pass through;

45 Offscouring and refuse, dost thou make us, in the midst of the peoples.

46 With their mouth, opened wide over us, [stand] all our foes.

47 Terror and a pit, have befallen us, tumult and grievous injury;

48 With streams of water, mine eye runneth down, over the grievous injury of the daughter of my people.

49 Mine eye, poureth itself out and ceaseth not, without relief;

50 Until Yahweh out of the heavens shall look forth, and see,

51 Mine eye dealeth severely with my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

52 They, have laid snares, for me as a bird, who are mine enemies without cause:

53 They have cut off, in the dungeon, my life, and have cast a stone upon me;

54 Waters, flowed over, my head, I said, I am cut off!

55 I have called upon thy Name, O Yahweh, out of the dungeon below;

56 My voice, thou hast heard, —do not close thine ear to my respite, to mine outcry;

57 Thou drewest near, in the day I kept calling on thee, thou saidst, Do not fear!

58 Thou hast pleaded, O My Lord, the pleas of my soul, hast redeemed my life;

59 Thou hast beheld, O Yahweh, my failure to get justice, Pronounce thou my sentence;

60 Thou hast seen all their vindictiveness, all their plots against me.

61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Yahweh, all their plots against me;

62 The lips of mine assailants, and their mutterings, are against me, all the day;

63 On their downsitting and their uprising, do thou look, I, am their song.

64 Thou wilt render to them a recompense, O Yahweh, according to the work of their hands;

65 Thou wilt suffer them a veiling of heart, thy curse to them;

66 Thou wilt pursue in anger, and wilt destroy them, from under the heavens of Yahweh.