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
English Standard Version
19 (A)Remember my affliction and my wanderings,
(B)the wormwood and (C)the gall!
20 My soul continually remembers it
(D)and is bowed down within me.
21 But this I call to mind,
and (E)therefore I have hope:
22 (F)The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases;[a]
(G)his mercies never come to an end;
23 they are new (H)every morning;
(I)great is your faithfulness.
24 (J)“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul,
(K)“therefore I will hope in him.”
25 The Lord is good to those who (L)wait for him,
to the soul who seeks him.
26 (M)It is good that one should wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27 (N)It is good for a man that he bear
the yoke (O)in his youth.
28 Let him (P)sit alone in silence
when it is laid on him;
29 (Q)let him put his mouth in the dust—
there may yet be hope;
30 (R)let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
and let him be filled with insults.
31 (S)For the Lord will not
cast off forever,
32 but, though he (T)cause grief, (U)he will have compassion
(V)according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33 (W)for he does not afflict from his heart
or (X)grieve the children of men.
34 To crush underfoot
all (Y)the prisoners of the earth,
35 (Z)to deny a man justice
in the presence of the Most High,
36 to subvert a man in his lawsuit,
(AA)the Lord does not approve.
37 (AB)Who has spoken and it came to pass,
unless the Lord has commanded it?
38 (AC)Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that good and bad come?
39 (AD)Why should a living man complain,
a man, about the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us test and examine our ways,
(AE)and return to the Lord!
41 (AF)Let us lift up our hearts and hands
to God in heaven:
42 (AG)“We have transgressed and (AH)rebelled,
and you have not forgiven.
43 “You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
(AI)killing without pity;
44 (AJ)you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can pass through.
45 (AK)You have made us scum and garbage
among the peoples.
46 (AL)“All our enemies
open their mouths against us;
47 (AM)panic and pitfall have come upon us,
devastation and (AN)destruction;
48 (AO)my eyes flow with rivers of tears
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 (AP)“My eyes will flow without ceasing,
without respite,
50 (AQ)until the Lord from heaven
looks down and sees;
51 my eyes cause me grief
at the fate of all the daughters of my city.
52 (AR)“I have been hunted (AS)like a bird
by those who were my enemies (AT)without cause;
53 (AU)they flung me alive into the pit
(AV)and cast stones on me;
54 (AW)water closed over my head;
I said, (AX)‘I am lost.’
55 (AY)“I called on your name, O Lord,
from the depths of the pit;
56 (AZ)you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
your ear to my cry for help!’
57 (BA)You came near when I called on you;
you said, (BB)‘Do not fear!’
58 “You have (BC)taken up my cause, (BD)O Lord;
you have (BE)redeemed my life.
59 You have seen the wrong done to me, (BF)O Lord;
judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
all (BG)their plots against me.
61 (BH)“You have heard their taunts, O Lord,
all (BI)their plots against me.
62 The lips and thoughts (BJ)of my assailants
are against me all the day long.
63 (BK)Behold their sitting and their rising;
(BL)I am the object of their taunts.
64 (BM)“You will repay them,[b] O Lord,
(BN)according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them[c] dullness of heart;
your curse will be[d] on them.
66 You will pursue them[e] in anger and (BO)destroy them
from under (BP)your heavens, O Lord.”[f]
Footnotes
- Lamentations 3:22 Syriac, Targum; Hebrew Because of the steadfast love of the Lord, we are not cut off
- Lamentations 3:64 Or Repay them
- Lamentations 3:65 Or Give them
- Lamentations 3:65 Or place your curse
- Lamentations 3:66 Or Pursue them
- Lamentations 3:66 Syriac (compare Septuagint, Vulgate); Hebrew the heavens of the Lord
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