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 brought me into darkness, but not into light.
He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me 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 besieged me, and surrounded me with gall and travail.
He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that are dead of old.
He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.
8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He hath inclosed 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 was to me as a bear lying in wait, and 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 arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
14 I was 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 made me drunk 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 forgot prosperity.
You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
18 And I said, My strength and my hope hath perished from the LORD:
I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from the LORD.”
19 Remembering my 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 humbled in 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 don’t 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 to 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 both 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 should bear the yoke in his youth.
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if there may be hope.
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is 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 But though he causeth 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 his feet 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 doesn’t 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 doesn’t command it?
38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?
Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
39 Why 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 to 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 persecuted 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 people.
You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.
Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
48 My 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 My eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
My eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,
50 Till the LORD shall look down, and behold from heaven.
until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
51 My eye affecteth my heart because of all the daughters of my city.
My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My enemies chased me hard, like a bird, 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 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 my head; then 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 low dungeon.
I called on your name, LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thy ear at my breathing, at my cry.
You heard my voice: “Don’t 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, “Don’t 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 imaginations 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 imaginations 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 they plot against me all the day.
the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music.
You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
64 Render to 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 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse to them.
You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.
You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
