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.
Currently Selected:
Lamentations 3: LEB
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2010 Logos Bible Software. Lexham is a registered trademark of Logos Bible Software
Lamentations 3
3
# This chapter is an acrostic poem; the verses of each stanza begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the verses within each stanza begin with the same letter. 1I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.
2He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
3indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
4He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
and has broken my bones.
5He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.
6He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.
7He has walled me in so that I cannot escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.
8Even when I call out or cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
9He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.
10Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
11he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
12He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.
13He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
14I became the laughing-stock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
15He has filled me with bitter herbs
and given me gall to drink.
16He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.
17I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18So I say, ‘My splendour is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.’
19I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.’
25The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
28Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him.
29Let him bury his face in the dust –
there may yet be hope.
30Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.
31For no-one is cast off
by the Lord for ever.
32Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
33For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.
34To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
35to deny people their rights
before the Most High,
36to deprive them of justice –
would not the Lord see such things?
37Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?
38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?
39Why should the living complain
when punished for their sins?
40Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
41Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
42‘We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.
43‘You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;
you have slain without pity.
44You have covered yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can get through.
45You have made us scum and refuse
among the nations.
46‘All our enemies have opened their mouths
wide against us.
47We have suffered terror and pitfalls,
ruin and destruction.’
48Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because my people are destroyed.
49My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,
50until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.
51What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.
52Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.
53They tried to end my life in a pit
and threw stones at me;
54the waters closed over my head,
and I thought I was about to perish.
55I called on your name, Lord,
from the depths of the pit.
56You heard my plea: ‘Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.’
57You came near when I called you,
and you said, ‘Do not fear.’
58You, Lord, took up my case;
you redeemed my life.
59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.
Uphold my cause!
60You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
all their plots against me.
61 Lord, you have heard their insults,
all their plots against me –
62what my enemies whisper and mutter
against me all day long.
63Look at them! Sitting or standing,
they mock me in their songs.
64Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
for what their hands have done.
65Put a veil over their hearts,
and may your curse be on them!
66Pursue them in anger and destroy them
from under the heavens of the Lord.
Currently Selected:
:
Highlight
Share
Copy
![None](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimageproxy.youversionapi.com%2F58%2Fhttps%3A%2F%2Fweb-assets.youversion.com%2Fapp-icons%2Fen.png&w=128&q=75)
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
The Holy Bible, New International Version® (Anglicised), NIV®
Copyright © 1979, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.®
Used by permission of Biblica, Inc.® All rights reserved worldwide.