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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 my affliction and roaming,
(A)The wormwood and the [a]gall.
20 My soul still remembers
And [b]sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have (B)hope.

22 (C)Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions (D)fail not.
23 They are new (E)every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24 “The Lord is my (F)portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I (G)hope in Him!”

25 The Lord is good to those who (H)wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26 It is good that one should (I)hope (J)and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
27 (K)It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.

28 (L)Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
29 (M)Let him put his mouth in the dust—
There may yet be hope.
30 (N)Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And be full of reproach.

31 (O)For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
33 For (P)He does not afflict [c]willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.

34 To crush under one’s feet
All the prisoners of the earth,
35 To turn aside the justice due a man
Before the face of the Most High,
36 Or subvert a man in his cause—
(Q)The Lord does not approve.

37 Who is he (R)who speaks and it comes to pass,
When the Lord has not commanded it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That (S)woe and well-being proceed?
39 (T)Why should a living man [d]complain,
(U)A man for the punishment of his sins?

40 Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the Lord;
41 (V)Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven.
42 (W)We have transgressed and rebelled;
You have not pardoned.

43 You have covered Yourself with anger
And pursued us;
You have slain and not pitied.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud,
That prayer should not pass through.
45 You have made us an (X)offscouring and refuse
In the midst of the peoples.

46 (Y)All our enemies
Have opened their mouths against us.
47 (Z)Fear and a snare have come upon us,
(AA)Desolation and destruction.
48 (AB)My eyes overflow with rivers of water
For the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 (AC)My eyes flow and do not cease,
Without interruption,
50 Till the Lord from heaven
(AD)Looks down and sees.
51 My eyes bring suffering to my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.

52 My enemies (AE)without cause
Hunted me down like a bird.
53 They [e]silenced my life (AF)in the pit
And (AG)threw [f]stones at me.
54 (AH)The waters flowed over my head;
(AI)I said, “I am cut off!”

55 (AJ)I called on Your name, O Lord,
From the lowest (AK)pit.
56 (AL)You have heard my voice:
“Do not hide Your ear
From my sighing, from my cry for help.”
57 You (AM)drew near on the day I called on You,
And said, (AN)“Do not fear!”

58 O Lord, You have (AO)pleaded the case for my soul;
(AP)You have redeemed my life.
59 O Lord, You have seen [g]how I am wronged;
(AQ)Judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
All their (AR)schemes against me.

61 You have heard their reproach, O Lord,
All their schemes against me,
62 The lips of my enemies
And their whispering against me all the day.
63 Look at their (AS)sitting down and their rising up;
I am their taunting song.

64 (AT)Repay them, O Lord,
According to the work of their hands.
65 Give them [h]a veiled heart;
Your curse be upon them!
66 In Your anger,
Pursue and destroy them
(AU)From under the heavens of the (AV)Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Lamentations 3:19 bitterness
  2. Lamentations 3:20 Lit. bowed down
  3. Lamentations 3:33 Lit. from His heart
  4. Lamentations 3:39 Or murmur
  5. Lamentations 3:53 LXX put to death
  6. Lamentations 3:53 Lit. a stone on
  7. Lamentations 3:59 Lit. my wrong
  8. Lamentations 3:65 A Jewish tradition sorrow of