Lamentations 3:34–66

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.