Lamentations 3:1-18

Lexham English Bible

3 I am a man who has seen misery,
under the rod of his wrath.
² He has driven me along, he brought
    darkness and not light.
³ Surely he has turned his hand against me,
    all day long.
⁴ He has worn out my flesh and skin,
    he has broken my bones.
⁵ He has besieged^[a] and engulfed me
    with bitterness and hardship.
⁶ In darkness he has let me dwell
    like the dead of long ago.
⁷ He has built a wall around me, I cannot go out;
    he has made my bronze fetters heavy.
⁸ Though I cry out for help,
    he shuts out my prayers.
⁹ He has blocked my ways with dressed stones;
    he has made my paths crooked.
¹⁰ To me he is like a bear lying in wait,
    a lion in hiding.
¹¹ He has forsaken my way and torn me to pieces;
    he has caused me desolation.
¹² He has bent his bow and set me
    as the target for the arrow.
¹³ He shot the arrows of his quiver^[b]
    into my kidneys.
¹⁴ I have become a laughingstock for all the people,
    their mocking song all day long.
¹⁵ He has filled me with bitterness,
    he has drenched me with wormwood.
¹⁶ He has broken my teeth on grit,
    he has trampled me down in ash.
¹⁷ My life has been removed from peace,
    I have forgotten goodness.
¹⁸ And I have said, “My glory is ruined,
    my expectation from Yahweh.”