Lamentations 3
3
There Is Still Hope
The Prophet Speaks:
1I have suffered much
because God was angry.
2He chased me into a dark place,
where no light could enter.
3I am the only one he punishes
over and over again,
without ever stopping.
4God caused my skin and flesh
to waste away,
and he crushed my bones.
5He attacked and surrounded me
with hardships and trouble;
6he forced me to sit in the dark
like someone long dead.
7God built a fence around me
that I cannot climb over,
and he chained me down.
8Even when I shouted
and prayed for help,
he refused to listen.
9God put big rocks in my way
and made me follow
a crooked path.
10God was like a bear or a lion
waiting in ambush for me;
11he dragged me from the road,
then tore me to shreds.#3.11 shreds: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 11.
12God took careful aim
and shot his arrows
13straight through my heart.
14I am a joke to everyone—
no one ever stops
making fun of me.
15God has turned my life sour.
16He made me eat gravel
and rubbed me in the dirt.
17I cannot find peace
or remember happiness.
18I tell myself, “I am finished!
I can't count on the Lord
to do anything for me.”
19Just thinking of my troubles
and my lonely wandering
makes me miserable.
20That's all I ever think about,
and I am depressed.#3.20 I am depressed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
21Then I remember something
that fills me with hope.
22The Lord's kindness never fails!
If he had not been merciful,
we would have been destroyed.#3.22 destroyed: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 22.
23The Lord can always be trusted
to show mercy each morning.
24Deep in my heart I say,
“The Lord is all I need;
I can depend on him!”
25The Lord is kind to everyone
who trusts and obeys him.
26It is good to wait patiently
for the Lord to save us.
27When we are young,
it is good to struggle hard
28and to sit silently alone,
if this is what
the Lord intends.
29Being rubbed in the dirt
can teach us a lesson;#3.29 lesson: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 29.
30we can also learn from insults
and hard knocks.
31The Lord won't always reject us!
32He causes a lot of suffering,
but he also has pity
because of his great love.
33The Lord doesn't enjoy
sending grief or pain.
34Don't trample prisoners
under your feet
35or cheat anyone out of
what is rightfully theirs.
God Most High sees everything,
36and he knows when you refuse
to give someone a fair trial.
37No one can do anything
without the Lord's approval.
38Good and bad each happen
at the command
of God Most High.
39We're still alive!
We shouldn't complain
when we are being punished
for our sins.
40Instead, we should think
about the way we are living,
and turn back to the Lord.
41When we lift our hands
in prayer to God in heaven,
we should offer him our hearts
and say, 42“We've sinned!
We've rebelled against you,
and you haven't forgiven us!
43Anger is written all over you,
as you pursue and slaughter us
without showing pity.
44You are behind a wall of clouds
that blocks out our prayers.
45You allowed nations
to treat us like garbage;
46our enemies curse us.
47We are terrified and trapped,
caught and crushed.”
48My people are destroyed!
Tears flood my eyes,
49and they won't stop
50until the Lord looks down
from heaven and helps.
51I am horrified when I see
what enemies have done
to the young women of our city.
52No one had reason to hate me,
but I was hunted down
like a bird.
53Then they tried to kill me
by tossing me into a pit
and throwing stones at me.
54Water covered my head—
I thought I was gone.
55From the bottom of the pit,
I prayed to you, Lord.
56I begged you to listen.
“Help!” I shouted. “Save me!”
You answered my prayer
57and came when I was in need.
You told me, “Don't worry!”
58You rescued me
and saved my life.
59You saw them abuse me, Lord,
so make things right.
60You know every plot
they have made against me.
61Yes, you know their insults
and their evil plans.
62All day long they attack
with words and whispers.
63No matter what they are doing,
they keep on mocking me.
64Pay them back for everything
they have done, Lord!
65Put your curse on them
and make them suffer.#3.65 make them suffer: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
66Get angry and go after them
until not a trace is left
under the heavens.
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Lamentations 3: CEVDCI
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Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®)
© 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved.
Lamentations 3
3
The Prophet’s Anguish and Hope
1I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
2He has led me and made me walk
In darkness and not in light.
3Surely He has turned His hand against me
Time and time again throughout the day.
4He has aged #Job 16:8my flesh and my skin,
And #Ps. 51:8; Is. 38:13broken my bones.
5He has besieged me
And surrounded me with bitterness and woe.
6#(Ps. 88:5, 6; 143:3)He has set me in dark places
Like the dead of long ago.
7#Job 3:23; 19:8; Hos. 2:6He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out;
He has made my chain heavy.
8Even #Job 30:20; Ps. 22:2when I cry and shout,
He shuts out my prayer.
9He has blocked my ways with hewn stone;
He has made my paths crooked.
10#Is. 38:13He has been to me a bear lying in wait,
Like a lion in ambush.
11He has turned aside my ways and #Job 16:12, 13; Jer. 15:3; Hos. 6:1torn me in pieces;
He has made me desolate.
12He has bent His bow
And #Job 7:20; 16:12; Ps. 38:2set me up as a target for the arrow.
13He has caused #Job 6:4the arrows of His quiver
To pierce my loins.
14I have become the #Ps. 22:6, 7; 123:4; Jer. 20:7ridicule of all my people—
#Job 30:9; Ps. 69:12; Lam. 3:63Their taunting song all the day.
15#Jer. 9:15He has filled me with bitterness,
He has made me drink wormwood.
16He has also broken my teeth #(Prov. 20:17)with gravel,
And covered me with ashes.
17You have moved my soul far from peace;
I have forgotten prosperity.
18#Ps. 31:22And I said, “My strength and my hope
Have perished from the Lord.”
19Remember my affliction and roaming,
#Jer. 9:15; Lam. 3:5, 15The wormwood and the gall.
20My soul still remembers
And sinks within me.
21This I recall to my mind,
Therefore I have #Ps. 130:7hope.
22#(Mal. 3:6)Through the Lord’s mercies we are not consumed,
Because His compassions #Ps. 78:38; (Jer. 3:12; 30:11)fail not.
23They are new #Is. 33:2; Zeph. 3:5every morning;
Great is Your faithfulness.
24“The Lord is my #Ps. 16:5; 73:26; 119:57; Jer. 10:16portion,” says my soul,
“Therefore I #Jer. 17:17; Mic. 7:7hope in Him!”
25The Lord is good to those who #Ps. 130:6; Is. 30:18wait for Him,
To the soul who seeks Him.
26It is good that one should #(Rom. 4:16–18)hope #Ex. 14:13; Ps. 37:7; Is. 7:4and wait quietly
For the salvation of the Lord.
27#Ps. 94:12It is good for a man to bear
The yoke in his youth.
28#Jer. 15:17Let him sit alone and keep silent,
Because God has laid it on him;
29#Job 42:6Let him put his mouth in the dust—
There may yet be hope.
30#Job 16:10; Is. 50:6; (Matt. 5:39; 26:67); Mark 14:65; Luke 22:63Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him,
And be full of reproach.
31#Ps. 77:7; 94:14; (Is. 54:7–10)For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32Though He causes grief,
Yet He will show compassion
According to the multitude of His mercies.
33For #(Ps. 119:67, 71, 75; Is. 28:21; Ezek. 33:11; Heb. 12:10)He does not afflict willingly,
Nor grieve the children of men.
34To crush under one’s feet
All the prisoners of the earth,
35To turn aside the justice due a man
Before the face of the Most High,
36Or subvert a man in his cause—
#(Jer. 22:3; Hab. 1:13)The Lord does not approve.
37Who is he #(Ps. 33:9–11)who speaks and it comes to pass,
When the Lord has not commanded it?
38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
That #Job 2:10; (Is. 45:7); Jer. 32:42; Amos 3:6; (James 3:10, 11)woe and well-being proceed?
39#Prov. 19:3Why should a living man complain,
#Jer. 30:15; Mic. 7:9; (Heb. 12:5, 6)A man for the punishment of his sins?
40Let us search out and examine our ways,
And turn back to the Lord;
41#Ps. 86:4Let us lift our hearts and hands
To God in heaven.
42#Neh. 9:26; Jer. 14:20; Dan. 9:5We have transgressed and rebelled;
You have not pardoned.
43You have covered Yourself with anger
And pursued us;
You have slain and not pitied.
44You have covered Yourself with a cloud,
That prayer should not pass through.
45You have made us an #1 Cor. 4:13offscouring and refuse
In the midst of the peoples.
46#Job 30:9, 10; Ps. 22:6–8; Lam. 2:16All our enemies
Have opened their mouths against us.
47#Is. 24:17, 18; Jer. 48:43, 44Fear and a snare have come upon us,
#Is. 51:19Desolation and destruction.
48#Jer. 4:19; 14:17; Lam. 2:11My eyes overflow with rivers of water
For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49#Ps. 77:2; Jer. 14:17My eyes flow and do not cease,
Without interruption,
50Till the Lord from heaven
#Ps. 80:14; Is. 63:15; Lam. 5:1Looks down and sees.
51My eyes bring suffering to my soul
Because of all the daughters of my city.
52My enemies #Ps. 35:7, 19without cause
Hunted me down like a bird.
53They silenced my life #Jer. 37:16in the pit
And #Dan. 6:17threw stones at me.
54#Ps. 69:2; Jon. 2:3–5The waters flowed over my head;
#Is. 38:10I said, “I am cut off!”
55#Ps. 130:1; Jon. 2:2I called on Your name, O Lord,
From the lowest #Jer. 38:6–13pit.
56#Ps. 3:4You have heard my voice:
“Do not hide Your ear
From my sighing, from my cry for help.”
57You #James 4:8drew near on the day I called on You,
And said, #Is. 41:10, 14; Dan. 10:12“Do not fear!”
58O Lord, You have #Ps. 35:1; Jer. 51:36pleaded the case for my soul;
#Ps. 71:23You have redeemed my life.
59O Lord, You have seen how I am wronged;
#Ps. 9:4Judge my case.
60You have seen all their vengeance,
All their #Jer. 11:19schemes against me.
61You have heard their reproach, O Lord,
All their schemes against me,
62The lips of my enemies
And their whispering against me all the day.
63Look at their #Ps. 139:2sitting down and their rising up;
I am their taunting song.
64#Ps. 28:4; Jer. 11:20; 2 Tim. 4:14Repay them, O Lord,
According to the work of their hands.
65Give them a veiled heart;
Your curse be upon them!
66In Your anger,
Pursue and destroy them
#Deut. 25:19; Jer. 10:11From under the heavens of the #Ps. 8:3Lord.
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The Holy Bible, New King James Version, Copyright © 1982 Thomas Nelson. All rights reserved.