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19 Remember my affliction and my misery,
    the wormwood and the bitterness.
20 My soul still remembers them,
    and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind;
    therefore I have hope.

22 It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed,
    because his compassion doesn’t fail.
23 They are new every morning.
    Great is your faithfulness.
24 “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul.
    “Therefore I will hope in him.”

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

28 Let him sit alone and keep silence,
    because he has laid it on him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust,
    if it is so that there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him.
    Let him be filled full of reproach.

31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32     For though he causes grief,
    yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
33 For he does not afflict willingly,
    nor grieve the children of men.

34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35     to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36     to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.

37 Who is he who says, and it comes to pass,
    when the Lord doesn’t command it?
38 Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
39     Why does a living man complain,
    a man for the punishment of his sins?

40 Let us search and try our ways,
    and turn again to Yahweh.
41 Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God[a] in the heavens.
42     “We have transgressed and have rebelled.
    You have not pardoned.

43 “You have covered us with anger and pursued us.
    You have killed.
    You have not pitied.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud,
    so that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us an off-scouring and refuse
    in the middle of the peoples.

46 “All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47     Terror and the pit have come on us,
    devastation and destruction.”

48 My eye runs down with streams of water,
    for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye pours down
    and doesn’t cease,
    without any intermission,
50 until Yahweh looks down,
    and sees from heaven.
51 My eye affects my soul,
    because of all the daughters of my city.

52 They have chased me relentlessly like a bird,
    those who are my enemies without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon,
    and have cast a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed over my head.
    I said, “I am cut off.”

55 I called on your name, Yahweh,
    out of the lowest dungeon.
56 You heard my voice:
    “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing,
    and my cry.”

57 You came near in the day that I called on you.
    You said, “Don’t be afraid.”

58 Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul.
    You have redeemed my life.
59 Yahweh, you have seen my wrong.
    Judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance
    and all their plans against me.

61 You have heard their reproach, Yahweh,
    and all their plans against me,
62 the lips of those that rose up against me,
    and their plots against me all day long.
63 You see their sitting down and their rising up.
    I am their song.

64 You will pay them back, Yahweh,
    according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them hardness of heart,
    your curse to them.
66 You will pursue them in anger,
    and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.

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Footnotes

  1. 3:41 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).

19 Remember mine affliction and my [a]misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.
22 It is of Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 [b]Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
33 For he doth not afflict [c]willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord [d]approveth not.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, [e]a man for the punishment of his sins?

40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.
43 Thou hast [f]covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Thou hast made us an offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, [g]devastation and destruction.
48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.

55 I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
64 Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
65 Thou wilt give them [h]hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:19 Or, wandering. Or, outcast state
  2. Lamentations 3:28 Or, He sitteth etc. (so through verses 28–30)
  3. Lamentations 3:33 Hebrew from his heart.
  4. Lamentations 3:36 Hebrew seeth not.
  5. Lamentations 3:39 Or, a man that is in his sins
  6. Lamentations 3:43 Or, covered thyself
  7. Lamentations 3:47 Or, tumult
  8. Lamentations 3:65 Or, blindness. Hebrew covering.