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Lamentations 3

Lamentations 2Lamentations 4

Lamentations 3 English Standard Version (ESV)

Great Is Your Faithfulness

3 I am the man who has seen affliction
    under the rod of his wrath;
2 he has driven and brought me
    into darkness without any light;
3 surely against me he turns his hand
    again and again the whole day long.

4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away;
    he has broken my bones;
5 he has besieged and enveloped me
    with bitterness and tribulation;
6 he has made me dwell in darkness
    like the dead of long ago.

7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape;
    he has made my chains heavy;
8 though I call and cry for help,
    he shuts out my prayer;
9 he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones;
    he has made my paths crooked.

10 He is a bear lying in wait for me,
    a lion in hiding;
11 he turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces;
    he has made me desolate;
12 he bent his bow and set me
    as a target for his arrow.

13 He drove into my kidneys
    the arrows of his quiver;
14 I have become the laughingstock of all peoples,
    the object of their taunts all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitterness;
    he has sated me with wormwood.

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

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

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

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

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

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

34 To crush underfoot
    all the prisoners of the earth,
35 to deny a man justice
    in the presence of the Most High,
36 to subvert a man in his lawsuit,
    the Lord does not approve.

37 Who has spoken and it came to pass,
    unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
    that good and bad come?
39 Why should a living man complain,
    a man, about the punishment of his sins?

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

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

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

49 “My eyes will flow without ceasing,
    without respite,
50 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 “I have been hunted like a bird
    by those who were my enemies without cause;
53 they flung me alive into the pit
    and cast stones on me;
54 water closed over my head;
    I said, ‘I am lost.’

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

58 “You have taken up my cause, O Lord;
    you have redeemed my life.
59 You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord;
    judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
    all their plots against me.

61 “You have heard their taunts, O Lord,
    all their plots against me.
62 The lips and thoughts of my assailants
    are against me all the day long.
63 Behold their sitting and their rising;
    I am the object of their taunts.

64 “You will repay them,[c] O Lord,
    according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them[d] dullness of heart;
    your curse will be[e] on them.
66 You will pursue them[f] in anger and destroy them
    from under your heavens, O Lord.”[g]

Footnotes:

  1. Lamentations 3:17 Hebrew good
  2. Lamentations 3:22 Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Because of the steadfast love of the Lord, we are not cut off
  3. Lamentations 3:64 Or Repay them
  4. Lamentations 3:65 Or Give them
  5. Lamentations 3:65 Or place your curse
  6. Lamentations 3:66 Or Pursue them
  7. Lamentations 3:66 Syriac (compare Septuagint, Vulgate); Hebrew the heavens of the Lord
English Standard Version (ESV)

The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.

Lamentations 3 New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Jeremiah Shares Israel’s Affliction

3 I am the man who has seen affliction
Because of the rod of His wrath.
2 He has driven me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light.
3 Surely against me He has turned His hand
Repeatedly all the day.
4 He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away,
He has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged and encompassed me with bitterness and hardship.
6 In dark places He has made me dwell,
Like those who have long been dead.
7 He has walled me in so that I cannot go out;
He has made my [a]chain heavy.
8 Even when I cry out and call for help,
He shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone;
He has made my paths crooked.
10 He is to me like a bear lying in wait,
Like a lion in secret places.
11 He has turned aside my ways and torn me to pieces;
He has made me desolate.
12 He bent His bow
And set me as a target for the arrow.
13 He made the [b]arrows of His quiver
To enter into my [c]inward parts.
14 I have become a laughingstock to all my people,
Their mocking song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drunk with wormwood.
16 He has broken my teeth with gravel;
He has made me cower in the dust.
17 My soul has been rejected from peace;
I have forgotten [d]happiness.
18 So I say, “My strength has perished,
And so has my hope from the Lord.”

Hope of Relief in God’s Mercy

19 Remember my affliction and my [e]wandering, the wormwood and bitterness.
20 Surely my soul remembers
And is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have hope.
22 The Lord’s lovingkindnesses [f]indeed never cease,
For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I have hope in Him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for Him,
To the [g]person who seeks Him.
26 It is good that he waits silently
For the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he should bear
The yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and be silent
Since He has laid it on him.
29 Let him [h]put his mouth in the dust,
Perhaps there is hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to [i]the smiter,
Let him be filled with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not reject forever,
32 For if He causes grief,
Then He will have compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness.
33 For He does not afflict [j]willingly
Or grieve the sons of men.
34 To crush under His feet
All the prisoners of the [k]land,
35 To [l]deprive a man of justice
In the presence of the Most High,
36 To [m]defraud a man in his lawsuit—
Of these things the Lord does not [n]approve.
37 Who is [o]there who speaks and it comes to pass,
Unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That [p]both good and ill go forth?

39 Why should any living [q]mortal, or any man,
Offer complaint [r]in view of his sins?
40 Let us examine and probe our ways,
And let us return to the Lord.
41 We lift up our heart [s]and hands
Toward God in heaven;
42 We have transgressed and rebelled,
You have not pardoned.
43 You have covered Yourself with anger
And pursued us;
You have slain and have not spared.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud
So that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us mere offscouring and refuse
In the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Panic and pitfall have befallen us,
Devastation and destruction;
48 My [t]eyes run down with streams of water
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes pour down unceasingly,
Without stopping,
50 Until the Lord looks down
And sees from heaven.
51 My eyes bring pain to my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My enemies without cause
Hunted me down like a bird;
53 They have silenced [u]me in the pit
And have [v]placed a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed over my head;
I said, “I am cut off!”
55 I called on Your name, O Lord,
Out of the lowest pit.
56 You have heard my voice,
“Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief,
From my cry for help.”
57 You drew near when I called on You;
You said, “Do not fear!”
58 O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause;
You have redeemed my life.
59 O Lord, You have seen my oppression;
Judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
All their schemes against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O Lord,
All their schemes against me.
62 The lips of my assailants and their whispering
Are against me all day long.
63 Look on their sitting and their rising;
I am their mocking song.
64 You will recompense them, O Lord,
According to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them [w]hardness of heart,
Your curse will be on them.
66 You will pursue them in anger and destroy them
From under the heavens of the Lord!

Footnotes:

  1. Lamentations 3:7 Lit bronze piece
  2. Lamentations 3:13 Lit sons
  3. Lamentations 3:13 Lit kidneys
  4. Lamentations 3:17 Lit good
  5. Lamentations 3:19 Or bitterness
  6. Lamentations 3:22 Or that we are not consumed
  7. Lamentations 3:25 Lit soul
  8. Lamentations 3:29 Lit give
  9. Lamentations 3:30 Lit his
  10. Lamentations 3:33 Lit from His heart
  11. Lamentations 3:34 Or earth
  12. Lamentations 3:35 Or turn aside a man’s case
  13. Lamentations 3:36 Lit make crooked
  14. Lamentations 3:36 Lit see
  15. Lamentations 3:37 Lit this
  16. Lamentations 3:38 Lit the evil things and the good
  17. Lamentations 3:39 Or human being
  18. Lamentations 3:39 Or on the basis of
  19. Lamentations 3:41 Lit toward our
  20. Lamentations 3:48 Lit eye brings
  21. Lamentations 3:53 Lit my life
  22. Lamentations 3:53 Or cast stones
  23. Lamentations 3:65 Or insolence
New American Standard Bible (NASB)

Copyright © 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972, 1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation

Lamentations 3 Tree of Life Version (TLV)

3 I am the strong man who has seen affliction
    by the rod of His wrath.
2 He has driven me and made me walk
    in darkness and not light.
3 Surely, He has turned His hand against me
    again and again all day long.
4 He made my flesh and my skin
    waste away, broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me and surrounded me
    with bitterness and hardship.
6 He made me dwell in dark places
    like those long dead.
7 He has walled me in so I cannot get out.
    He made my chain heavy.
8 Even when I cry out and call for help,
    He shuts out my prayer.
9 He walled in my ways with hewn stone.
    He twisted my paths.
10 He is a lurking bear to me,
    a lion in hiding.
11 He turned aside my paths and tore me to pieces.
    He has made me desolate.
12 He bent His bow and made me
    the target for His arrow.
13 He shot into my kidneys
    arrows from His quiver.
14 I have become a laughing stock
    to all my people,
their song all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitterness
    and made me drink wormwood.
16 He broke my teeth with gravel.
    He made me wallow in ashes.
17 My soul has been deprived of shalom,
    I have forgotten goodness.
18 So I said, “My endurance has perished,
    and my hope from Adonai.”
19 Remember my affliction
my homelessness, bitterness and gall.
20 Whenever I remember,
    my soul is downcast within me.

Our Hope—His Faithfulness

21 This I recall to my heart—
    therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the mercies of Adonai
    we will not be consumed,
    for His compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning!
    Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “Adonai is my portion,” says my soul,
    “therefore I will hope in Him.”
25 Adonai is good to those who wait for Him,
    to the soul that seeks Him.
26 It is good to wait quietly
    for the salvation of Adonai.
27 It is good for a man
    to bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and be silent,
    since He has laid it upon him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust—
    there may yet be hope.

Intercession for Justice

30 Let him offer his cheek
    to the one who strikes him.[a]
Let him have his fill of disgrace.
31 For the Lord will not reject forever.
32 For though He has caused grief,
    yet He will have compassion
    according to His abundant mercies.
33 For He does not afflict from His heart
    or grieve the sons of men.
34 To crush under His foot
    all the prisoners of the land,
35 to deprive a person of justice
    before the face of Elyon,
36 to defraud a person in his lawsuit—
    would the Lord not see?
37 Who speaks and it comes to pass
    unless the Lord has decreed it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of Elyon
that both calamities and good things proceed?
39 Why should any living person complain
    when punished for his sins?
40 Let us examine and test our ways,
    and let us return to Adonai.
41 Let us lift up our heart and hands
    to God in heaven.
42 We have transgressed and rebelled—
    You have not pardoned.
43 You covered Yourself with anger and pursued us.
    You have slain without pity.
44 You shrouded Yourself with a cloud
    so that no prayer can get through.
45 You have made us scum and refuse
    in the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies opened their mouth
    wide against us.
47 Panic and pitfall have befallen us,
    devastation and destruction.
48 Streams of tears run down my eyes
    because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye flows unceasingly,
    without stopping,
50 until Adonai looks down
    from heaven and sees.
51 My eye torments my soul
    because of all the daughters of my city.
52 For no reason, my enemies
    hunted me down like a bird.
53 They cut off my life in the Pit,
    and cast stones upon me.
54 Waters flowed over my head.
    I said, “I have been cut off!”
55 I called on Your Name, Adonai,
    from the depths of the Pit.
56 You heard my voice,
    “Do not close Your ears to my cry for relief.”
57 You drew near on the day I called to You.
    You said, “Do not fear!”
58 Lord, You pled my soul’s case,
    You redeemed my life.[b]
59 Adonai, You saw the wrong done to me;
    judge my cause!
60 You have seen all their vengefulness,
    all their schemes against me.
61 You heard their taunt, Adonai,
    all their plots against me.
62 The lips of my assailants and their whispering
    are against me all day long.
63 Look at them, sitting or standing,
    they mock me in their song.
64 Pay them back what they deserve, Adonai,
    according to the work of their hands.
65 Give them a distraught heart.
    May Your curse be on them.
66 Pursue them in anger and destroy them
    from under the heavens of Adonai.

Footnotes:

  1. Lamentations 3:30 cf. Matt. 5:39.
  2. Lamentations 3:58 cf. 1 John 2:1.
Tree of Life Version (TLV)

Tree of Life (TLV) Translation of the Bible. Copyright © 2015 by The Messianic Jewish Family Bible Society.
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