Lamentations 3
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
I am the man that hath seen affliction under the rod of His wrath;
2 He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
He hath led me and brought me into darkness, and not into light;
3 Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.
Yea, against me doth he again and again turn his hand all the day long.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
He hath builded against me, and encompassed me with bitterness and woe.
6 He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
He hath set me in dark places, as those that have long been dead.
7 He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.
He hath hedged me about, so that I cannot get out; he hath made my chain heavy;
8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
Yea, when I cry and call aloud, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
He blocketh up my way with hewn stone; he maketh my paths crooked.
10 He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
A bear lying in wait hath he been to me, a lion in lurking-places.
11 He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
He hath turned aside my ways, and torn me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
He hath caused the sons of his quiver to pierce my reins.
14 I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.
I have been a laughing-stock to all my people, their song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.
He hath filled me with bitterness; he hath made me drunk with wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel-stones; He hath covered me with ashes.
17 You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
Yea, thou hast removed my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
18 I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”
And I say, “My confidence and my hope in Jehovah are gone!”
19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
Yea, thou wilt remember them, for my soul sinketh within me!
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope;
22 It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail.
It is of the mercy of Jehovah that we are not consumed; yea, his compassion faileth not;
23 They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
It is new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”
Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul, therefore do I hope in him.
25 Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
Jehovah is good to them that trust in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh.
It is good that a man hope, and quietly wait for salvation from Jehovah.
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 has laid it on him.
That he sit alone and keep silence, since He layeth it upon him;
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
That he put his mouth in the dust, [[saying to himself, ]] “Perhaps there may be hope!”
30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
That he offer his cheek to the smiter; that he be filled with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
For the Lord will not cast off forever;
32 For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
For though he cause grief, yet doth he have compassion according to his great mercy;
33 For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
For he doth not willingly afflict and grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
Doth one trample under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
Doth he bend the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.
Doth he subvert a man in his cause, and shall not the Lord behold it?
37 Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord hath not commanded?
38 Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
Cometh not evil, as well as good, from the mouth of the Most High?
39 Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
Wherefore then murmureth the living man? Let him murmur at his own sin!
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah!
41 Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens!
42 “We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
We have transgressed; we have rebelled; thou hast not forgiven!
43 “You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
Thou hast hidden thyself in anger, and hast pursued us; thou hast slain and hast not spared;
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
Thou hast hidden thyself in a cloud, that our prayer may not pass through;
45 You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
Thou hast made us the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the nations.
46 “All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
All our enemies have opened their mouths against us;
47 Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
Terror and the pit have come upon us, desolation and destruction;
48 My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,
Mine eye trickleth down and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 until Yahweh looks down, and sees from heaven.
Until Jehovah look down and behold from heaven.
51 My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
Mine eye is painful to me on account of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
They that are my enemies without cause hunt me down like a bird;
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
They take away my life in the dungeon; they cast a stone upon me;
54 Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
Waters flow over my head; I say, “I am undone!”
55 I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.
I call upon thy name, O Jehovah, from the deep dungeon;
56 You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
Hear thou my voice! hide not thine ear from my cry for relief!
57 You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
Be near to me, when I call upon thee! Say, “Fear not!”
58 Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
Thou maintainest my cause, O Lord; thou redeemest my life!
59 Yahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
Thou, O Jehovah, seest the wrong done to me; Maintain thou my cause!
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
Thou seest all their vengeance, all their devices against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their plans against me,
Thou hearest their reproach, O Jehovah, all their devices against me,
62 the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
The words of my adversaries, and their machinations against me all the day long!
63 You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
Behold their sitting down and their rising up! I am their song.
64 You will pay them back, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.
Render to them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands!
65 You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
Give them blindness of mind! thy curse be upon them!
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.
Pursue them in thine anger, and destroy them from under Jehovah's heaven!
