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)

61 Lord, you have heard their insults,(BH)
    all their plots against me—
62 what my enemies whisper and mutter
    against me all day long.(BI)
63 Look at them! Sitting or standing,
    they mock me in their songs.(BJ)

64 Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
    for what their hands have done.(BK)
65 Put a veil over their hearts,(BL)
    and may your curse be on them!
66 Pursue(BM) them in anger and destroy them
    from under the heavens of the Lord.

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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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Notas al pie

  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