Lamentations 3:19-66
New International Version
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness(A) and the gall.(B)
20 I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast(C) within me.(D)
21 Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the Lord’s great love(E) we are not consumed,(F)
for his compassions never fail.(G)
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.(H)
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;(I)
therefore I will wait for him.”
25 The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;(J)
26 it is good to wait quietly(K)
for the salvation of the Lord.(L)
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
28 Let him sit alone in silence,(M)
for the Lord has laid it on him.
29 Let him bury his face in the dust(N)—
there may yet be hope.(O)
30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,(P)
and let him be filled with disgrace.(Q)
31 For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.(R)
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.(S)
33 For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.(T)
34 To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
35 to deny people their rights
before the Most High,(U)
36 to deprive them of justice—
would not the Lord see such things?(V)
37 Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?(W)
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?(X)
39 Why should the living complain
when punished for their sins?(Y)
40 Let us examine our ways and test them,(Z)
and let us return to the Lord.(AA)
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven,(AB) and say:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled(AC)
and you have not forgiven.(AD)
43 “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued(AE) us;
you have slain without pity.(AF)
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud(AG)
so that no prayer(AH) can get through.(AI)
45 You have made us scum(AJ) and refuse
among the nations.
46 “All our enemies have opened their mouths
wide(AK) against us.(AL)
47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,(AM)
ruin and destruction.(AN)”
48 Streams of tears(AO) flow from my eyes(AP)
because my people are destroyed.(AQ)
49 My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,(AR)
50 until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.(AS)
51 What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.
52 Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.(AT)
53 They tried to end my life in a pit(AU)
and threw stones at me;
54 the waters closed over my head,(AV)
and I thought I was about to perish.(AW)
55 I called on your name, Lord,
from the depths(AX) of the pit.(AY)
56 You heard my plea:(AZ) “Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.”
57 You came near(BA) when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.”(BB)
58 You, Lord, took up my case;(BC)
you redeemed my life.(BD)
59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.(BE)
Uphold my cause!(BF)
60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
all their plots against me.(BG)
Lamentations 3:19-66
Christian Standard Bible
ז Zayin
19 Remember[a] my affliction and my homelessness,(A)
the wormwood and the poison.(B)
20 I continually remember them
and have become depressed.[b](C)
21 Yet I call this to mind,
and therefore I have hope:(D)
ח Cheth
22 Because of the Lord’s faithful love(E)
we do not perish,[c]
for his mercies never end.
23 They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness!(F)
24 I say, “The Lord is my portion,(G)
therefore I will put my hope in him.”
ט Teth
25 The Lord is good to those who wait(H) for him,
to the person who seeks him.
26 It is good to wait quietly(I)
for salvation from the Lord.(J)
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke(K)
while he is still young.
י Yod
28 Let him sit alone and be silent,(L)
for God has disciplined[d] him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust(M)—
perhaps there is still hope.
30 Let him offer his cheek
to the one who would strike him;(N)
let him be filled with disgrace.
כ Kaph
31 For the Lord
will not reject us forever.
32 Even if he causes suffering,
he will show compassion
according to the abundance of his faithful love.(O)
33 For he does not enjoy bringing affliction(P)
or suffering on mankind.
ל Lamed
34 Crushing all the prisoners of the land[e]
beneath one’s feet,
35 denying justice to a man(Q)
in the presence of the Most High,
36 or subverting a person in his lawsuit(R)—
the Lord does not approve of these things.
מ Mem
37 Who is there who speaks and it happens,
unless the Lord has ordained it?(S)
38 Do not both adversity and good
come from the mouth of the Most High?(T)
39 Why should any living person complain,
any man, because of the punishment for his sins?
נ Nun
40 Let’s examine and probe our ways,
and turn back to the Lord.(U)
41 Let’s lift up our hearts and our hands(V)
to God in heaven:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled;
you have not forgiven.(W)
ס Samek
43 “You have covered yourself in anger and pursued us;
you have killed without compassion.(X)
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can get through.(Y)
45 You have made us disgusting filth
among the peoples.(Z)
פ Pe
46 “All our enemies
open their mouths against us.(AA)
47 We have experienced panic and pitfall,(AB)
devastation and destruction.”
48 My eyes flow with streams of tears
because of the destruction of my dear people.
ע Ayin
49 My eyes overflow unceasingly,
without end,(AC)
50 until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.(AD)
51 My eyes bring me grief
because of the fate of all the women in my city.
צ Tsade
52 For no reason, my enemies[f]
hunted me like a bird.(AE)
53 They smothered my life in[g] a pit(AF)
and threw stones on me.
54 Water flooded over my head,(AG)
and I thought, “I’m going to die!” (AH)
ק Qoph
55 I called on your name, Lord,
from the depths of the pit.
56 You heard my plea:
Do not ignore my cry for relief.
57 You came near whenever I called you;
you said, “Do not be afraid.”
ר Resh
58 You championed my cause, Lord;(AI)
you redeemed my life.(AJ)
59 Lord, you saw the wrong done to me;
judge my case.
60 You saw all their vengefulness,
all their plots against me.(AK)
שׂ Sin / שׁ Shin
61 Lord, you heard their insults,(AL)
all their plots against me.
62 The slander[h] and murmuring of my opponents
attack me all day long.
63 When they sit and when they rise, look,
I am mocked by their songs.(AM)
ת Taw
64 You will pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
according to the work of their hands.(AN)
65 You will give them a heart filled with anguish.[i](AO)
May your curse be on them!
66 You will pursue them in anger and destroy them
under your heavens.[j](AP)
Footnotes
- 3:19 Or I remember
- 3:20 Alt Hb tradition reads and you cause me to collapse
- 3:22 One Hb mss, Syr, Tg read The Lord’s faithful love, indeed, does not perish
- 3:28 Lit has laid a burden on
- 3:34 Or earth
- 3:52 Or Those who were my enemies for no reason
- 3:53 Or They ended my life in; Hb obscure
- 3:62 Lit lips
- 3:65 Or them an obstinate heart; Hb obscure
- 3:66 Lit under the Lord’s heavens
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