Lamentations 3
3
An individual’s complaint
1I am someone#3.1 Or the man; also in 3:27, 35, 39 who saw the suffering caused by God’s#3.1 Or his angry rod.
2He drove me away, forced me to walk in darkness, not light.
3He turned his hand even against me, over and over again, all day long.
4He wore out my flesh and my skin; he broke my bones.
5He besieged me, surrounding me with bitterness and weariness.
6He made me live in dark places like those who’ve been dead a long time.
7He walled me in so I couldn’t escape; he made my chains heavy.
8Even though I call out and cry for help, he silences my prayer.
9He walled in my paths with stonework; he made my routes crooked.
10He is a bear lurking for me, a lion in hiding.
11He took me from my path#3.11 Heb uncertain and tore me apart; he made me desolate.
12He drew back his bow, made me a shooting target for arrows.
13He shot the arrows of his quiver into my inside parts.
14I have become a joke to all my people, the object of their song of ridicule all day long.
15He saturated me with grief, made me choke on bitterness.
16He crushed my teeth into the gravel; he pressed me down into the ashes.
17I’ve#3.17 Or my spirit; also in 3:20, 24, 25, 51, 58 rejected peace; I’ve forgotten what is good.
18I thought: My future is gone, as well as my hope from the LORD.
19The memory of my suffering and homelessness is bitterness and poison.
20I#3.20 Or My spirit can’t help but remember and is depressed can’t help but remember and am depressed.
21I call all this to mind—therefore, I will wait.
22Certainly the faithful love of the LORD hasn’t ended;#3.22 Tg, Syr, and other ancient sources; MT we aren’t finished. certainly God’s compassion isn’t through!
23They are renewed every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
24I think:#3.24 Or My spirit thinks The LORD is my portion! Therefore, I’ll wait for him.
25The LORD is good to those who hope in him, to the person#3.25 Or spirit who seeks him.
26It’s good to wait in silence for the LORD’s deliverance.
27It’s good for a man to carry a yoke in his youth.
28He should sit alone and be silent when God lays it on him.
29He should put his mouth in the dirt—perhaps there is hope.
30He should offer his cheek for a blow; he should be filled with shame.
31My Lord definitely#3.31 Or Because my Lord won’t reject forever won’t reject forever.
32Although he has caused grief, he will show compassion in measure with his covenant loyalty.
33He definitely doesn’t enjoy affliction,#3.33 Heb He does not afflict from his heart. making humans suffer.
34Now crushing underfoot all the earth’s prisoners,
35denying someone justice before the Most High,
36subverting a person’s lawsuit—doesn’t my Lord see all this?
37Who ever spoke and it happened if my Lord hadn’t commanded the same?
38From the mouth of the Most High evil things don’t come, but rather good!
39Why then does any living person complain; why should anyone complain about their sins?
40We must search and examine our ways; we must return to the LORD.
41We should lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven.
42We are the ones who did wrong; we rebelled. But you, God, have not forgiven.
43You wrapped yourself up in wrath and hunted us; you killed, showing no compassion.
44You wrapped yourself up in a cloud; prayers can’t make it through!
45You made us trash and garbage in front of all other people.
46All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47Terror and trap have come upon us, catastrophe and collapse!
48Streams of water pour from my eyes because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49My eyes flow and don’t stop. There is no relief
50until the LORD looks down from the heavens and notices.
51My eyes hurt me#3.51 Or my spirit because of what’s happened to my city’s daughters.
52My enemies hunted me down like a bird, relentlessly, for no reason.
53They caught me alive in a pit and threw stones at me;
54water flowed over my head. I thought: I’m finished.
55I call on your name, LORD, from the depths of the pit.
56Hear my voice. Don’t close your ear#3.56 Or You didn’t close your ear. to my need for relief, to my cry for help.#3.56 Or You have heard my voice.
57Come near to me on the day I call to you. Say to me, “Don’t be afraid.”
58My Lord! Plead my desperate case;#3.58 Or my spirit’s case or my spirit’s grievance redeem my life.
59 LORD, look at my mistreatment; judge my cause.
60Look at all of my enemies’ vengeance, all of their scheming against me.
61Hear their jeering, LORD, all of their scheming against me,
62the speech of those who rise up against me, their incessant gossiping about me.
63Whether sitting or standing, look at how I am the object of their song of ridicule.
64Pay them back fully, LORD, according to what they have done.
65Give them a tortured mind—put your curse on them!
66Angrily hunt them down; wipe them out from under the LORD’s heaven.
Currently Selected:
Lamentations 3: CEB
Highlight
Share
Copy
Want to have your highlights saved across all your devices? Sign up or sign in
2011 Common English Bible. All rights reserved.