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The Lord Will Not Reject Forever

Zayin

19 Remember my affliction and my [a]homelessness, the (A)wormwood and gall.
20 Surely (B)my soul remembers
And is (C)bowed down within me.
21 This I will return to my heart;
Therefore I will (D)wait in hope.

Heth

22 The (E)lovingkindnesses of Yahweh [b]indeed never cease,
(F)For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new (G)every morning;
Great is (H)Your faithfulness.
24 “Yahweh is my (I)portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I (J)wait for Him.”

Teth

25 Yahweh is good to those who (K)hope in Him,
To the soul who (L)seeks Him.
26 It is good that he (M)waits silently
For the salvation of Yahweh.
27 It is good for a man that he should bear
The yoke in his youth.

Yodh

28 Let him (N)sit alone and be silent
Since He has laid it on him.
29 Let him [c]put his mouth in the (O)dust;
Perhaps there is (P)hope.
30 Let him give his (Q)cheek to the one who strikes him;
Let him be saturated with reproach.

Kaph

31 For the Lord will (R)not reject forever,
32 For if He causes grief,
Then He will have (S)compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness.
33 For He (T)does not afflict from His heart
Or grieve the sons of men.

Lamedh

34 To crush under His feet
All the prisoners of the [d]land,
35 To [e]deprive a man of (U)justice
In the presence of the Most High,
36 To [f](V)defraud a man in his legal case—
These things the Lord does not see with approval.

Mem

37 Who is [g]there who speaks and it (W)happens,
Unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That (X)both calamities and [h]good go forth?
39 Why should any living [i]person or any man
(Y)Complain because of his sins?

Nun

40 Let us (Z)search out and examine our ways,
And let us return to Yahweh.
41 We (AA)lift up our heart to our hands
Toward God in heaven;
42 We have (AB)transgressed and rebelled;
You have (AC)not pardoned.

Samekh

43 You have covered Yourself with (AD)anger
And (AE)pursued us;
You have killed and (AF)have not spared.
44 You have (AG)covered Yourself with a cloud
So that (AH)no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us mere (AI)scum and refuse
In the midst of the peoples.

Pe

46 All our enemies have (AJ)opened their mouths against us.
47 (AK)Panic and pitfall have befallen us,
Devastation and destruction;
48 My [j](AL)eyes run down with streams of water
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Ayin

49 My eyes pour down (AM)unceasingly,
Without stopping,
50 Until Yahweh (AN)looks down
And sees from heaven.
51 My eyes deal severely with my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.

Tsadhe

52 My enemies (AO)without cause
Hunted me down (AP)like a bird;
53 They have silenced my life (AQ)in the pit
And have [k](AR)placed a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed (AS)over my head;
I said, “I am cut off!”

Qoph

55 I (AT)called on Your name, O Yahweh,
Out of the lowest pit.
56 You have (AU)heard my voice,
(AV)Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief,
From my cry for help.”
57 You (AW)drew near when I called on You;
You said, “(AX)Do not fear!”

Resh

58 O Lord, You (AY)have pleaded my soul’s cause;
You have (AZ)redeemed my life.
59 O Yahweh, You have (BA)seen my oppression;
(BB)Judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
All their (BC)purposes against me.

Sin/ Shin

61 You have heard their (BD)reproach, O Yahweh,
All their purposes against me.
62 The (BE)lips of those who rise against me and their whispering
Are against me all day long.
63 Look on their (BF)sitting and their rising;
(BG)I am their mocking song.

Tav

64 You will (BH)recompense them, O Yahweh,
According to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them [l](BI)dullness of heart;
Your curse will be on them.
66 You will (BJ)pursue them in anger and destroy them
From under the (BK)heavens of Yahweh!

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:19 Or bitterness
  2. Lamentations 3:22 Or that we are not consumed
  3. Lamentations 3:29 Lit give
  4. Lamentations 3:34 Or earth
  5. Lamentations 3:35 Or turn aside a man’s case
  6. Lamentations 3:36 Lit make crooked
  7. Lamentations 3:37 Lit this
  8. Lamentations 3:38 Lit the good
  9. Lamentations 3:39 Or human being
  10. Lamentations 3:48 Lit eye brings
  11. Lamentations 3:53 Or cast stones
  12. Lamentations 3:65 Or insolence

19 Remember mine affliction and my [a]misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.
22 It is of Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 [b]Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
33 For he doth not afflict [c]willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord [d]approveth not.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, [e]a man for the punishment of his sins?

40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.
43 Thou hast [f]covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Thou hast made us an offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, [g]devastation and destruction.
48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.

55 I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
64 Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
65 Thou wilt give them [h]hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:19 Or, wandering. Or, outcast state
  2. Lamentations 3:28 Or, He sitteth etc. (so through verses 28–30)
  3. Lamentations 3:33 Hebrew from his heart.
  4. Lamentations 3:36 Hebrew seeth not.
  5. Lamentations 3:39 Or, a man that is in his sins
  6. Lamentations 3:43 Or, covered thyself
  7. Lamentations 3:47 Or, tumult
  8. Lamentations 3:65 Or, blindness. Hebrew covering.

19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness(A) and the gall.(B)
20 I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast(C) within me.(D)
21 Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

22 Because of the Lord’s great love(E) we are not consumed,(F)
    for his compassions never fail.(G)
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.(H)
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;(I)
    therefore I will wait for him.”

25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;(J)
26 it is good to wait quietly(K)
    for the salvation of the Lord.(L)
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
    while he is young.

28 Let him sit alone in silence,(M)
    for the Lord has laid it on him.
29 Let him bury his face in the dust(N)
    there may yet be hope.(O)
30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,(P)
    and let him be filled with disgrace.(Q)

31 For no one is cast off
    by the Lord forever.(R)
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
    so great is his unfailing love.(S)
33 For he does not willingly bring affliction
    or grief to anyone.(T)

34 To crush underfoot
    all prisoners in the land,
35 to deny people their rights
    before the Most High,(U)
36 to deprive them of justice—
    would not the Lord see such things?(V)

37 Who can speak and have it happen
    if the Lord has not decreed it?(W)
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
    that both calamities and good things come?(X)
39 Why should the living complain
    when punished for their sins?(Y)

40 Let us examine our ways and test them,(Z)
    and let us return to the Lord.(AA)
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
    to God in heaven,(AB) and say:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled(AC)
    and you have not forgiven.(AD)

43 “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued(AE) us;
    you have slain without pity.(AF)
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud(AG)
    so that no prayer(AH) can get through.(AI)
45 You have made us scum(AJ) and refuse
    among the nations.

46 “All our enemies have opened their mouths
    wide(AK) against us.(AL)
47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,(AM)
    ruin and destruction.(AN)
48 Streams of tears(AO) flow from my eyes(AP)
    because my people are destroyed.(AQ)

49 My eyes will flow unceasingly,
    without relief,(AR)
50 until the Lord looks down
    from heaven and sees.(AS)
51 What I see brings grief to my soul
    because of all the women of my city.

52 Those who were my enemies without cause
    hunted me like a bird.(AT)
53 They tried to end my life in a pit(AU)
    and threw stones at me;
54 the waters closed over my head,(AV)
    and I thought I was about to perish.(AW)

55 I called on your name, Lord,
    from the depths(AX) of the pit.(AY)
56 You heard my plea:(AZ) “Do not close your ears
    to my cry for relief.”
57 You came near(BA) when I called you,
    and you said, “Do not fear.”(BB)

58 You, Lord, took up my case;(BC)
    you redeemed my life.(BD)
59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.(BE)
    Uphold my cause!(BF)
60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
    all their plots against me.(BG)

61 Lord, you have heard their insults,(BH)
    all their plots against me—
62 what my enemies whisper and mutter
    against me all day long.(BI)
63 Look at them! Sitting or standing,
    they mock me in their songs.(BJ)

64 Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
    for what their hands have done.(BK)
65 Put a veil over their hearts,(BL)
    and may your curse be on them!
66 Pursue(BM) them in anger and destroy them
    from under the heavens of the Lord.

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