Lamentations
Chapter 3
1 I am the man who has seen suffering because of his anger.
2 He has guided me and taken me to a place of darkness, not light.
3 Certainly, he has turned against me; he keeps acting against me all day long.
4 He made my skin and flesh old; he broke my bones.
5 He has built against me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 He has put me in dark places, like those long dead.
7 God has surrounded me so I can’t escape; He has made my chains heavy.
8 When I cry and yell, God ignores my prayer.
9 He has blocked my paths with cut stone; he has made my ways twisted.
10 He was to me like a bear waiting to attack, and like a lion hiding.
11 He has changed my path and torn me apart; he has left me lonely.
12 He has aimed his bow, and made me the target for his arrow.
13 He made the arrows from his bag hit my body.
14 I was mocked by all my people; they sang about me all day long.
15 God has filled me with bitterness; he has made me very bitter.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he has covered me with ashes.
17 You took my peace far away; I forgot what good fortune is.
18 I said, “My strength and my hope are gone because of God.”
19 I remember my suffering and my sadness, the bitterness and the poison.
20 I still remember them deep in my heart, and I am humbled.
21 I remember this and so I have hope.
22 It is because of God’s kindness that we are not destroyed, for His compassion never ends.
23 Every morning they are new; your faithfulness is great.
24 God is all I need, says my soul; so I will put my hope in Him.
25 God is good to those who wait for Him, to the person who looks for Him.
26 It is good for a person to have hope and to wait quietly for God to save.
27 It is good for a person to deal with hard times when young.
28 He sits alone and stays quiet because he has taken it upon himself.
29 He puts his mouth to the ground; perhaps there is hope.
30 He offers his face to the one who hits him; he is overwhelmed with insults.
31 God will not reject forever.
32 Even though God may bring sadness, He will show mercy because of His great kindness.
33 God does not cause pain or sadness to people without reason.
34 To step on all the captives of the earth.
35 To deny a person justice in the presence of God,
36 God does not approve of ruining a person’s case.
37 Who is the one who can make something happen if God has not commanded it?
38 Doesn’t both good and bad come from the mouth of God?
39 Why should a living person complain, a person for being punished for their sins?
40 Let’s examine our ways, and turn back to God.
41 Let’s raise our hearts and hands to God in heaven.
42 We have done wrong and rebelled; you have not forgiven us.
43 You have been angry with us, chased us, killed us without mercy.
44 You have surrounded yourself with a cloud, so our prayers cannot get through.
45 You have made us like trash and garbage among the people.
46 All our enemies have spoken against us.
47 Fear and a trap have come upon us, along with ruin and destruction.
48 My eyes flow with tears for the ruin of my people.
49 My eye cries non-stop without any break.
50 Until God looks down from heaven and sees.
51 My eyes hurt my heart because of what happens to the girls of my city.
52 My enemies chased me hard, like a bird, for no reason.
53 They have ended my life in the prison, and thrown a stone at me.
54 Water poured over my head; then I thought, I am finished.
55 I called your name, God, from the deep pit.
56 You have heard my voice; do not ignore me when I sigh and cry out.
57 You came close when I called you; you said, Don’t be afraid.
58 God, you have fought for my soul; you have saved my life.
59 God, you have seen the wrong done to me: judge my case.
60 You have seen all their revenge and all their plans against me.
61 You have heard their insults, God, and all their plans against me.
62 The words of those against me and their plans all day long.
63 I see them when they sit and when they stand; I am their music.
64 Give them what they deserve, God, based on what they have done.
65 Make their hearts sad, and put your curse on them.
66 Punish and wipe them out in anger from beneath the skies of God.