They say to their mothers, Where is corn and wine? When they swooned as the wounded In the streets of the city, When their soul was poured out Into their mothers' bosom. What thing shall I take to witness for thee? what thing shall I liken to thee, O daughter of Jerusalem? What shall I equal to thee, that I may comfort thee, O virgin daughter of Zion? For thy breach is great like the sea: Who can heal thee? Thy prophets have seen vain And foolish things for thee: And they have not discovered thine iniquity, To turn away thy captivity; But have seen for thee false burdens And causes of banishment. All that pass by clap Their hands at thee; They hiss and wag their head At the daughter of Jerusalem, saying, Is this the city that men call The perfection of beauty, The joy of the whole earth? All thine enemies Have opened their mouth against thee: They hiss and gnash the teeth: They say, We have swallowed her up: Certainly this is the day that we looked for; We have found, we have seen it. The LORD hath done that which he had devised; He hath fulfilled his word That he had commanded in the days of old: He hath thrown down, and hath not pitied: And he hath caused thine enemy to rejoice over thee, He hath set up the horn of thine adversaries. Their heart cried unto the Lord, O wall of the daughter of Zion, Let tears run down like a river Day and night: Give thyself no rest; Let not the apple of thine eye cease. Arise, cry out in the night: In the beginning of the watches Pour out thine heart like water Before the face of the Lord: Lift up thy hands toward him for the life Of thy young children, That faint for hunger In the top of every street. Behold, O LORD, And consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, And children of a span long? Shall the priest and the prophet be slain In the sanctuary of the Lord? The young and the old lie On the ground in the streets: My virgins and my young men Are fallen by the sword; Thou hast slain them in the day of thine anger; Thou hast killed, and not pitied. Thou hast called as in a solemn day My terrors round about, So that in the day of the LORD's anger None escaped nor remained: Those that I have swaddled and brought up hath Mine enemy consumed.
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5 Days
Why do bad things happen to good people? Why there is so much suffering in life? When life feels unfair, and the world feels broken, you need to know there’s a God who understands and wants to restore all things. In this plan, you will learn how grieving, hoping, and gratitude can help you make sense of your suffering.
We all experience great loss- a relationship, a job, a loved one, or simply life as it once was. We’re sure that life is not supposed to be this way and so we grieve and mourn for what could have been. And we’re not alone. Join us for the fourth week of a 5-part plan that will help us learn the language and heart of lament in Scripture.
Most likely written by the prophet Jeremiah, Lamentations is a collection of poems mourning the siege of Jerusalem and the coming exile of Judah. Despite the wickedness of God’s people that led to their captivity, the writer reminds his readers the loyal love and mercy of the Lord are truly new every morning (Lamentations 3:22-23). Even in deep darkness, God is our portion, our hope, and our salvation.
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