Lamentations 3

New International Version

3 ^[a]I am the man who has seen affliction^(A)
    by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.^(B)
2 He has driven me away and made me walk
    in darkness^(C) rather than light;
³ indeed, he has turned his hand against me^(D)
    again and again, all day long.

⁴ He has made my skin and my flesh grow old^(E)
    and has broken my bones.^(F)
5 He has besieged me and surrounded me
    with bitterness^(G) and hardship.^(H)
6 He has made me dwell in darkness
    like those long dead.^(I)

⁷ He has walled me in so I cannot escape;^(J)
    he has weighed me down with chains.^(K)
8 Even when I call out or cry for help,^(L)
    he shuts out my prayer.^(M)
9 He has barred^(N) my way with blocks of stone;
    he has made my paths crooked.^(O)

¹⁰ Like a bear lying in wait,
    like a lion^(P) in hiding,^(Q)
11 he dragged me from the path and mangled^(R) me
    and left me without help.
¹² He drew his bow^(S)
    and made me the target^(T) for his arrows.^(U)

¹³ He pierced^(V) my heart
    with arrows from his quiver.^(W)
14 I became the laughingstock^(X) of all my people;^(Y)
    they mock me in song^(Z) all day long.
¹⁵ He has filled me with bitter herbs
    and given me gall to drink.^(AA)

¹⁶ He has broken my teeth with gravel;^(AB)
    he has trampled me in the dust.^(AC)
17 I have been deprived of peace;
    I have forgotten what prosperity is.
¹⁸ So I say, “My splendor is gone
    and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”^(AD)

¹⁹ I remember my affliction and my wandering,
    the bitterness^(AE) and the gall.^(AF)
20 I well remember them,
    and my soul is downcast^(AG) within me.^(AH)
21 Yet this I call to mind
    and therefore I have hope:

²² Because of the Lord’s great love^(AI) we are not consumed,^(AJ)
    for his compassions never fail.^(AK)
23 They are new every morning;
    great is your faithfulness.^(AL)
24 I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;^(AM)
    therefore I will wait for him.”

²⁵ The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
    to the one who seeks him;^(AN)
26 it is good to wait quietly^(AO)
    for the salvation of the Lord.^(AP)
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke
    while he is young.

²⁸ Let him sit alone in silence,^(AQ)
    for the Lord has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him bury his face in the dust^(AR)—
    there may yet be hope.^(AS)
30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,^(AT)
    and let him be filled with disgrace.^(AU)

³¹ For no one is cast off
    by the Lord forever.^(AV)
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
    so great is his unfailing love.^(AW)
33 For he does not willingly bring affliction
    or grief to anyone.^(AX)

³⁴ To crush underfoot
    all prisoners in the land,
³⁵ to deny people their rights
    before the Most High,^(AY)
36 to deprive them of justice—
    would not the Lord see such things?^(AZ)

³⁷ Who can speak and have it happen
    if the Lord has not decreed it?^(BA)
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
    that both calamities and good things come?^(BB)
39 Why should the living complain
    when punished for their sins?^(BC)

⁴⁰ Let us examine our ways and test them,^(BD)
    and let us return to the Lord.^(BE)
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
    to God in heaven,^(BF) and say:
⁴² “We have sinned and rebelled^(BG)
    and you have not forgiven.^(BH)

⁴³ “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued^(BI) us;
    you have slain without pity.^(BJ)
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud^(BK)
    so that no prayer^(BL) can get through.^(BM)
45 You have made us scum^(BN) and refuse
    among the nations.

⁴⁶ “All our enemies have opened their mouths
    wide^(BO) against us.^(BP)
47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,^(BQ)
    ruin and destruction.^(BR)”
⁴⁸ Streams of tears^(BS) flow from my eyes^(BT)
    because my people are destroyed.^(BU)

⁴⁹ My eyes will flow unceasingly,
    without relief,^(BV)
50 until the Lord looks down
    from heaven and sees.^(BW)
51 What I see brings grief to my soul
    because of all the women of my city.

⁵² Those who were my enemies without cause
    hunted me like a bird.^(BX)
53 They tried to end my life in a pit^(BY)
    and threw stones at me;
⁵⁴ the waters closed over my head,^(BZ)
    and I thought I was about to perish.^(CA)

⁵⁵ I called on your name, Lord,
    from the depths^(CB) of the pit.^(CC)
56 You heard my plea:^(CD) “Do not close your ears
    to my cry for relief.”
⁵⁷ You came near^(CE) when I called you,
    and you said, “Do not fear.”^(CF)

⁵⁸ You, Lord, took up my case;^(CG)
    you redeemed my life.^(CH)
59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.^(CI)
    Uphold my cause!^(CJ)
60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
    all their plots against me.^(CK)

⁶¹ Lord, you have heard their insults,^(CL)
    all their plots against me—
⁶² what my enemies whisper and mutter
    against me all day long.^(CM)
63 Look at them! Sitting or standing,
    they mock me in their songs.^(CN)

⁶⁴ Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
    for what their hands have done.^(CO)
65 Put a veil over their hearts,^(CP)
    and may your curse be on them!
⁶⁶ Pursue^(CQ) them in anger and destroy them
    from under the heavens of the Lord.