Jeremiah Shares Israel’s Misery

I am the man who has (A)seen misery
Because of the rod of His wrath.
He has driven me and made me walk
In (B)darkness and not in light.
Indeed, He has (C)turned His hand against me
Repeatedly all the day.
He has consumed my (D)flesh and my skin,
He has (E)broken my bones.
He has [a](F)besieged and surrounded me with [b](G)bitterness and hardship.
He has made me live in (H)dark places,
Like those who have long been dead.
He has (I)walled me in so that I cannot go out;
He has made my [c](J)chain heavy.
Even when I cry out and call for help,
He (K)shuts out my prayer.
He has (L)blocked my ways with cut stone;
He has twisted my paths.
10 He is to me like a bear lying in wait,
Like a lion in secret places.
11 He has made my ways deviate, and (M)torn me to pieces;
He has made me desolate.
12 He (N)bent His bow
And (O)took aim at me as a target for the arrow.
13 He made the [d]arrows of His (P)quiver
Enter my [e]inward parts.
14 I have become a (Q)laughingstock to all my people,
Their (R)song of ridicule all the day.
15 He has (S)filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drink plenty of wormwood.
16 He has also (T)made my teeth grind with (U)gravel;
He has made me cower in the (V)dust.
17 My soul has been excluded (W)from peace;
I have forgotten [f]happiness.
18 So I say, “My [g]strength has failed,
And so has my (X)hope from the Lord.”

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:5 Lit built against
  2. Lamentations 3:5 Lit poison
  3. Lamentations 3:7 Lit bronze piece
  4. Lamentations 3:13 Lit sons
  5. Lamentations 3:13 Lit kidneys
  6. Lamentations 3:17 Lit good
  7. Lamentations 3:18 Or splendor

Jeremiah Shares Israel’s Affliction

I am the man who has (A)seen affliction
Because of the rod of His wrath.
He has driven me and made me walk
In (B)darkness and not in light.
Surely against me He has (C)turned His hand
Repeatedly all the day.
He has caused my (D)flesh and my skin to waste away,
He has (E)broken my bones.
He has (F)besieged and encompassed me with (G)bitterness and hardship.
In (H)dark places He has made me dwell,
Like those who have long been dead.
He has (I)walled me in so that I cannot go out;
He has made my [a](J)chain heavy.
Even when I cry out and call for help,
He (K)shuts out my prayer.
He has (L)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 (M)torn me to pieces;
He has made me desolate.
12 He (N)bent His bow
And (O)set me as a target for the arrow.
13 He made the [b]arrows of His (P)quiver
To enter into my [c]inward parts.
14 I have become a (Q)laughingstock to all my people,
Their mocking (R)song all the day.
15 He has (S)filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drunk with wormwood.
16 He has (T)broken my teeth with (U)gravel;
He has made me cower in the (V)dust.
17 My soul has been rejected (W)from peace;
I have forgotten [d]happiness.
18 So I say, “My strength has perished,
And so has my (X)hope from the Lord.”

Read full chapter

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