Lamentations 3:1–9
I am the man who has seen afflictionj
by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.k
2 He has driven me away and made me walk
in darknessl rather than light;
3 indeed, he has turned his hand against mem
again and again, all day long.
4 He has made my skin and my flesh grow oldn
and has broken my bones.o
5 He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitternessp and hardship.q
6 He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.r
7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape;s
he has weighed me down with chains.t
8 Even when I call out or cry for help,u
he shuts out my prayer.v
9 He has barredw my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.x
Lamentations 3:1–9 — English Standard Version (ESV)
1 I am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of his wrath;
2 he has driven and brought me
into darkness without any light;
3 surely against me he turns his hand
again and again the whole day long.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;
he has broken my bones;
5 he has besieged and enveloped me
with bitterness and tribulation;
6 he has made me dwell in darkness
like the dead of long ago.
7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape;
he has made my chains heavy;
8 though I call and cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer;
9 he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones;
he has made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — King James Version (KJV 1900)
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — New Living Translation (NLT)
1 I am the one who has seen the afflictions
that come from the rod of the Lord’s anger.
2 He has led me into darkness,
shutting out all light.
3 He has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
4 He has made my skin and flesh grow old.
He has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged and surrounded me
with anguish and distress.
6 He has buried me in a dark place,
like those long dead.
7 He has walled me in, and I cannot escape.
He has bound me in heavy chains.
8 And though I cry and shout,
he has shut out my prayers.
9 He has blocked my way with a high stone wall;
he has made my road crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — The New King James Version (NKJV)
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
2 He has led me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light.
3 Surely He has turned His hand against me
Time and time again throughout the day.
4 He has aged my flesh and my skin,
And broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me
And surrounded me with bitterness and woe.
6 He has set me in dark places
Like the dead of long ago.
7 He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out;
He has made my chain heavy.
8 Even when I cry and shout,
He shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone;
He has made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — New Century Version (NCV)
1 I am a man who has seen the suffering
that comes from the rod of the Lord’s anger.
2 He led me
into darkness, not light.
3 He turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
4 He wore out my flesh and skin
and broke my bones.
5 He surrounded me with sadness
and attacked me with grief.
6 He made me sit in the dark,
like those who have been dead a long time.
7 He shut me in so I could not get out;
he put heavy chains on me.
8 I cry out and beg for help,
but he ignores my prayer.
9 He blocked my way with a stone wall
and led me in the wrong direction.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — American Standard Version (ASV)
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. 2 He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light. 3 Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day. 4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. 5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. 6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead. 7 He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy. 8 Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer. 9 He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — 1890 Darby Bible (DARBY)
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. 2 Me hath he led, and brought into darkness, and not into light. 3 Surely against me hath he turned again and again his hand all the day. 4 My flesh and my skin hath he wasted away, he hath broken my bones. 5 He hath built against me, and encompassed me with gall and toil. 6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places as those that have been long dead. 7 He hath hedged me about that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. 8 Even when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. 9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — GOD’S WORD Translation (GW)
1 “I am the man who has experienced suffering under the rod of God’s fury.
2 God has driven me away
and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
3 He beat me again and again all day long.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away.
He has broken my bones.
5 He has attacked me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 He has made me live in darkness,
like those who died a long time ago.
7 He has blocked me so that I can’t get out.
He has put heavy chains on me.
8 Even when I cry and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my way with cut stones and made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — The Holman Christian Standard Bible (HCSB)
1 I am the man who has seen affliction
under the rod of God’s wrath.
2 He has driven me away and forced me to walk
in darkness instead of light.
3 Yes, He repeatedly turns His hand
against me all day long.
4 He has worn away my flesh and skin;
He has shattered my bones.
5 He has laid siege against me,
encircling me with bitterness and hardship.
6 He has made me dwell in darkness
like those who have been dead for ages.
7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
He has weighed me down with chains.
8 Even when I cry out and plead for help,
He rejects my prayer.
9 He has walled in my ways with cut stones;
He has made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — The New Revised Standard Version (NRSV)
1 I am one who has seen affliction
under the rod of God’s wrath;
2 he has driven and brought me
into darkness without any light;
3 against me alone he turns his hand,
again and again, all day long.
4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away,
and broken my bones;
5 he has besieged and enveloped me
with bitterness and tribulation;
6 he has made me sit in darkness
like the dead of long ago.
7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape;
he has put heavy chains on me;
8 though I call and cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer;
9 he has blocked my ways with hewn stones,
he has made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — The Lexham English Bible (LEB)
1 I am a man who has seen misery,
under the rod of his wrath.
2 He has driven me along, he brought
darkness and not light.
3 Surely he has turned his hand against me,
all day long.
4 He has worn out my flesh and skin,
he has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged and engulfed me
with bitterness and hardship.
6 In darkness he has let me dwell
like the dead of long ago.
7 He has built a wall around me, I cannot go out;
he has made my bronze fetters heavy.
8 Though I cry out for help,
he shuts out my prayers.
9 He has blocked my ways with dressed stones;
he has made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — New International Reader’s Version (1998) (NIrV)
1 I am a man who has suffered greatly.
The Lord has used the Babylonians
to punish our people.
2 He has driven me away. He has made me walk
in darkness instead of light.
3 He has turned his powerful hand against me.
He has done it again and again, all day long.
4 He has worn my body out.
He has broken my bones.
5 He has surrounded me and attacked me.
He has made me suffer bitterly.
He has made things hard for me.
6 He has made me live in darkness
like those who are dead and gone.
7 He has built walls around me. I can’t escape.
He has put heavy chains on me.
8 I call out and cry for help.
But he won’t listen to me when I pray.
9 He has put up a stone wall to block my way.
He has made my paths crooked.
Lamentations 3:1–9 — New American Standard Bible: 1995 Update (NASB95)
1 I am the man who has seen affliction
Because of the rod of His wrath.
2 He has driven me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light.
3 Surely against me He has turned His hand
Repeatedly all the day.
4 He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away,
He has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship.
6 In dark places He has made me dwell,
Like those who have long been dead.
7 He has walled me in so that I cannot go out;
He has made my chain heavy.
8 Even when I cry out and call for help,
He shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone;
He has made my paths crooked.