Lamentations 3

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 He hath 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.

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

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

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

17 And You have removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.

18 And I said, “My strength and my hope is perished from יהוה.”

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

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

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

22 It is of יהוה’s mercies that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

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

24 “יהוה is my portion,” saith my soul; “therefore will I hope in Him!”

25 יהוה is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.

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

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

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

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

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

31 For the Lord (Adonai) will not cast off forever;

32 But though He causes grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn back to יהוה.

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

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

43 You have covered with anger, and persecuted us; You have slain, You have not pitied.

44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.

45 You have made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.

46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

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

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

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

50 Till יהוה look down, and behold from heaven.

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

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

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

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

55 I called upon Your name, O יהוה, out of the low dungeon.

56 You have heard my voice: “Hide not Your ear at my breathing, at my cry.”

57 You drewest near in the day that I called upon You, You saidst, “Fear not!”

58 O Lord (Adonai), You have pleaded the causes of my soul; You have redeemed my life.

59 O יהוה, You have seen my wrong; judge You my cause.

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

61 You have heard their reproach, O יהוה, and all their imaginations against me;

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

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

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

65 Give them sorrow of heart; Your curse unto them.

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