Lamentations 3:34–66

³⁴To bruise under one’s feet any bound ones of earth, ³⁵To turn aside the judgment of a man, Over-against the face of the Most High, ³⁶To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord hath not approved.

³⁷Who is this—he hath said, and it is, And the Lord hath not commanded it? ³⁸From the mouth of the Most High Go not forth the evils and the good. ³⁹What—sigh habitually doth a living man, A man for his sin? ⁴⁰We search our ways, and investigate, And turn back unto Jehovah. ⁴¹We lift up our heart on the hands unto God in the heavens.

⁴²We—we have transgressed and rebelled, Thou—Thou hast not forgiven. ⁴³Thou hast covered Thyself with anger, And dost pursue us; Thou hast slain—Thou hast not pitied. ⁴⁴Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud, So that prayer doth not pass through. ⁴⁵Offscouring and refuse Thou dost make us In the midst of the peoples. ⁴⁶Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies. ⁴⁷Fear and a snare hath been for us, Desolation and destruction. ⁴⁸Rivulets of water go down my eye, For the destruction of the daughter of my people. ⁴⁹Mine eye is poured out, And doth not cease without intermission, ⁵⁰Till Jehovah looketh and seeth from the heavens, ⁵¹My eye affecteth my soul, Because of all the daughters of my city. ⁵²Hunted me sore as a bird have my enemies without cause. ⁵³They have cut off in a pit my life, And they cast a stone against me. ⁵⁴Flowed have waters over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.

⁵⁵I called Thy name, O Jehovah, from the lower pit. ⁵⁶My voice Thou hast heard, Hide not Thine ear at my breathing—at my cry. ⁵⁷Thou hast drawn near in the day I call Thee, Thou hast said, Fear not. ⁵⁸Thou hast pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, Thou hast redeemed my life. ⁵⁹Thou hast seen, O Jehovah, my overthrow, Judge Thou my cause. ⁶⁰Thou hast seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me. ⁶¹Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, All their thoughts against me, ⁶²The lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation against me all the day. ⁶³Their sitting down, and their rising up, Behold attentively, I am their song. ⁶⁴Thou returnest to them the deed, O Jehovah, According to the work of their hands. ⁶⁵Thou givest to them a covered heart, Thy curse to them. ⁶⁶Thou pursuest in anger, and destroyest them, From under the heavens of Jehovah!

Chapter 4