Lamentations 3:1–20

I am a man who has suffered greatly.

The Lord has used the Babylonians

to punish our people.

²He has driven me away. He has made me walk

in darkness instead of light.

³He has turned his powerful hand against me.

He has done it again and again, all day long.

⁴He has worn my body out.

He has broken my bones.

⁵He has surrounded me and attacked me.

He has made me suffer bitterly.

He has made things hard for me.

⁶He has made me live in darkness

like those who are dead and gone.

⁷He has built walls around me. I can’t escape.

He has put heavy chains on me.

⁸I call out and cry for help.

But he won’t listen to me when I pray.

⁹He has put up a stone wall to block my way.

He has made my paths crooked.

¹⁰He has been like a bear waiting to attack me.

He has been like a lion hiding in the bushes.

¹¹He has dragged me off the path.

He has torn me to pieces.

And he has left me helpless.

¹²He has gotten his bow ready to use.

He has shot his arrows at me.

¹³The arrows from his bag

have gone through my heart.

¹⁴My people laugh at me all the time.

They sing and make fun of me all day long.

¹⁵The Lord has made my life bitter.

He has made me suffer bitterly.

¹⁶He made me chew stones that broke my teeth.

He has walked all over me in the dust.

¹⁷I have lost all hope of ever having any peace.

I’ve forgotten what good times are like.

¹⁸So I say, “My glory has faded away.

My hope in the Lord is gone.”

¹⁹I remember how I suffered and wandered.

I remember how bitter my life was.

²⁰I remember it very well.

My spirit is very sad deep down inside me.