Lamentations 3:39-4:5

New International Version

³⁹ Why should the living complain
    when punished for their sins?^(A)

⁴⁰ Let us examine our ways and test them,^(B)
    and let us return to the Lord.^(C)
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
    to God in heaven,^(D) and say:
⁴² “We have sinned and rebelled^(E)
    and you have not forgiven.^(F)

⁴³ “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued^(G) us;
    you have slain without pity.^(H)
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud^(I)
    so that no prayer^(J) can get through.^(K)
45 You have made us scum^(L) and refuse
    among the nations.

⁴⁶ “All our enemies have opened their mouths
    wide^(M) against us.^(N)
47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,^(O)
    ruin and destruction.^(P)”
⁴⁸ Streams of tears^(Q) flow from my eyes^(R)
    because my people are destroyed.^(S)

⁴⁹ My eyes will flow unceasingly,
    without relief,^(T)
50 until the Lord looks down
    from heaven and sees.^(U)
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.^(V)
53 They tried to end my life in a pit^(W)
    and threw stones at me;
⁵⁴ the waters closed over my head,^(X)
    and I thought I was about to perish.^(Y)

⁵⁵ I called on your name, Lord,
    from the depths^(Z) of the pit.^(AA)
56 You heard my plea:^(AB) “Do not close your ears
    to my cry for relief.”
⁵⁷ You came near^(AC) when I called you,
    and you said, “Do not fear.”^(AD)

⁵⁸ You, Lord, took up my case;^(AE)
    you redeemed my life.^(AF)
59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.^(AG)
    Uphold my cause!^(AH)
60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
    all their plots against me.^(AI)

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

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

4 ^[a]How the gold has lost its luster,
    the fine gold become dull!
The sacred gems are scattered
    at every street corner.^(AP)

² How the precious children of Zion,^(AQ)
    once worth their weight in gold,
are now considered as pots of clay,
    the work of a potter’s hands!

³ Even jackals offer their breasts
    to nurse their young,
but my people have become heartless
    like ostriches in the desert.^(AR)

⁴ Because of thirst^(AS) the infant’s tongue
    sticks to the roof of its mouth;^(AT)
the children beg for bread,
    but no one gives it to them.^(AU)

⁵ Those who once ate delicacies
    are destitute in the streets.
Those brought up in royal purple^(AV)
    now lie on ash heaps.^(AW)