Lamentations 3:34–66

³⁴When all the prisoners of the land

are crushed under foot,

³⁵when justice is perverted

in the presence of the Most High,^*

³⁶when one’s case is subverted—

does the Lord not see it?^*

³⁷Who can command and have it done,

if the Lord has not ordained it?^*

³⁸Is it not from the mouth of the Most High

that evil and good come?^*

³⁹Why should any who draw breath complain

about the punishment of their sins?^*

⁴⁰Let us test and examine our ways

and return to the Lord.^*

⁴¹Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands

to God in heaven.^*

⁴²We have transgressed and rebelled,

and you have not forgiven.^*

⁴³You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,

killing without pity;^*

⁴⁴you have wrapped yourself with a cloud

so that no prayer can pass through.

⁴⁵You have made us filth and rubbish

among the peoples.^*

⁴⁶All our enemies

have opened their mouths against us;^*

⁴⁷panic and pitfall have come upon us,

devastation and destruction.^*

⁴⁸My eyes flow with rivers of tears

because of the destruction of my people.^l

⁴⁹My eyes will flow without ceasing,

without respite,^*

⁵⁰until the Lord from heaven

looks down and sees.^*

⁵¹My eyes cause me grief

at the fate of all the young women in my city.

⁵²Those who were my enemies without cause

have hunted me like a bird;^*

⁵³they flung me alive into a pit

and hurled stones on me;^*

⁵⁴water closed over my head;

I said, “I am lost.”^*

⁵⁵I called on your name, O Lord,

from the depths of the pit;^*

⁵⁶you heard my plea, “Do not close your ear

to my cry for help, but give me relief!”^*

⁵⁷You came near when I called on you;

you said, “Do not fear!”^*

⁵⁸You have taken up my cause, O Lord;

you have redeemed my life.^*

⁵⁹You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord;

judge my cause.

⁶⁰You have seen all their malice,

all their plots against me.^*

⁶¹You have heard their taunts, O Lord,

all their plots against me.

⁶²The whispers and murmurs of my assailants

are against me all day long.

⁶³Whether they sit or rise—see,

I am the object of their taunt songs.

⁶⁴Pay them back for their deeds, O Lord,

according to the work of their hands!

⁶⁵Give them anguish of heart;

your curse be on them!

⁶⁶Pursue them in anger and destroy them

from under the Lord’s heavens.^*