Lamentations — Chapter 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.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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.

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,

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

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?

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.

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.

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

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

2He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.

3Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again 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 made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

7He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.

8Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.

9He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.

10He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, 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 shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.

14I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.

15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.

16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes.

17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.

18And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah.

19Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.

21This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.

22[It is of] Jehovah`s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

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

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

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

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

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

28Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.

29Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.

30Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.

31For the Lord will not cast off for ever.

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

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

34To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

35To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

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

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

38Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?

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

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

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 pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

45Thou hast made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.

46All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

47Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.

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

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

50Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.

51Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

52They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause.

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

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

55I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.

56Thou heardest 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 Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.

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

61Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,

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

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

64Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.

65Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.

66Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.

1א (Alef) I am the man who has experienced affliction from the rod of the Lord’s wrath.

2He drove me into captivity and made me walk in darkness and not light.

3He repeatedly attacks me; he turns his hand against me all day long.

4ב (Bet) He has made my mortal skin waste away; he has broken my bones.

5He has besieged and surrounded me with bitter hardship.

6He has made me reside in deepest darkness like those who died long ago.

7ג (Gimel) He has walled me in so that I cannot get out; he has weighted me down with heavy prison chains.

8Also, when I cry out desperately for help, he has shut out my prayer.

9He has blocked every road I take with a wall of hewn stones; he has made every path impassable.

10ד (Dalet) To me he is like a bear lying in ambush, like a hidden lion stalking its prey.

11He has obstructed my paths and torn me to pieces; he has made me desolate.

12He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrow.

13ה (He) He shot his arrows into my heart.

14I have become the laughingstock of all people, their mocking song all day long.

15He has given me my fill of bitter herbs and made me drunk with bitterness.

16ו (Vav) He ground my teeth in gravel; he trampled me in the dust.

17I am deprived of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is.

18So I said, “My endurance has expired; I have lost all hope of deliverance from the Lord.”

19ז (Zayin) Remember my impoverished and homeless condition, which is a bitter poison.

20I continually think about this, and I am depressed.

21But this I call to mind; therefore I have hope:

22ח (Khet) The Lord’s loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end.

23They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant!

24“My portion is the Lord,” I have said to myself, so I will put my hope in him.

25ט (Tet) The Lord is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him.

26It is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the Lord.

27It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.

28י (Yod) Let a person sit alone in silence, when the Lord is disciplining him.

29Let him bury his face in the dust; perhaps there is hope.

30Let him offer his cheek to the one who hits him; let him have his fill of insults.

31כ (Kaf) For the Lord will not reject us forever.

32Though he causes us grief, he then has compassion on us according to the abundance of his loyal kindness.

33For he is not predisposed to afflict or to grieve people.

34ל (Lamed) To crush underfoot all the earth’s prisoners,

35to deprive a person of his rights in the presence of the Most High,

36to defraud a person in a lawsuit— the Lord does not approve of such things!

37מ (Mem) Whose command was ever fulfilled unless the Lord decreed it?

38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that everything comes— both calamity and blessing?

39Why should any living person complain when punished for his sins?

40נ (Nun) Let us carefully examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord.

41Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven:

42“We have blatantly rebelled; you have not forgiven.”

43ס (Samek) You shrouded yourself with anger and then pursued us; you killed without mercy.

44You shrouded yourself with a cloud so that no prayer could get through.

45You make us like filthy scum in the estimation of the nations.

46פ (Pe) All our enemies have gloated over us;

47panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction.

48Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed.

49ע (Ayin) Tears flow from my eyes and will not stop; there will be no break

50until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees what has happened.

51What my eyes see grieves me— all the suffering of the daughters in my city.

52צ (Tsade) For no good reason my enemies hunted me down like a bird.

53They shut me up in a pit and threw stones at me.

54The waters closed over my head; I thought I was about to die.

55ק (Qof) I have called on your name, O Lord, from the deepest pit.

56You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief!”

57You came near on the day I called to you; you said, “Do not fear!”

58ר (Resh) O Lord, you championed my cause; you redeemed my life.

59You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord; pronounce judgment on my behalf!

60You have seen all their vengeance, all their plots against me.

61ש (Sin/Shin) You have heard their taunts, O Lord, all their plots against me.

62My assailants revile and conspire against me all day long.

63Watch them from morning to evening; I am the object of their mocking songs.

64ת (Tav) Pay them back what they deserve, O Lord, according to what they have done.

65Give them a distraught heart; may your curse be on them!

66Pursue them in anger and eradicate them from under the Lord’s heaven.

1I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

2He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.

3Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.

4He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.

5He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.

6He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.

7He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.

8Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.

9He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.

10He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

11He has turned away my ways, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.

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

13He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.

14I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.

15He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.

16He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.

17You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.

18I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”

19Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.

20My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.

21This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.

22It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail.

23They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.

24“Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”

25Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

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

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

28Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.

29Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.

30Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.

31For the Lord will not cast off forever.

32For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

33For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

34To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

35to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

36to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.

37Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?

38Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?

39Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

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

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

42“We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.

43“You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.

44You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

45You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.

46“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

47Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”

48My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49My eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,

50until Yahweh looks down, and sees from heaven.

51My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

52They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.

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

54Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”

55I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.

56You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”

57You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”

58Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.

59Yahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.

60You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.

61You have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their plans against me,

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

63You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.

64You will pay them back, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.

65You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.

66You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.