Lamentations 3

Israel’s Affliction

3I am a man who has seen misery,

under the rod of his wrath.

²He has driven me along, he brought

darkness and not light.

³Surely he has turned his hand against me,

all day long.

⁴He has worn out my flesh and skin,

he has broken my bones.

⁵He has besieged^a and engulfed me

with bitterness and hardship.

⁶In darkness he has let me dwell

like the dead of long ago.

⁷He has built a wall around me, I cannot go out;

he has made my bronze fetters heavy.

⁸Though I cry out for help,

he shuts out my prayers.

⁹He has blocked my ways with dressed stones;

he has made my paths crooked.

¹⁰To me he is like a bear lying in wait,

a lion in hiding.

¹¹He has forsaken my way and torn me to pieces;

he has caused me desolation.

¹²He has bent his bow and set me

as the target for the arrow.

¹³He shot the arrows of his quiver^b

into my kidneys.

¹⁴I have become a laughingstock for all the people,

their mocking song all day long.

¹⁵He has filled me with bitterness,

he has drenched me with wormwood.

¹⁶He has broken my teeth on grit,

he has trampled me down in ash.

¹⁷My life has been removed from peace,

I have forgotten goodness.

¹⁸And I have said, “My glory is ruined,

my expectation from Yahweh.”

¹⁹Remember my misery and bitterness,

the wormwood^c and venom!

²⁰Surely my soul remembers

and bows down within me.

²¹This I have reminded myself,^d

therefore I will hope.

²²The loyal love of Yahweh does not cease;

his compassions do not come to an end.

²³They are new in the morning,

great is your faithfulness.

²⁴“Yahweh is my portion,”

says my soul,

“Thus I will hope on him.”

²⁵Yahweh is good to those who wait on him,

to the person that seeks him.

²⁶It is good to wait in silence

for the salvation of Yahweh.

²⁷It is good for a man who carries

the yoke of his childhood.

²⁸Let him sit alone and be silent

when he^e has laid it on him.

²⁹Let him put^f his mouth in the dust;

perhaps there is hope.

³⁰Let him give a cheek to his smiter,

let him be filled with disgrace.

³¹For the Lord will not reject

forever.

³²For even though he causes grief he has compassion

according to the greatness of his loyal love.

³³He does not afflict willingly,^g

or grieve anyone.^h

³⁴To crush under his feet

all the prisoners of the earth;

³⁵to deprive one of justiceⁱ

before the face of the Most High;

³⁶to subvert a person in a legal dispute

—the Lord has not found delight in these things.

³⁷Who can speak^j and it will happen

if the Lord has not commanded it?

³⁸Is it not from the mouth of the Most High

that disaster and good will come?

³⁹Why should any living person complain

about his sin?

⁴⁰Let us test and examine our ways;

let us return to Yahweh.

⁴¹Let us lift up our hearts with our hands

to God in the heavens.

⁴²We ourselves have transgressed and rebelled,

you have not forgiven.

⁴³You have covered yourself in anger^k and pursued us,

you have slain and not shown mercy.

⁴⁴You have covered yourself in a cloud

so that prayer cannot pass through.^l

⁴⁵You have made us scum and refuse

in the midst of the nations.

⁴⁶All our enemies

have opened their mouth against us.

⁴⁷Fear and a pit have come upon us,

desolation and destruction.

⁴⁸Channels of water run down my eyes

because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

⁴⁹My eyes have poured down unceasingly

without respite,

⁵⁰until Yahweh looks down

and sees from heaven.

⁵¹My eyes inflict my soul

because of all the daughters of my city.

⁵²My enemies hunt me without cause,

like a bird.

⁵³They have silenced me in a pit,^m

they have thrown a stone at me.

⁵⁴Water has flown over my head,

I said, “I am cut off.”

⁵⁵I have called your name, O Yahweh,

from the depths of the pit.

⁵⁶You have heard my cry, “Do not shut your ear

to my cry for help, for my relief!”

⁵⁷You came near on a day when I called you,

you said, “Do not fear!”

⁵⁸O Lord, you have pleaded for my cause,ⁿ

you have redeemed my life.

⁵⁹You have seen my injustice, O Yahweh;

judge my case.

⁶⁰You have seen all their vengeance,

all their plans against me.

⁶¹You have heard their disgrace, O Yahweh,

all their plans against me.

⁶²The lips and meditation of my assailants

are against me all day long.

⁶³Look at their sitting and their standing,

I am their mocking song.

⁶⁴Return to them what is deserved, O Yahweh,

according to the work of their hands.

⁶⁵Give them a stubborn heart;

curse them!

⁶⁶Pursue them in anger^o and destroy them

from under the heavens of Yahweh.