Lamentations 3:40-60

English Standard Version

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

⁴³ “You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
    ^(E)killing without pity;
^44 (F)you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
    so that no prayer can pass through.
^45 (G)You have made us scum and garbage
    among the peoples.

^46 (H)“All our enemies
    open their mouths against us;
^47 (I)panic and pitfall have come upon us,
    devastation and ^(J)destruction;
^48 (K)my eyes flow with rivers of tears
    because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

^49 (L)“My eyes will flow without ceasing,
    without respite,
^50 (M)until the Lord from heaven
    looks down and sees;
⁵¹ my eyes cause me grief
    at the fate of all the daughters of my city.

^52 (N)“I have been hunted ^(O)like a bird
    by those who were my enemies ^(P)without cause;
^53 (Q)they flung me alive into the pit^{[a]
    (R)}and cast stones on me;
^54 (S)water closed over my head;
    I said, ^(T)‘I am lost.’

^55 (U)“I called on your name, O Lord,
    from the depths of the pit;
^56 (V)you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
    your ear to my cry for help!’
^57 (W)You came near when I called on you;
    you said, ^(X)‘Do not fear!’

⁵⁸ “You have ^(Y)taken up my cause, ^(Z)O Lord;
    you have ^(AA)redeemed my life.
⁵⁹ You have seen the wrong done to me, ^(AB)O Lord;
    judge my cause.
⁶⁰ You have seen all their vengeance,
    all ^(AC)their plots against me.