Lamentations 3

1I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

2He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.

3Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.

4My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.

6He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.

7He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

8Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

9He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

10He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.footnote a

14I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.footnote b

16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.footnote c

17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.footnote d

18And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:

19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.footnote e

20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.footnote f

21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.footnote g

22It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

28He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

29He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.

30He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.

31For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

32But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

33For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.footnote h

34To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,

35To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,footnote i

36To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.footnote j

37Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

38Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?footnote k

40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

41Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

42We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.

43Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.

45Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.

46All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

47Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

48Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

50Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.

51Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.footnote lfootnote m

52Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.

53They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.

54Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.

55I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.

56Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.

57Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.

58O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.

59O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

60Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.

61Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;

62The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.

63Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.

64Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.

65Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.footnote n

66Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

The Prophet’s Afflictions

1Ifootnote aam the man who has seen afflictionunder the rod of God’s wrath. 2He has driven me away and made me walkin darkness instead of light. 3Indeed, He keeps turning His handagainst me all day long.

4He has worn away my flesh and skin;He has shattered my bones. 5He has besieged me and surrounded mewith bitterness and hardship. 6He has made me dwell in darknesslike those dead for ages.

7He has walled me in so I cannot escape;He has weighed me down with chains. 8Even when I cry out and plead for help,He shuts out my prayer. 9He has barred my ways with cut stones;He has made my paths crooked.

10He is a bear lying in wait,a lion hiding in ambush. 11He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces;He left me without help. 12He bent His bowand set me as the target for His arrow.

13He pierced my kidneyswith His arrows. 14I am a laughingstock to all my people;they mock me in song all day long. 15He has filled me with bitterness;He has intoxicated me with wormwood.

16He has ground my teeth with graveland trampled me in the dust. 17My soul has been deprived of peace;I have forgotten what prosperity is. 18So I say, “My strength has perished,along with my hope from the LORD.”

The Prophet’s Hope

19Remember my affliction and wandering,the wormwood and the gall. 20Surely my soul remembersand is humbled within me. 21Yet I call this to mind,and therefore I have hope:

22Because of the loving devotionfootnote bof the LORD we are not consumed,for His mercies never fail. 23They are new every morning;great is Your faithfulness! 24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul,“therefore I will hope in Him.”

25The LORD is good to those who wait for Him,to the soul who seeks Him. 26It is good to wait quietlyfor the salvation of the LORD. 27It is good for a man to bear the yokewhile he is still young.

28Let him sit alone in silence,for the LORD has laid it upon him. 29Let him bury his face in the dust—perhaps there is still hope. 30Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him;let him be filled with reproach.

31For the Lord will notcast us off forever. 32Even if He causes grief, He will show compassionaccording to His abundant loving devotion. 33For He does not willingly afflictor grieve the sons of men.

34To crush underfootall the prisoners of the land, 35to deny a man justicebefore the Most High, 36to subvert a man in his lawsuit—of these the Lord does not approve.

God’s Justice

37Who has spoken and it came to pass,unless the Lord has ordained it? 38Do not both adversity and goodcome from the mouth of the Most High? 39Why should any mortal man complain,in view of his sins?

40Let us examine and test our ways,and turn back to the LORD. 41Let us lift up our hearts and handsto God in heaven: 42“We have sinned and rebelled;You have not forgiven.”

43You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us;You have killed without pity. 44You have covered Yourself with a cloudthat no prayer can pass through. 45You have made us scum and refuseamong the nations.

46All our enemiesopen their mouths against us. 47Panic and pitfall have come upon us—devastation and destruction. 48Streams of tears flow from my eyesover the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49My eyes overflow unceasingly,without relief, 50until the LORDlooks down from heaven and sees. 51My eyes bring grief to my soulbecause of all the daughters of my city.

52Without cause my enemieshunted me like a bird. 53They dropped me alive into a pitand cast stones upon me. 54The waters flowed over my head,and I thought I was going to die.

55I called on Your name, O LORD,out of the depths of the Pit. 56You heard my plea:“Do not ignore my cry for relief.” 57You drew near when I called on You;You said, “Do not be afraid.”

58You defend my cause, O Lord;You redeem my life. 59You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me;vindicate my cause! 60You have seen all their malice,all their plots against me.

61O LORD, You have heard their insults,all their plots against me— 62the slander and murmuring of my assailantsagainst me all day long. 63When they sit and when they rise,see how they mock me in song.

64You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD,according to the work of their hands. 65Put a veil of anguish over their hearts;may Your curse be upon them! 66You will pursue them in anger and exterminate themfrom under Your heavens, O LORD.