Lamentations 3
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
I am the man that hath seen affliction under the rod of His wrath;
2 He hath 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 against me He turneth His hand again and again all the day.
Yea, against me doth he again and again turn his hand all the day long.
4 My flesh and my skin hath He worn out; He hath broken my bones.
My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
He hath builded against me, and encompassed me with bitterness and woe.
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
He hath set me in dark places, as those that have long been dead.
7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot go forth; He hath made my chain heavy.
He hath hedged me about, so that I cannot get out; he hath made my chain heavy;
8 Yea, when I cry and call for help, He shutteth out my prayer.
Yea, when I cry and call aloud, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone, He hath made my paths crooked.
He blocketh up my way with hewn stone; he maketh my paths crooked.
10 He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
A bear lying in wait hath he been to me, a lion in lurking-places.
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; He hath made me desolate.
He hath turned aside my ways, and torn me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath 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 hath caused the arrows of His quiver to enter into my reins.
He hath caused the sons of his quiver to pierce my reins.
14 I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
I have been a laughing-stock to all my people, their song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, He hath sated me with wormwood.
He hath filled me with bitterness; he hath made me drunk with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, He hath made me to wallow in ashes.
He hath also broken my teeth with gravel-stones; He hath covered me with ashes.
17 And my soul is removed far off from peace, I forgot prosperity.
Yea, thou hast removed my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
18 And I said: 'My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.'
And I say, “My confidence and my hope in Jehovah are gone!”
19 Remember mine affliction and mine anguish, the wormwood and the gall.
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, 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 have I hope.
This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope;
22 Surely the LORD'S mercies are not consumed, surely His compassions fail not.
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 Thy faithfulness.
It is new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 'The LORD is my portion', saith my soul; 'Therefore will I hope in Him.'
Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul, therefore do I hope in him.
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.
Jehovah is good to them that trust in him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
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 hath laid it upon him.
That he sit alone and keep silence, since He layeth it upon him;
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be 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 that smiteth him, let him be filled full with reproach.
That he offer his cheek to the smiter; that he be filled with 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 cause grief, yet doth he have compassion according to his great mercy;
33 For He doth 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 aside 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 approveth not.
Doth he subvert a man in his cause, and shall not the Lord behold it?
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord hath not commanded?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good?
Cometh not evil, as well as good, from the mouth of the Most High?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a strong man because 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 return to the LORD.
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah!
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto 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; Thou hast not pardoned.
We have transgressed; we have rebelled; thou hast not forgiven!
43 Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; Thou hast slain unsparingly.
Thou hast hidden thyself in anger, and hast pursued us; thou hast slain and hast not spared;
44 Thou hast covered Thyself 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 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst 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 are come upon us, desolation and destruction.
Terror and the pit have come upon us, desolation and destruction;
48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the breach of the daughter of my people.
Mine eye runneth down with streams of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye is poured out, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
Mine eye trickleth down and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Till the LORD look forth, and behold from heaven.
Until Jehovah look down and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye affected 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 sore like a bird, that are mine 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 stones upon 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 upon Thy name, O LORD, Out of the lowest dungeon.
I call upon thy name, O Jehovah, from the deep dungeon;
56 Thou heardest my voice; hide not Thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.
Hear thou my voice! hide not thine ear from my cry for relief!
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon Thee; Thou saidst: 'Fear not.'
Be near to me, when I call upon thee! Say, “Fear not!”
58 O Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; Thou hast redeemed my life.
Thou maintainest my cause, O Lord; thou redeemest my life!
59 O LORD, Thou hast seen my wrong; judge Thou my cause.
Thou, O Jehovah, seest the wrong done to me; Maintain thou my cause!
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
Thou seest all their vengeance, all their devices against me.
61 Thou hast heard their taunt, O LORD, and all their devices 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 muttering against me all the day.
The words of my adversaries, and their machinations against me all the day long!
63 Behold Thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
Behold their sitting down and their rising up! I am their song.
64 Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
Render to them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands!
65 Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, Thy curse unto them.
Give them blindness of mind! thy curse be upon them!
66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
Pursue them in thine anger, and destroy them from under Jehovah's heaven!
