Lamentations 3

1I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.WEBI am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

2He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.WEBHe has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.

3Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.WEBSurely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.

4My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.WEBHe has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.

5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.WEBHe has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.

6He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.WEBHe has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.

7He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.WEBHe has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.

8Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.WEBYes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.

9He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.WEBHe has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.

10He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.WEBHe is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.

11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.WEBHe has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.

12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.WEBHe has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.WEBHe has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.

14I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.WEBI have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.

15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.WEBHe has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.

16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.WEBHe has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.

17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.WEBYou have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.

18And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:WEBI said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”

19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.WEBRemember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.

20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.WEBMy soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.

21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.WEBThis I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.

22It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.WEBIt is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail.

23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.WEBThey are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.

24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.WEB“Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”

25The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.WEBYahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.

26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.WEBIt is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh.

27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.WEBIt is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

28He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.WEBLet him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.

29He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.WEBLet him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.

30He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.WEBLet him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.

31For the Lord will not cast off for ever:WEBFor the Lord will not cast off forever.

32But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.WEBFor though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.

33For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.WEBFor he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

34To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,WEBTo crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

35To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,WEBto turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

36To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.WEBto subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.

37Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?WEBWho is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?

38Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?WEBDoesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?

39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?WEBWhy should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.WEBLet us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh.

41Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.WEBLet’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.

42We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.WEB“We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.

43Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.WEB“You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.

44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.WEBYou have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

45Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.WEBYou have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.

46All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.WEB“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

47Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.WEBTerror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”

48Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.WEBMy eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,WEBMy eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,

50Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.WEBuntil Yahweh looks down, and sees from heaven.

51Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.WEBMy eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

52Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.WEBThey have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.

53They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.WEBThey have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.

54Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.WEBWaters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”

55I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.WEBI called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.

56Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.WEBYou heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”

57Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.WEBYou came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”

58O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.WEBLord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.

59O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.WEBYahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.

60Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.WEBYou have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.

61Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;WEBYou have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their plans against me,

62The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.WEBthe lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.

63Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.WEBYou see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.

64Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.WEBYou will pay them back, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.

65Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.WEBYou will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.

66Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.WEBYou will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.