Lamentations 3:16-33

English Standard Version

^16 (A)He has made my teeth grind on gravel,
    and ^(B)made me cower in ashes;
¹⁷ my soul is bereft of peace;
    I have forgotten what happiness^[a] is;
^18 (C)so I say, “My endurance has perished;
    so has my hope from the Lord.”

^19 (D)Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
    ^(E)the wormwood and ^(F)the gall!
²⁰ My soul continually remembers it
    ^(G)and is bowed down within me.
²¹ But this I call to mind,
    and ^(H)therefore I have hope:

^22 (I)The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;^{[b]
    (J)}his mercies never come to an end;
²³ they are new ^(K)every morning;
    ^(L)great is your faithfulness.
^24 (M)“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
    ^(N)“therefore I will hope in him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who ^(O)wait for him,
    to the soul who seeks him.
^26 (P)It is good that one should wait quietly
    for the salvation of the Lord.
^27 (Q)It is good for a man that he bear
    the yoke ^(R)in his youth.

²⁸ Let him ^(S)sit alone in silence
    when it is laid on him;
^29 (T)let him put his mouth in the dust—
    there may yet be hope;
^30 (U)let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
    and let him be filled with insults.

^31 (V)For the Lord will not
    cast off forever,
³² but, though he ^(W)cause grief, ^(X)he will have compassion
    ^(Y)according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
^33 (Z)for he does not afflict from his heart
    or ^(AA)grieve the children of men.