Lamentations 3
3
The Meaning of Suffering
1I am a man who has seen the suffering
that comes from the rod of the Lord’s anger.
2He led me
into darkness, not light.
3He turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
4He caused my flesh and skin to wear out.
He broke my bones.
5He surrounded me and attacked me
with sadness and grief.
6He made me sit in the dark,
like someone who has been dead a long time.
7He shut me in so I could not get out.
He put heavy chains on me.
8I cry out and beg for help.
But he ignores my prayer.
9He has blocked my way with stones.
He has made my life difficult.
10The Lord is like a bear ready to attack me.
He is like a lion in hiding.
11He led me the wrong way and tore me to pieces.
He left me without help.
12He prepared to shoot his bow.
He made me the target for his arrows.
13He shot me in the kidneys
with the arrows from his arrow bag.
14I have become a joke to all my people.
All day long they make fun of me with songs.
15The Lord filled me with misery.
He filled me with suffering.
16The Lord broke my teeth with gravel.
He crushed me into the dirt.
17I have no more peace.
I have forgotten what happiness is.
18I said, “My strength is gone.
I have no more hope that the Lord will help me.”
19Lord, remember my suffering and how I have no home.
Remember the misery and suffering.
20I remember them well.
And I am very sad.
21But I have hope
when I think of this:
22The Lord’s love never ends.
His mercies never stop.
23They are new every morning.
Lord, your loyalty is great.
24I say to myself, “The Lord is what I have left.
So I have hope.”
25The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him.
He is good to those who look to him for help.
26It is good to wait quietly
for the Lord to save.
27It is good for a man to work hard
while he is young.
28He should sit alone and be quiet
because the Lord has given him hard work to do.
29He should bow to the Lord with his face to the ground.
Maybe there is still hope.
30He should offer his cheek if someone wants to hit him.
He should be filled with shame.
31The Lord will not reject
his people forever.
32Although the Lord brings sorrow, he also has mercy.
His love is great.
33The Lord does not like to punish people
or make them sad.
34The Lord sees if any prisoner of the earth
is crushed under his feet.
35He sees if someone is treated unfairly
before the Most High God.
36The Lord sees
if someone is cheated in his case in court.
37Nobody can speak and have it happen
unless the Lord commands it.
38Both bad and good things
come by the command of the Most High God.
39No man should complain
when he is punished for his sins.
40Let us examine and look at what we have done.
Then let us return to the Lord.
41Let us lift up our hands and pray from our hearts.
Let us say to God in heaven,
42“We have sinned and turned against you.
And you have not forgiven us.
43“You wrapped yourself in anger and chased us.
You killed us without mercy.
44You wrapped yourself in a cloud.
No prayer could get through.
45You made us like scum and trash
among the other nations.
46“All of our enemies
open their mouths and say things against us.
47We have been frightened and fearful.
We have been ruined and destroyed.”
48Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because my people are destroyed.
49My tears flow continually,
without stopping,
50until the Lord looks down
and sees from heaven.
51I am sad when I see
what has happened to all the women of my city.
52Those who are my enemies for no reason
hunted me like a bird.
53They threw me alive into a pit.
They threw stones at me.
54Water came up over my head.
I said to myself, “I am going to die.”
55I called out to you, Lord,
from the bottom of the pit.
56You heard me calling, “Do not close your ears.
Do not ignore my cry for help.”
57You came close when I called out to you.
You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
58Lord, you have taken my case.
You have given me back my life.
59Lord, you have seen how I have been wronged.
Now judge my case for me.
60You have seen how my enemies took revenge on me.
You have seen all their evil plans against me.
61Lord, you have heard their insults
and all their evil plans against me.
62The words and thoughts of my enemies
are against me all the time.
63Look! In everything they do
they make fun of me with songs.
64Punish them as they should be punished, Lord.
Pay them back for what they have done.
65Make them stubborn.
Put your curse on them.
66Chase them in anger.
Destroy them from the Lord’s earth.
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Lamentations 3
3
Israel’s Affliction
1I am a man who has seen misery,
under the rod of his wrath.
2He has driven me along, he brought
darkness and not light.
3Surely he has turned his hand against me,
all day long.
4He has worn out my flesh and skin,
he has broken my bones.
5He has besieged#Literally “he has built against” and engulfed me
with bitterness and hardship.
6In darkness he has let me dwell
like the dead of long ago.
7He has built a wall around me, I cannot go out;
he has made my bronze fetters heavy.
8Though I cry out for help,
he shuts out my prayers.
9He has blocked my ways with dressed stones;
he has made my paths crooked.
10To me he is like a bear lying in wait,
a lion in hiding.
11He has forsaken my way and torn me to pieces;
he has caused me desolation.
12He has bent his bow and set me
as the target for the arrow.
13He shot the arrows of his quiver#Literally “the offspring of his arrow quiver”
into my kidneys.
14I have become a laughingstock for all the people,
their mocking song all day long.
15He has filled me with bitterness,
he has drenched me with wormwood.
16He has broken my teeth on grit,
he has trampled me down in ash.
17My life has been removed from peace,
I have forgotten goodness.
18And I have said, “My glory is ruined,
my expectation from Yahweh.”
19Remember my misery and bitterness,
the wormwood#Or “the bitter substance” and venom!
20Surely my soul remembers
and bows down within me.
21This I have reminded myself,#Literally “I have brought back to my heart”
therefore I will hope.
22The loyal love of Yahweh does not cease;
his compassions do not come to an end.
23They are new in the morning,
great is your faithfulness.
24“Yahweh is my portion,”
says my soul,
“Thus I will hope on him.”
25Yahweh is good to those who wait on him,
to the person that seeks him.
26It is good to wait in silence
for the salvation of Yahweh.
27It is good for a man who carries
the yoke of his childhood.
28Let him sit alone and be silent
when he#Yahweh has laid it on him.
29Let him put#Literally “him give” his mouth in the dust;
perhaps there is hope.
30Let him give a cheek to his smiter,
let him be filled with disgrace.
31For the Lord will not reject
forever.
32For even though he causes grief he has compassion
according to the greatness of his royal love.
33He does not afflict willingly,#Literally “afflict from the heart”
or grieve anyone.#Literally “the sons of men”
34To crush under his feet
all the prisoners of the earth;
35to deprive one of justice#Literally “to turn aside the judgment of a man”
before the face of the Most High;
36to subvert a person in a legal dispute
—the Lord has not found delight in these things.
37Who can speak#Literally “Who is this that speaks” and it will happen
if the Lord has not commanded it?
38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that disaster and good will come?
39Why should any living person complain
about his sin?
40Let us test and examine our ways;
let us return to Yahweh.
41Let us lift up our hearts with our hands
to God in the heavens.
42We ourselves have transgressed and rebelled,
you have not forgiven.
43You have covered yourself in anger#Literally “in the nose” and pursued us,
you have slain and not shown mercy.
44You have covered yourself in a cloud
so that prayer cannot pass through.#Literally “from a passing prayer”
45You have made us scum and refuse
in the midst of the nations.
46All our enemies
have opened their mouth against us.
47Fear and a pit have come upon us,
desolation and destruction.
48Channels of water run down my eyes
because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49My eyes have poured down unceasingly
without respite,
50until Yahweh looks down
and sees from heaven.
51My eyes inflict my soul
because of all the daughters of my city.
52My enemies hunt me without cause,
like a bird.
53They have silenced me in a pit,#Literally “they have put to silence my life in a pit”
they have thrown a stone at me.
54Water has flown over my head,
I said, “I am cut off.”
55I have called your name, O Yahweh,
from the depths of the pit.
56You have heard my cry, “Do not shut your ear
to my cry for help, for my relief!”
57You came near on a day when I called you,
you said, “Do not fear!”
58O Lord, you have pleaded for my cause,#Literally “the legal disputes of my soul”
you have redeemed my life.
59You have seen my injustice, O Yahweh;
judge my case.
60You have seen all their vengeance,
all there plans against me.
61You have heard their disgrace, O Yahweh,
all their plans against me.
62The lips and meditation of my assailants
are against me all day long.
63Look at their sitting and their standing,
I am their mocking song.
64Return to them what is deserved, O Yahweh,
according to the work of their hands.
65Give them a stubborn heart;
curse them!
66Pursue them in anger#Literally “in nose” and destroy them
from under the heavens of Yahweh.
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