Lamentations 3 - New International Version, 1984
I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of his wrath.
by the rod of his wrath.
He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
in darkness rather than light;
indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
again and again, all day long.
He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
and has broken my bones.
and has broken my bones.
He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.
with bitterness and hardship.
He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.
like those long dead.
He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.
he has weighed me down with chains.
Even when I call out or cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
he shuts out my prayer.
He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.
he has made my paths crooked.
Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
like a lion in hiding,
he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
and left me without help.
He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.
and made me the target for his arrows.
He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
with arrows from his quiver.
I became the laughingstock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
they mock me in song all day long.
He has filled me with bitter herbs
and sated me with gall.
and sated me with gall.
He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.
he has trampled me in the dust.
I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”
I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
the bitterness and the gall.
I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
and my soul is downcast within me.
Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
for his compassions never fail.
They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
great is your faithfulness.
I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
therefore I will wait for him.”
The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
to the one who seeks him;
it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
for the salvation of the Lord.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
while he is young.
Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him.
for the Lord has laid it on him.
Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
there may yet be hope.
Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.
and let him be filled with disgrace.
For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.
by the Lord forever.
Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
so great is his unfailing love.
For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to the children of men.
or grief to the children of men.
To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
all prisoners in the land,
to deny a man his rights
before the Most High,
before the Most High,
to deprive a man of justice—
would not the Lord see such things?
would not the Lord see such things?
Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?
if the Lord has not decreed it?
Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?
that both calamities and good things come?
Why should any living man complain
when punished for his sins?
when punished for his sins?
Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
and let us return to the Lord.
Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
to God in heaven, and say:
“We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.
and you have not forgiven.
“You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;
you have slain without pity.
you have slain without pity.
You have covered yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can get through.
so that no prayer can get through.
You have made us scum and refuse
among the nations.
among the nations.
“All our enemies have opened their mouths
wide against us.
wide against us.
We have suffered terror and pitfalls,
ruin and destruction.”
ruin and destruction.”
Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because my people are destroyed.
because my people are destroyed.
My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,
without relief,
until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.
from heaven and sees.
What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.
because of all the women of my city.
Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.
hunted me like a bird.
They tried to end my life in a pit
and threw stones at me;
and threw stones at me;
the waters closed over my head,
and I thought I was about to be cut off.
and I thought I was about to be cut off.
I called on your name, O Lord,
from the depths of the pit.
from the depths of the pit.
You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.”
to my cry for relief.”
You came near when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.”
and you said, “Do not fear.”
O Lord, you took up my case;
you redeemed my life.
you redeemed my life.
You have seen, O Lord, the wrong done to me.
Uphold my cause!
Uphold my cause!
You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
all their plots against me.
all their plots against me.
O Lord, you have heard their insults,
all their plots against me—
all their plots against me—
what my enemies whisper and mutter
against me all day long.
against me all day long.
Look at them! Sitting or standing,
they mock me in their songs.
they mock me in their songs.
Pay them back what they deserve, O Lord,
for what their hands have done.
for what their hands have done.
Put a veil over their hearts,
and may your curse be on them!
and may your curse be on them!
Pursue them in anger and destroy them
from under the heavens of the Lord.
from under the heavens of the Lord.