Lamentations 3:1-16 - Compare All Versions

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I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the LORD’s wrath. He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light; indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones. He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead. He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains. Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked. Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding, he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help. He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows. He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver. I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long. He has filled me with bitter herbs and given me gall to drink. He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust.

I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath; he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light; surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long. He has made my flesh and my skin waste away; he has broken my bones; he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation; he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago. He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy; though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked. He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding; he turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate; he bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrow. He drove into my kidneys the arrows of his quiver; I have become the laughingstock of all my people, the object of their taunts all day long. He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood. He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes

I am the one who has seen the afflictions that come from the rod of the LORD’s anger. He has led me into darkness, shutting out all light. He has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long. He has made my skin and flesh grow old. He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with anguish and distress. He has buried me in a dark place, like those long dead. He has walled me in, and I cannot escape. He has bound me in heavy chains. And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers. He has blocked my way with a high stone wall; he has made my road crooked. He has hidden like a bear or a lion, waiting to attack me. He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces, leaving me helpless and devastated. He has drawn his bow and made me the target for his arrows. He shot his arrows deep into my heart. My own people laugh at me. All day long they sing their mocking songs. He has filled me with bitterness and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink. He has made me chew on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust.

I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath. He has driven me away and forced me to walk in darkness instead of light.  Yes, he repeatedly turns his hand against me all day long. He has worn away my flesh and skin;  he has broken my bones.  He has laid siege against me,  encircling me with bitterness and hardship.  He has made me dwell in darkness like those who have been dead for ages.  He has walled me in so I cannot get out;  he has weighed me down with chains. Even when I cry out and plead for help, he blocks out my prayer.  He has walled in my ways with blocks of stone;  he has made my paths crooked.  He is  a bear waiting in ambush, a lion in hiding.  He forced me off my way and tore me to pieces; he left me desolate. He strung his bow  and set me as the target for his arrow. He pierced my kidneys with shafts from his quiver.  I am a laughingstock  to all my people,  mocked by their songs  all day long. He filled me with bitterness, satiated me with wormwood.  He ground my teeth with gravel  and made me cower  in the dust.

I am the man that hath seen affliction By the rod of his wrath. He hath led me, and brought me Into darkness, but not into light. Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand Against me all the day. My flesh and my skin hath he made old; He hath broken my bones. He hath builded against me, And compassed me with gall and travail. He hath set me in dark places, As they that be dead of old. He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: He hath made my chain heavy. Also when I cry and shout, He shutteth out my prayer. He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, He hath made my paths crooked. He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, And as a lion in secret places. He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: He hath made me desolate. He hath bent his bow, and set me As a mark for the arrow. He hath caused the arrows of his quiver To enter into my reins. I was a derision to all my people; And their song all the day. He hath filled me with bitterness, He hath made me drunken with wormwood. He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, He hath covered me with ashes.

I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath. He has led me and made me walk In darkness and not in light. Surely He has turned His hand against me Time and time again throughout the day. He has aged my flesh and my skin, And broken my bones. He has besieged me And surrounded me with bitterness and woe. He has set me in dark places Like the dead of long ago. He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy. Even when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer. He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked. He has been to me a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in ambush. He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces; He has made me desolate. He has bent His bow And set me up as a target for the arrow. He has caused the arrows of His quiver To pierce my loins. I have become the ridicule of all my people— Their taunting song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood. He has also broken my teeth with gravel, And covered me with ashes.

I’m the man who has seen trouble, trouble coming from the lash of GOD’s anger. He took me by the hand and walked me into pitch-black darkness. Yes, he’s given me the back of his hand over and over and over again. He turned me into a skeleton of skin and bones, then broke the bones. He hemmed me in, ganged up on me, poured on the trouble and hard times. He locked me up in deep darkness, like a corpse nailed inside a coffin. He shuts me in so I’ll never get out, handcuffs my wrists, shackles my feet. Even when I cry out and plead for help, he locks up my prayers and throws away the key. He sets up blockades with quarried limestone. He’s got me cornered. He’s a prowling bear tracking me down, a lion in hiding ready to pounce. He knocked me from the path and ripped me to pieces. When he finished, there was nothing left of me. He took out his bow and arrows and used me for target practice. He shot me in the stomach with arrows from his quiver. Everyone took me for a joke, made me the butt of their mocking ballads. He forced rotten, stinking food down my throat, bloated me with vile drinks. He ground my face into the gravel. He pounded me into the mud. I gave up on life altogether. I’ve forgotten what the good life is like. I said to myself, “This is it. I’m finished. GOD is a lost cause.”

I am the man who has seen misery Because of the rod of His wrath. He has driven me and made me walk In darkness and not in light. Indeed, He has turned His hand against me Repeatedly all the day. He has consumed my flesh and my skin, He has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me live in dark places, Like those who have long been dead. He has walled me in so that I cannot go out; He has made my chain heavy. Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer. He has blocked my ways with cut stone; He has twisted my paths. He is to me like a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in secret places. He has made my ways deviate, and torn me to pieces; He has made me desolate. He bent His bow And took aim at me as a target for the arrow. He made the arrows of His quiver Enter my inward parts. I have become a laughingstock to all my people, Their song of ridicule all the day. He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink plenty of wormwood. He has also made my teeth grind with gravel; He has made me cower in the dust.

I am [Jeremiah] the man who has seen affliction Because of the rod of His wrath. He has led me and made me walk In darkness and not in light. Surely He has turned His hand against me Repeatedly all the day. He has caused my flesh and my skin to waste away; He has shattered my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. He has made me live in dark places Like those who have long been dead. He walled me in so that I cannot get out; He has weighted down my chain. Even when I cry out and shout for help, He shuts out my prayer. He has blocked my ways with cut stone; He has made my paths crooked. He is to me like a bear lying in wait, And like a lion [hiding] in secret places. He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces; He has made me desolate. He has bent His bow And set me as a target for the arrow. He has caused the arrows of His quiver To enter my inner parts. I have become the [object of] ridicule to all my people, And [the subject of] their mocking song all the day. He has filled me with bitterness; He has made me drunk with wormwood (bitterness). He has broken my teeth with gravel; He has [covered me with ashes and] made me cower in the dust.

I am the man who has experienced affliction from the rod of his wrath. He drove me into captivity and made me walk in darkness and not light. He repeatedly attacks me, he turns his hand against me all day long. ב (Bet) He has made my mortal skin waste away; he has broken my bones. He has besieged and surrounded me with bitter hardship. He has made me reside in deepest darkness like those who died long ago. ג (Gimel) He has walled me in so that I cannot get out; he has weighted me down with heavy prison chains. Also, when I cry out desperately for help, he has shut out my prayer. He has blocked every road I take with a wall of hewn stones; he has made every path impassable. ד (Dalet) To me he is like a bear lying in ambush, like a hidden lion stalking its prey. He has obstructed my paths and torn me to pieces; he has made me desolate. He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrow. ה (He) He shot his arrows into my heart. I have become the laughingstock of all people, their mocking song all day long. He has given me my fill of bitter herbs and made me drunk with bitterness. ו (Vav) He ground my teeth in gravel; he trampled me in the dust.