Lamentations 3:46–57

“All our enemies

open their mouths against us;

panic and pitfall have come upon us,

devastation and destruction;

my eyes flow with rivers of tears

because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

“My eyes will flow without ceasing,

without respite,

until the Lord from heaven

looks down and sees;

my eyes cause me grief

at the fate of all the daughters of my city.

“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!’

“All our enemies have opened their mouths

wide against us.

We have suffered terror and pitfalls,

ruin and destruction.”

Streams of tears flow from my eyes

because my people are destroyed.

My eyes will flow unceasingly,

without relief,

until the Lord looks down

from heaven and sees.

What I see brings grief to my soul

because of all the women of my city.

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.”

“All our enemies

open their mouths against us.

We have experienced panic and pitfall,

devastation and destruction.”

My eyes flow with streams of tears

because of the destruction of my dear people.

My eyes overflow unceasingly,

without end,

until the Lord looks down

from heaven and sees.

My eyes bring me grief

because of the fate of all the women in my city.

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.”

“All our enemies

have spoken out against us.

We are filled with fear,

for we are trapped, devastated, and ruined.”

Tears stream from my eyes

because of the destruction of my people!

My tears flow endlessly;

they will not stop

until the Lord looks down

from heaven and sees.

My heart is breaking

over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem.

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.”

All our enemies

have opened their mouth against us.

Fear and a pit have come upon us,

desolation and destruction.

Channels of water run down my eyes

because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

My eyes have poured down unceasingly

without respite,

until Yahweh looks down

and sees from heaven.

My eyes inflict my soul

because of all the daughters of my city.

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!”

All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.

Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.

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.