Lamentations 3:52–66

“I have been hunted like a bird

by those who were my enemies without cause;

they flung me alive into the pit

and cast stones on me;

water closed over my head;

I said, ‘I am lost.’

“I called on your name, O Lord,

from the depths of the pit;

you heard my plea, ‘Do not close

your ear to my cry for help!’

You came near when I called on you;

you said, ‘Do not fear!’

“You have taken up my cause, O Lord;

you have redeemed my life.

You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord;

judge my cause.

You have seen all their vengeance,

all their plots against me.

“You have heard their taunts, O Lord,

all their plots against me.

The lips and thoughts of my assailants

are against me all the day long.

Behold their sitting and their rising;

I am the object of their taunts.

“You will repay them, O Lord,

according to the work of their hands.

You will give them dullness of heart;

your curse will be on them.

You will pursue them in anger and destroy them

from under your heavens, O Lord.”

Those who were my enemies without cause

hunted me like a bird.

They tried to end my life in a pit

and threw stones at me;

the waters closed over my head,

and I thought I was about to perish.

I called on your name, Lord,

from the depths of the pit.

You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears

to my cry for relief.”

You came near when I called you,

and you said, “Do not fear.”

You, Lord, took up my case;

you redeemed my life.

Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.

Uphold my cause!

You have seen the depth of their vengeance,

all their plots against me.

Lord, you have heard their insults,

all their plots against me—

what my enemies whisper and mutter

against me all day long.

Look at them! Sitting or standing,

they mock me in their songs.

Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,

for what their hands have done.

Put a veil over their hearts,

and may your curse be on them!

Pursue them in anger and destroy them

from under the heavens of the Lord.

For no reason, my enemies

hunted me like a bird.

They smothered my life in a pit

and threw stones on me.

Water flooded over my head,

and I thought, “I’m going to die!”

I called on your name, Lord,

from the depths of the pit.

You heard my plea:

Do not ignore my cry for relief.

You came near whenever I called you;

you said, “Do not be afraid.”

You championed my cause, Lord;

you redeemed my life.

Lord, you saw the wrong done to me;

judge my case.

You saw all their vengefulness,

all their plots against me.

Lord, you heard their insults,

all their plots against me.

The slander and murmuring of my opponents

attack me all day long.

When they sit and when they rise, look,

I am mocked by their songs.

You will pay them back what they deserve, Lord,

according to the work of their hands.

You will give them a heart filled with anguish.

May your curse be on them!

You will pursue them in anger and destroy them

under your heavens.

My enemies, whom I have never harmed,

hunted me down like a bird.

They threw me into a pit

and dropped stones on me.

The water rose over my head,

and I cried out, “This is the end!”

But I called on your name, Lord,

from deep within the pit.

You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading!

Hear my cry for help!”

Yes, you came when I called;

you told me, “Do not fear.”

Lord, you have come to my defense;

you have redeemed my life.

You have seen the wrong they have done to me, Lord.

Be my judge, and prove me right.

You have seen the vengeful plots

my enemies have laid against me.

Lord, you have heard the vile names they call me.

You know all about the plans they have made.

My enemies whisper and mutter

as they plot against me all day long.

Look at them! Whether they sit or stand,

I am the object of their mocking songs.

Pay them back, Lord,

for all the evil they have done.

Give them hard and stubborn hearts,

and then let your curse fall on them!

Chase them down in your anger,

destroying them beneath the Lord’s heavens.

My enemies hunt me without cause,

like a bird.

They have silenced me in a pit,

they have thrown a stone at me.

Water has flown over my head,

I said, “I am cut off.”

I have called your name, O Yahweh,

from the depths of the pit.

You have heard my cry, “Do not shut your ear

to my cry for help, for my relief!”

You came near on a day when I called you,

you said, “Do not fear!”

O Lord, you have pleaded for my cause,

you have redeemed my life.

You have seen my injustice, O Yahweh;

judge my case.

You have seen all their vengeance,

all their plans against me.

You have heard their disgrace, O Yahweh,

all their plans against me.

The lips and meditation of my assailants

are against me all day long.

Look at their sitting and their standing,

I am their mocking song.

Return to them what is deserved, O Yahweh,

according to the work of their hands.

Give them a stubborn heart;

curse them!

Pursue them in anger and destroy them

from under the heavens of Yahweh.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

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

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

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

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

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

Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.

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