Lamentations 3:19-66
English Standard Version
19 (A)Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
(B)the wormwood and (C)the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
(D)and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
and (E)therefore I have hope:
22 (F)The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
(G)his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new (H)every morning;
(I)great is your faithfulness.
24 (J)“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
(K)“therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who (L)wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 (M)It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 (N)It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke (O)in his youth.
28 Let him (P)sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29 (Q)let him put his mouth in the dust—
there may yet be hope;
30 (R)let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31 (S)For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32 but, though he (T)cause grief, (U)he will have compassion
(V)according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33 (W)for he does not afflict from his heart
or (X)grieve the children of men.
34 To crush underfoot
all (Y)the prisoners of the earth,
35 (Z)to deny a man justice
in the presence of the Most High,
36 to subvert a man in his lawsuit,
(AA)the Lord does not approve.
37 (AB)Who has spoken and it came to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 (AC)Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good and bad come?
39 (AD)Why should a living man complain,
a man, about the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us test and examine our ways,
(AE)and return to the Lord!
41 (AF)Let us lift up our hearts and hands
to God in heaven:
42 (AG)“We have transgressed and (AH)rebelled,
and you have not forgiven.
43 “You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
(AI)killing without pity;
44 (AJ)you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can pass through.
45 (AK)You have made us scum and garbage
among the peoples.
46 (AL)“All our enemies
open their mouths against us;
47 (AM)panic and pitfall have come upon us,
devastation and (AN)destruction;
48 (AO)my eyes flow with rivers of tears
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 (AP)“My eyes will flow without ceasing,
without respite,
50 (AQ)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 (AR)“I have been hunted (AS)like a bird
by those who were my enemies (AT)without cause;
53 (AU)they flung me alive into the pit
(AV)and cast stones on me;
54 (AW)water closed over my head;
I said, (AX)‘I am lost.’
55 (AY)“I called on your name, O Lord,
from the depths of the pit;
56 (AZ)you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
your ear to my cry for help!’
57 (BA)You came near when I called on you;
you said, (BB)‘Do not fear!’
58 “You have (BC)taken up my cause, (BD)O Lord;
you have (BE)redeemed my life.
59 You have seen the wrong done to me, (BF)O Lord;
judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
all (BG)their plots against me.
61 (BH)“You have heard their taunts, O Lord,
all (BI)their plots against me.
62 The lips and thoughts (BJ)of my assailants
are against me all the day long.
63 (BK)Behold their sitting and their rising;
(BL)I am the object of their taunts.
64 (BM)“You will repay them,[b] O Lord,
(BN)according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them[c] dullness of heart;
your curse will be[d] on them.
66 You will pursue them[e] in anger and (BO)destroy them
from under (BP)your heavens, O Lord.”[f]
Footnotes
- Lamentations 3:22 Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Because of the steadfast love of the Lord, we are not cut off
- Lamentations 3:64 Or Repay them
- Lamentations 3:65 Or Give them
- Lamentations 3:65 Or place your curse
- Lamentations 3:66 Or Pursue them
- Lamentations 3:66 Syriac (compare Septuagint, Vulgate); Hebrew the heavens of the Lord
Lamentations 3:19-66
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
19 The thought of my affliction and my homelessness
is wormwood and gall!(A)
20 My soul continually thinks of it
and is bowed down within me.(B)
21 But this I call to mind,
and therefore I have hope:
22 The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases,[a]
his mercies never come to an end;(C)
23 they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.(D)
24 “The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
“therefore I will hope in him.”(E)
25 The Lord is good to those who wait for him,
to the soul that seeks him.(F)
26 It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.(G)
27 It is good for one to bear
the yoke in youth,(H)
28 to sit alone in silence
when the Lord[b] has imposed it,(I)
29 to put one’s mouth to the dust
(there may yet be hope),
30 to give one’s cheek to the smiter
and be filled with insults.(J)
31 For the Lord will not
reject forever.(K)
32 Although he causes grief, he will have compassion
according to the abundance of his steadfast love;(L)
33 for he does not willingly afflict
or grieve anyone.(M)
34 When all the prisoners of the land
are crushed under foot,
35 when justice is perverted
in the presence of the Most High,(N)
36 when one’s case is subverted—
does the Lord not see it?(O)
37 Who can command and have it done,
if the Lord has not ordained it?(P)
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that evil and good come?(Q)
39 Why should any who draw breath complain
about the punishment of their sins?(R)
40 Let us test and examine our ways
and return to the Lord.(S)
41 Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands
to God in heaven.(T)
42 We have transgressed and rebelled,
and you have not forgiven.(U)
43 You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
killing without pity;(V)
44 you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us filth and rubbish
among the peoples.(W)
46 All our enemies
have opened their mouths against us;(X)
47 panic and pitfall have come upon us,
devastation and destruction.(Y)
48 My eyes flow with rivers of tears
because of the destruction of my people.[c]
49 My eyes will flow without ceasing,
without respite,(Z)
50 until the Lord from heaven
looks down and sees.(AA)
51 My eyes cause me grief
at the fate of all the young women in my city.
52 Those who were my enemies without cause
have hunted me like a bird;(AB)
53 they flung me alive into a pit
and hurled stones on me;(AC)
54 water closed over my head;
I said, “I am lost.”(AD)
55 I called on your name, O Lord,
from the depths of the pit;(AE)
56 you heard my plea, “Do not close your ear
to my cry for help, but give me relief!”(AF)
57 You came near when I called on you;
you said, “Do not fear!”(AG)
58 You have taken up my cause, O Lord;
you have redeemed my life.(AH)
59 You have seen the wrong done to me, O Lord;
judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their malice,
all their plots against me.(AI)
61 You have heard their taunts, O Lord,
all their plots against me.
62 The whispers and murmurs of my assailants
are against me all day long.
63 Whether they sit or rise—see,
I am the object of their taunt songs.
64 Pay them back for their deeds, O Lord,
according to the work of their hands!
65 Give them anguish of heart;
your curse be on them!
66 Pursue them in anger and destroy them
from under the Lord’s heavens.(AJ)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.