Lamentaciones 3

¹ I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. ² He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light. ³ Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day. ⁴ My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. ⁵ He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. ⁶ He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead. ⁷ He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy. ⁸ Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer. ⁹ He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked. ¹⁰ He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places. ¹¹ He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate. ¹² He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. ¹³ He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins. ¹⁴ I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day. ¹⁵ He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood. ¹⁶ He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes. ¹⁷ And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity. ¹⁸ And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah. ¹⁹ Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. ²⁰ My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me. ²¹ This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope. ²² It is of Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. ²³ They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. ²⁴ Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. ²⁵ Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. ²⁶ It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah. ²⁷ It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. ²⁸ __a__FOOTNOTE__a__ Lamentations 3:28 Or, He sitteth etc. (so through verses 28–30) __b__FOOTNOTE__b__ Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him. ²⁹ Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. ³⁰ Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach. ³¹ For the Lord will not cast off for ever. ³² For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. ³³ For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. ³⁴ To crush under foot 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 cometh there 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 Jehovah. 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 pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. ⁴⁴ Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through. ⁴⁵ Thou hast made us an offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples. ⁴⁶ All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us. ⁴⁷ Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction. ⁴⁸ Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people. ⁴⁹ Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, ⁵⁰ Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven. ⁵¹ Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city. ⁵² They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause. ⁵³ They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me. ⁵⁴ Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off. ⁵⁵ I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon. ⁵⁶ Thou heardest 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 Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause. ⁶⁰ Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me. ⁶¹ Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me, ⁶² The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. ⁶³ Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song. ⁶⁴ Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands. ⁶⁵ Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them. ⁶⁶ Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.