Lamentations 3:19-66
Authorized (King James) Version
19 remembering mine affliction and my misery,
the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance,
and is humbled in me.
21 This I recall to my mind,
therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed,
because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning:
great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul;
therefore will I hope in him.
25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him,
to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope
and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence,
because he hath borne it upon him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust;
if so be there may be hope.
30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him:
he is filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
32 but though he cause grief,
yet will he have compassion
according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For he doth not afflict willingly
nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under his feet
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 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
proceedeth not evil and good?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain,
a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways,
and turn again to the Lord.
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 covered with anger, and persecuted us:
thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud,
that our prayer should not pass through.
45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring
and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and a snare is come upon us,
desolation and destruction.
48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water
for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not,
without any intermission,
50 till the Lord look down,
and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart
because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore,
like a bird, without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon,
and cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters flowed over mine head;
then I said, I am cut off.
55 I called upon thy name, O Lord,
out of the low dungeon.
56 Thou hast heard 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 Lord, thou hast seen my wrong:
judge thou my cause.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance
and all their imaginations against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord,
and all their imaginations against me;
62 the lips of those that rose up against me,
and their device against me all the day.
63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up;
I am their musick.
64 Render unto them a recompence, O Lord,
according to the work of their hands.
65 Give them sorrow of heart,
thy curse unto them.
66 Persecute and destroy them in anger
from under the heavens of the Lord.
Lamentations 3:19-66
New King James Version
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.
Footnotes
- Lamentations 3:19 bitterness
- Lamentations 3:20 Lit. bowed down
- Lamentations 3:33 Lit. from His heart
- Lamentations 3:39 Or murmur
- Lamentations 3:53 LXX put to death
- Lamentations 3:53 Lit. a stone on
- Lamentations 3:59 Lit. my wrong
- Lamentations 3:65 A Jewish tradition sorrow of
KJV reproduced by permission of Cambridge University Press, the Crown’s patentee in the UK.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
