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The Lord Will Not Reject Forever

Zayin

19 Remember my affliction and my [a]homelessness, the (A)wormwood and gall.
20 Surely (B)my soul remembers
And is (C)bowed down within me.
21 This I will return to my heart;
Therefore I will (D)wait in hope.

Heth

22 The (E)lovingkindnesses of Yahweh [b]indeed never cease,
(F)For His compassions never fail.
23 They are new (G)every morning;
Great is (H)Your faithfulness.
24 “Yahweh is my (I)portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I (J)wait for Him.”

Teth

25 Yahweh is good to those who (K)hope in Him,
To the soul who (L)seeks Him.
26 It is good that he (M)waits silently
For the salvation of Yahweh.
27 It is good for a man that he should bear
The yoke in his youth.

Yodh

28 Let him (N)sit alone and be silent
Since He has laid it on him.
29 Let him [c]put his mouth in the (O)dust;
Perhaps there is (P)hope.
30 Let him give his (Q)cheek to the one who strikes him;
Let him be saturated with reproach.

Kaph

31 For the Lord will (R)not reject forever,
32 For if He causes grief,
Then He will have (S)compassion
According to His abundant lovingkindness.
33 For He (T)does not afflict from His heart
Or grieve the sons of men.

Lamedh

34 To crush under His feet
All the prisoners of the [d]land,
35 To [e]deprive a man of (U)justice
In the presence of the Most High,
36 To [f](V)defraud a man in his legal case—
These things the Lord does not see with approval.

Mem

37 Who is [g]there who speaks and it (W)happens,
Unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That (X)both calamities and [h]good go forth?
39 Why should any living [i]person or any man
(Y)Complain because of his sins?

Nun

40 Let us (Z)search out and examine our ways,
And let us return to Yahweh.
41 We (AA)lift up our heart to our hands
Toward God in heaven;
42 We have (AB)transgressed and rebelled;
You have (AC)not pardoned.

Samekh

43 You have covered Yourself with (AD)anger
And (AE)pursued us;
You have killed and (AF)have not spared.
44 You have (AG)covered Yourself with a cloud
So that (AH)no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us mere (AI)scum and refuse
In the midst of the peoples.

Pe

46 All our enemies have (AJ)opened their mouths against us.
47 (AK)Panic and pitfall have befallen us,
Devastation and destruction;
48 My [j](AL)eyes run down with streams of water
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

Ayin

49 My eyes pour down (AM)unceasingly,
Without stopping,
50 Until Yahweh (AN)looks down
And sees from heaven.
51 My eyes deal severely with my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.

Tsadhe

52 My enemies (AO)without cause
Hunted me down (AP)like a bird;
53 They have silenced my life (AQ)in the pit
And have [k](AR)placed a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed (AS)over my head;
I said, “I am cut off!”

Qoph

55 I (AT)called on Your name, O Yahweh,
Out of the lowest pit.
56 You have (AU)heard my voice,
(AV)Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief,
From my cry for help.”
57 You (AW)drew near when I called on You;
You said, “(AX)Do not fear!”

Resh

58 O Lord, You (AY)have pleaded my soul’s cause;
You have (AZ)redeemed my life.
59 O Yahweh, You have (BA)seen my oppression;
(BB)Judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
All their (BC)purposes against me.

Sin/ Shin

61 You have heard their (BD)reproach, O Yahweh,
All their purposes against me.
62 The (BE)lips of those who rise against me and their whispering
Are against me all day long.
63 Look on their (BF)sitting and their rising;
(BG)I am their mocking song.

Tav

64 You will (BH)recompense them, O Yahweh,
According to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them [l](BI)dullness of heart;
Your curse will be on them.
66 You will (BJ)pursue them in anger and destroy them
From under the (BK)heavens of Yahweh!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:19 Or bitterness
  2. Lamentations 3:22 Or that we are not consumed
  3. Lamentations 3:29 Lit give
  4. Lamentations 3:34 Or earth
  5. Lamentations 3:35 Or turn aside a man’s case
  6. Lamentations 3:36 Lit make crooked
  7. Lamentations 3:37 Lit this
  8. Lamentations 3:38 Lit the good
  9. Lamentations 3:39 Or human being
  10. Lamentations 3:48 Lit eye brings
  11. Lamentations 3:53 Or cast stones
  12. Lamentations 3:65 Or insolence

Hope of Relief in God’s Mercy

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

39 Why should any living [m]mortal, or any man,
Offer (Y)complaint [n]in view of his sins?
40 Let us (Z)examine and probe our ways,
And let us return to the Lord.
41 We (AA)lift up our heart [o]and hands
Toward God in heaven;
42 We have (AB)transgressed and rebelled,
You have (AC)not pardoned.
43 You have covered Yourself with (AD)anger
And (AE)pursued us;
You have slain and (AF)have not spared.
44 You have (AG)covered Yourself with a cloud
So that (AH)no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us mere (AI)offscouring and refuse
In the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies have (AJ)opened their mouths against us.
47 (AK)Panic and pitfall have befallen us,
Devastation and destruction;
48 My [p](AL)eyes run down with streams of water
Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes pour down (AM)unceasingly,
Without stopping,
50 Until the Lord (AN)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 (AO)without cause
Hunted me down (AP)like a bird;
53 They have silenced [q]me (AQ)in the pit
And have [r](AR)placed a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed (AS)over my head;
I said, “I am cut off!”
55 I (AT)called on Your name, O Lord,
Out of the lowest pit.
56 You have (AU)heard my voice,
(AV)Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief,
From my cry for help.”
57 You (AW)drew near when I called on You;
You said, “(AX)Do not fear!”
58 O Lord, You (AY)have pleaded my soul’s cause;
You have (AZ)redeemed my life.
59 O Lord, You have (BA)seen my oppression;
(BB)Judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
All their (BC)schemes against me.
61 You have heard their (BD)reproach, O Lord,
All their schemes against me.
62 The (BE)lips of my assailants and their whispering
Are against me all day long.
63 Look on their (BF)sitting and their rising;
(BG)I am their mocking song.
64 You will (BH)recompense them, O Lord,
According to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them [s](BI)hardness of heart,
Your curse will be on them.
66 You will (BJ)pursue them in anger and destroy them
From under the (BK)heavens of the Lord!

Read full chapter

Footnotes

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