Lamentations 3
1 I [, the one who am writing this, ] am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh because he was angry.
I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God's anger.
2 [It was as though] he caused me to walk in a very dark place without any light [at all].
He has driven me away, forcing me to walk in darkness instead of the light.
3 He has punished [IDM] me many times, all day, [every] day.
In fact he hits me again and again all day long.
4 He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old. He has broken my bones.
He has worn me out; he has broken me in pieces.
5 He has surrounded me [DOU] with bitterness and suffering.
He has besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and misery.
6 [It is as though] he has buried me in a dark place like [SIM] [the graves of] those who have been dead for a long time.
He has forced me to live in darkness like those long dead.
7 [It is as though] [MET] he has built a wall around me, and fastened/tied me with heavy chains, and I cannot escape.
He has built a wall around me so I can't escape; he has bound me with heavy chains.
8 Although I call out and cry out for him to help me, he does not pay attention to my prayers.
Even when I keep on crying out for help, he refuses to listen to my prayer.
9 [It is as though] he has blocked my path with a [high] stone [wall] and has caused my path to become crooked.
He has put stone blocks in my way and sends me down crooked paths.
10 He has waited to attack me like [SIM] a bear or a lion hides and waits [to attack other animals].
He is a bear that lies in wait for me, a lion in hiding ready to attack,
11 [It is as though] he has dragged me off the path and (mauled me/torn me into pieces), and left me without help.
He dragged me from my path and ripped me to pieces, leaving me helpless.
12 [It is as though] [MET] he bent his bow and caused me to become the target [at which he shot] his arrows.
He loaded his bow with an arrow and used me as his target,
13 [It is as though] he shot his arrows deep into my body.
He shot me in my kidneys with his arrows.
14 All my relatives laugh at me; all day, [every] day they sing songs that make fun of me.
Now everyone laughs at me, singing songs that mock me all day long.
15 He has filled me with (bitterness/great suffering), [like] [MET] someone who drinks a very bitter liquid suffers.
He has filled me with bitterness; he has filled me up with bitter wormwood.
16 [It is as though] he has caused me to chew gravel that broke my teeth, and he has trampled me in the dirt.
He has broken my teeth with grit; he has trampled me in the dust.
17 Things no longer go well for me; I no longer remember being prosperous.
Peace has been torn away from me; I've forgotten all that's good in life.
18 I [continued to] say [to myself], “I no longer expect to live much longer; I no longer confidently expect [to receive good things] from Yahweh!”
That's why I say, “My expectation of a long life is gone, along with all that I hoped for from Lord.
19 When I think about my suffering and my wandering [away from home], [it is like drinking] a very bitter [DOU] liquid.
Don't forget everything I've suffered in my wandering, as bitters as wormwood and poison.
20 I will never forget this time when I feel very depressed/discouraged [IDM].
I certainly haven't forgotten. I remember it all too well, so I sink into depression.
21 However, I confidently expect [Yahweh to do good things for me again] when I think about this:
But I still hope when I think about this:
22 Yahweh never stops faithfully loving [us], and he never stops being kind to us.
It's because of the Lord's trustworthy love that our lives are not finished, for through his merciful actions he never lets us down.
23 [He is the one whom we can] always trust/lean on. Every morning he is merciful [to us again].
He renews them every morning. How wonderfully trustworthy you are, Lord!
24 [So] I say to myself, “Yahweh is all that I need; so I will confidently wait for him [to do good things for me].”
The Lord is all I need,” I tell myself, “so I will put my hope in him.”
25 Yahweh is good to [all] those who depend on him, to those who seek his [help].
The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to anyone who seeks to follow him.
26 [So] it is good for us to wait quietly for Yahweh to save/rescue [us].
It is good to wait quietly for the Lord's salvation.
27 And it is good for us to [patiently] endure [suffering] while we are young.
It is good for people to learn to patiently bear discipline while they're still young.
28 Those [who seek his help] should sit by themselves, silently, [knowing that] it is Yahweh who has allowed/caused them to suffer.
They should sit by themselves in silence, because it's God who has disciplined them.
29 They should lie in the dirt, with their faces on the ground, [because] they can still hope [that Yahweh will help them].
They should bow low with their faces to the ground, for there may still be hope.
30 If someone strikes us on one cheek, we should turn the other cheek toward that person [in order that he may strike it, too], and accept/endure it when we are insulted.
They should turn a cheek to someone who wants to slap them; they should take the insults of others.
31 Yahweh does not abandon [us his people] forever.
For the Lord won't abandon us forever.
32 Sometimes he causes us to suffer, but sometimes he is kind [to us] because he continually and faithfully loves [us].
Even though he may bring sadness, he shows us mercy because his trustworthy love is so great.
33 And he is not happy about causing human beings to suffer or to be sad.
For he doesn't willingly hurt people, or cause them grief.
34 If people (mistreat all the prisoners/crush all the prisoners under their feet)
Whether it's mistreating all the prisoners of the land,
35 or if they rebel against God by refusing to give to people the things that it is right for them [to receive],
Or denying someone their rights as the Most High watches,
36 or if they cause judges to decide matters unjustly, (does Yahweh not see all those things?/Yahweh certainly sees all those things!) [RHQ]
Or cheating someone in their legal case—these things the Lord doesn't approve of.
37 No one can [RHQ] command something to happen [and then cause it to happen] if Yahweh has not already decided that it should happen.
Who spoke and it came into existence? Wasn't it the Lord who commanded it?
38 God in heaven [MTY] is [RHQ] the one who causes disasters to happen, and he [also] causes good things to happen.
When the Most High speaks it can be a disaster or a blessing.
39 [So] it is certainly not [RHQ] right for us, who are only humans, to complain when he punishes us for the sins that we have committed.
Why should any human being complain about the results of their sins?
40 Instead, we should (examine/think carefully about) our behavior; we should turn back to Yahweh.
We should look at ourselves, examine what we're doing, and return to the Lord.
41 We should pray [IDM] sincerely and lift up our arms toward God in heaven, [and say, ]
Let's not just hold up our hands to God in heaven, but our minds as well, saying,
42 “We have sinned and rebelled [against you], and you have not forgiven [us].
“We are the ones who sinned; we are the ones who rebelled; and you haven't forgiven us!”
43 You have surrounded us with your anger and pursued us; you have slaughtered [us] without pitying us.
You have wrapped yourself in anger and chased us down, killing without mercy. You have killed without pity.
44 You have hidden yourself in a cloud, with the result that you do not hear [us] when we pray.
You have wrapped yourself with a cloud that no prayer can penetrate.
45 You have caused [the people of other] nations to consider us to be only garbage [DOU].
You have made us waste and refuse to the nations around.
46 All our enemies have insulted us.
All our enemies open their mouths to criticize us.
47 We are constantly afraid [DOU], [because] we have experienced disasters and ruin [DOU].”
We're terrified and trapped, devastated and destroyed.
48 I cry a lot because my people have been destroyed.
Tears stream from my eyes over the death of my people.
49 My tears continually flow; they will not stop
My eyes overflow with tears all the time. They won't stop
50 until Yahweh looks down from heaven and sees [us].
Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what's going on.
51 I am very grieved because of [what has happened to] the women of my city.
What I've seen torments me because of what's happened to all the women in my city.
52 Those who are my enemies hunted for me like [SIM] [people hunt for] a bird [to kill it] [even though] there was no reason [for them to do that].
For no reason my enemies trapped me like a bird.
53 They threw me into a pit to kill me, and they threw stones on top of me.
They tried to kill me by tossing me into a pit and throwing stones at me.
54 The water [in the pit] rose above my head, and I said [to myself], “I am about to die/drown!”
Water flooded over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
55 But from the bottom of the pit I cried out to you [MTY], “Yahweh, [help me]!”
I called out for you, Lord, from deep inside the pit.
56 I pleaded with you, “Do not refuse to heed [MTY] me while I cry out to you!”
You heard me when I prayed, “Please don't ignore my cry for help.”
57 Then you answered me and said, “Do not be afraid!”
You came to me when I called you, and you told me, “Don't be afraid!”
58 Yahweh, you defended me; you did not allow me to die.
You have taken my case and defended me; you have saved my life!
59 [Now], Yahweh, you have seen the evil things that my enemies have done to me, [so] decide my case [and show that I am right]!
Lord, you have seen the injustices done to me; please vindicate me!
60 You know the evil things that they have planned to do to me.
You have observed how vengeful they are and how often they've plotted against me.
61 Yahweh, you have heard them insult [me] and what they have planned to do to me.
Lord, you have heard how they've insulted me, and what they've plotted against me,
62 Every day they whisper and mutter things about me, all day long.
How my enemies talk against me and complain about me all the time!
63 Look at them! Whether they are standing or sitting they make fun of me with the songs that they sing.
Just look! Whether they're sitting down and or standing up, they go on making fun of me in their songs.
64 Yahweh, cause them to suffer in return for their causing [me] to suffer!
Pay them back as they deserve, Lord, for all they've done!
65 Curse them [IDM] [for] their being very stubborn [IDM].
Give them a covering for their minds! May your curse be on them!
66 Because you are angry with them, pursue them and get rid of them, [until none of them remain] on the earth.
Chase them down in your anger, Lord, and get rid of them from the earth!
