Lamentations 3

Chapter 3

Hope in the LORD’s Faithfulness

1 I am the one who has seen the afflictions
that come from the rod of the LORD’s anger.2 He has led me into darkness,
shutting out all light.3 He has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.4 He has made my skin and flesh grow old.
He has broken my bones.5 He has besieged and surrounded me
with anguish and distress.6 He has buried me in a dark place,
like those long dead.7 He has walled me in, and I cannot escape.
He has bound me in heavy chains.8 And though I cry and shout,
he has shut out my prayers.9 He has blocked my way with a high stone wall;
he has made my road crooked.10 He has hidden like a bear or a lion,
waiting to attack me.11 He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces,
leaving me helpless and devastated.12 He has drawn his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.13 He shot his arrows
deep into my heart.14 My own people laugh at me.
All day long they sing their mocking songs.15 He has filled me with bitterness
and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink.16 He has made me chew on gravel.
He has rolled me in the dust.17 Peace has been stripped away,
and I have forgotten what prosperity is.18 I cry out, “My splendor is gone!
Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!”19 The thought of my suffering and homelessness
is bitter beyond words.t20 I will never forget this awful time,
as I grieve over my loss.21 Yet I still dare to hope
when I remember this:22 The faithful love of the LORD never ends!t
His mercies never cease.23 Great is his faithfulness;
his mercies begin afresh each morning.24 I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance;
therefore, I will hope in him!”25 The LORD is good to those who depend on him,
to those who search for him.26 So it is good to wait quietly
for salvation from the LORD.27 And it is good for people to submit at an early age
to the yoke of his discipline:28 Let them sit alone in silence
beneath the LORD’s demands.29 Let them lie face down in the dust,
for there may be hope at last.30 Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them
and accept the insults of their enemies.31 For no one is abandoned
by the Lord forever.32 Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion
because of the greatness of his unfailing love.33 For he does not enjoy hurting people
or causing them sorrow.34 If people crush underfoot
all the prisoners of the land,35 if they deprive others of their rights
in defiance of the Most High,36 if they twist justice in the courts—
doesn’t the Lord see all these things?37 Who can command things to happen
without the Lord’s permission?38 Does not the Most High
send both calamity and good?39 Then why should we, mere humans, complain
when we are punished for our sins?40 Instead, let us test and examine our ways.
Let us turn back to the LORD.41 Let us lift our hearts and hands
to God in heaven and say,42 “We have sinned and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven us.43 “You have engulfed us with your anger, chased us down,
and slaughtered us without mercy.44 You have hidden yourself in a cloud
so our prayers cannot reach you.45 You have discarded us as refuse and garbage
among the nations.46 “All our enemies
have spoken out against us.47 We are filled with fear,
for we are trapped, devastated, and ruined.”48 Tears stream from my eyes
because of the destruction of my people!49 My tears flow endlessly;
they will not stop50 until the LORD looks down
from heaven and sees.51 My heart is breaking
over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem.52 My enemies, whom I have never harmed,
hunted me down like a bird.53 They threw me into a pit
and dropped stones on me.54 The water rose over my head,
and I cried out, “This is the end!”55 But I called on your name, LORD,
from deep within the pit.56 You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading!
Hear my cry for help!”57 Yes, you came when I called;
you told me, “Do not fear.”58 Lord, you are my lawyer! Plead my case!
For you have redeemed my life.59 You have seen the wrong they have done to me, LORD.
Be my judge, and prove me right.60 You have seen the vengeful plots
my enemies have laid against me.61 LORD, you have heard the vile names they call me.
You know all about the plans they have made.62 My enemies whisper and mutter
as they plot against me all day long.63 Look at them! Whether they sit or stand,
I am the object of their mocking songs.64 Pay them back, LORD,
for all the evil they have done.65 Give them hard and stubborn hearts,
and then let your curse fall on them!66 Chase them down in your anger,
destroying them beneath the LORD’s heavens.

Lamentations 3

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

2 He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;

3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.

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

5 He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.

6 He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.

7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.

8 Even when I call out or cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer.

9 He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.

10 Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,

11 he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.

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

13 He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.

14 I became the laughingstock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.

15 He has filled me with bitter herbs
and sated me with gall.

16 He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.

17 I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.

18 So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.

20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.

21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord's great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.

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

24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;

26 it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.

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

28 Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him.

29 Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.

30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.

31 For men are not cast off
by the Lord forever.

32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.

33 For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to the children of men.

34 To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,

35 to deny a man his rights
before the Most High,

36 to deprive a man of justice—
would not the Lord see such things?

37 Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?

38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?

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

40 Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.

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

42 “We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.

43 “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;
you have slain without pity.

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

45 You have made us scum and refuse
among the nations.

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

47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,
ruin and destruction.”

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

49 My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,

50 until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.

51 What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.

52 Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.

53 They tried to end my life in a pit
and threw stones at me;

54 the waters closed over my head,
and I thought I was about to be cut off.

55 I called on your name, O Lord,
from the depths of the pit.

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

57 You came near when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.”

58 O Lord, you took up my case;
you redeemed my life.

59 You have seen, O Lord, the wrong done to me.
Uphold my cause!

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

61 O Lord, you have heard their insults,
all their plots against me—

62 what my enemies whisper and mutter
against me all day long.

63 Look at them! Sitting or standing,
they mock me in their songs.

64 Pay them back what they deserve, O Lord,
for what their hands have done.

65 Put a veil over their hearts,
and may your curse be on them!

66 Pursue them in anger and destroy them
from under the heavens of the Lord.