Lamentations 3:17-40 - Compare All Versions

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I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD.” I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall. I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me. Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust— there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land, to deny people their rights before the Most High, to deprive them of justice— would not the Lord see such things? Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why should the living complain when punished for their sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.

my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.” Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For the Lord will not cast off forever, for, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, to subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve. Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!

Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is. I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!” The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words. I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss. Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD’s demands. Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last. Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. If people crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, if they deprive others of their rights in defiance of the Most High, if they twist justice in the courts— doesn’t the Lord see all these things? Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the LORD.

I have been deprived  of peace;  I have forgotten what prosperity is. Then I thought, “My future  is lost, as well as my hope from the  LORD.” Remember  my affliction and my homelessness,  the wormwood and the poison.  I continually remember them and have become depressed.  , Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:  Because of the LORD’s faithful love  we do not perish,  for his mercies never end. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness!  I say, “The LORD is my portion,  therefore I will put my hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait  for him, to the person who seeks him. It is good to wait quietly  for salvation from the  LORD.  It is good for a man to bear the yoke  while he is still young. Let him sit alone and be silent,  for God has disciplined   him. Let him put his mouth in the dust   — perhaps there is still hope. Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him;  let him be filled with disgrace. For the Lord will not reject us forever. Even if he causes suffering, he will show compassion according to the abundance of his faithful love.  For he does not enjoy bringing affliction  or suffering on mankind. Crushing all the prisoners of the land  beneath one’s feet, denying justice to a man  in the presence of the Most High, or subverting a person in his lawsuit   — the Lord does not approve of these things. Who is there who speaks and it happens, unless the Lord has ordained it?  Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?  Why should any living person complain, any man, because of the punishment for his sins? Let’s examine and probe our ways, and turn back to the  LORD.

And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. And I said, My strength and my hope Is perished from the LORD: Remembering mine affliction and my misery, The wormwood and the gall. My soul hath them still in remembrance, And is humbled in me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, Because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; Therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, To the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly Wait for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear The yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, Because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; If so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: He is filled full with reproach. For the Lord will not Cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion According to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly Nor grieve the children of men. To crush under his feet All the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the right of a man Before the face of the Most High, To subvert a man in his cause, The Lord approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, When the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the Most High Proceedeth not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, And turn again to the LORD.

You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity. And I said, “My strength and my hope Have perished from the LORD.” Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall. My soul still remembers And sinks within me. This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because God has laid it on him; Let him put his mouth in the dust— There may yet be hope. Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, And be full of reproach. For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men. To crush under one’s feet All the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the justice due a man Before the face of the Most High, Or subvert a man in his cause— The Lord does not approve. Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed? Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD

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.” GOD I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember— the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: GOD’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with GOD (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left. GOD proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from GOD. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst. Why? Because the Master won’t ever walk out and fail to return. If he works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way: Stomping down hard on luckless prisoners, Refusing justice to victims in the court of High God, Tampering with evidence— the Master does not approve of such things. Who do you think “spoke and it happened”? It’s the Master who gives such orders. Doesn’t the High God speak everything, good things and hard things alike, into being? And why would anyone gifted with life complain when punished for sin? Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under GOD. Let’s lift our hearts and hands at one and the same time, praying to God in heaven: “We’ve been contrary and willful, and you haven’t forgiven.

My soul has been excluded from peace; I have forgotten happiness. So I say, “My strength has failed, And so has my hope from the LORD.” ¶Remember my misery and my homelessness, the wormwood and bitterness. My soul certainly remembers, And is bent over within me. I recall this to my mind, Therefore I wait. The LORD’S acts of mercy indeed do not end, For His compassions do not fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I wait for Him.” The LORD is good to those who await Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep quiet, Since He has laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust; Perhaps there is hope. Let him give his cheek to the one who is going to strike him; Let him be filled with shame. For the Lord will not reject forever, For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion In proportion to His abundant mercy. For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of mankind. To crush under one’s feet All the prisoners of the land, To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High, To defraud someone in his lawsuit— Of these things the Lord does not approve. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both adversity and good proceed? ¶Of what can any living mortal, or any man, Complain in view of his sins? Let’s examine and search out our ways, And let’s return to the LORD.

My soul has been cast far away from peace; I have forgotten happiness. So I say, “My strength has perished And so has my hope and expectation from the LORD.” ¶Remember [O LORD] my affliction and my wandering, the wormwood and the gall (bitterness). My soul continually remembers them And is bowed down within me. But this I call to mind, Therefore I have hope. It is because of the LORD’S lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, Because His [tender] compassions never fail. [Mal 3:6] They are new every morning; Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness. [Is 33:2] “The LORD is my portion and my inheritance,” says my soul; “Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.” [Num 18:20] The LORD is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him, To those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word]. It is good that one waits quietly For the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke [of godly discipline] in his youth. Let him sit alone [in hope] and keep quiet, Because God has laid it on him [for his benefit]. [Rom 8:28] Let him put his mouth in the dust [in recognition of his unworthiness]; There may yet be hope. [Mic 7:17] Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him; Let him be filled with reproach. For the Lord will not reject forever, [Ps 94:14] For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness and tender mercy. For He does not afflict willingly and from His heart Or grieve the children of men. [Ezek 18:23, 32; Hos 11:8; Heb 12:5-10; 2 Pet 3:9] To trample and crush under His feet All the prisoners of the land, To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High, To defraud a man in his lawsuit— The Lord does not approve of these things. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has authorized and commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both adversity (misfortune) and good (prosperity, happiness) proceed? ¶Why should any living mortal, or any man, Complain [of punishment] in view of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, And let us return to the LORD.

I am deprived of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is. So I said, “My endurance has expired; I have lost all hope of deliverance from the LORD.” ז (Zayin) Remember my impoverished and homeless condition, which is a bitter poison. I continually think about this, and I am depressed. But this I call to mind; therefore I have hope: ח (Khet) The LORD’s loyal kindness never ceases; his compassions never end. They are fresh every morning; your faithfulness is abundant! “My portion is the Lord,” I have said to myself, so I will put my hope in him. ט (Tet) The LORD is good to those who trust in him, to the one who seeks him. It is good to wait patiently for deliverance from the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. י (Yod) Let a person sit alone in silence, when the LORD is disciplining him. Let him bury his face in the dust; perhaps there is hope. Let him offer his cheek to the one who hits him; let him have his fill of insults. כ (Kaf) For the Lord will not reject us forever. Though he causes us grief, he then has compassion on us according to the abundance of his loyal kindness. For he is not predisposed to afflict or to grieve people. ל (Lamed) To crush underfoot all the earth’s prisoners, to deprive a person of his rights in the presence of the Most High, to defraud a person in a lawsuit – the Lord does not approve of such things! מ (Mem) Whose command was ever fulfilled unless the Lord decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that everything comes – both calamity and blessing? Why should any living person complain when punished for his sins? נ (Nun) Let us carefully examine our ways, and let us return to the LORD.