Lamentations 3
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
I am the man that 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 against me he turns his hand again and again all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
My flesh and my skin he has made 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 to dwell in dark places, like those that 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 in, so I can't escape; he has made my chains 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 obstructed my path, and torn 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 arrows of his quiver to pierce my inward parts.
14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
I have become a laughingstock to all peoples, and their song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk with wormwood.
He has filled me with bitterness, he has given me in full measure 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 pressed me down in the dust.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgot prosperity.
You have removed my soul far away from peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 And I said, My strength and my hope hath perished from the LORD:
And I said, "My strength and my hope has perished 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 gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
My soul considers them, and is depressed.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
But this I call 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.
The LORD's faithful love does not cease; his compassion does not 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 that 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 while he is young.
28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
Let him sit alone and keep silence when he is disciplining him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if there may be hope.
Let him put his mouth to the dust, there may yet 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 with insults.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
For the LORD will not reject forever.
32 But though he causeth grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
For though he may cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the abundance of his loving kindness.
33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
For he is not predisposed to bring affliction or suffering to human beings.
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 deprive a man of justice 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 does not approve.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
Who can speak a thing and have it come to pass, unless the LORD has commanded it?
38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?
Doesn't both calamity 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 does 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 examine and search our ways, and return to the LORD.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
Let us 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, and you have not forgiven.
43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you killed without sparing.
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 rubbish and refuse in the midst 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.
Fear 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.
Streams of tears run down from my eyes because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
My tears flow and do not cease, without respite,
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 eyes bring my soul grief, 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 a pit, 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 finished.'
55 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.
I called on your name, LORD, out of the depths of the pit.
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thy ear at my breathing, at my cry.
You heard my voice; do not hide your ear at my sighs, to my cry.
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
You drew near in the day that I called on you; you said, "Do not be afraid."
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
LORD, you have taken up the case for my soul; you have redeemed my life.
59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
You have seen, LORD, the wrong done to me; judge my case.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
You have seen all their vengeance and all their plots against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;
You have heard their insults, LORD, and all their plots 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.
Look their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their mocking song.
64 Render to them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
You will render to them what they deserve, 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 as 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.
