Lamentations 3:28-66

English Standard Version

²⁸ Let him ^(A)sit alone in silence
    when it is laid on him;
^29 (B)let him put his mouth in the dust—
    there may yet be hope;
^30 (C)let him give his cheek to the one who strikes,
    and let him be filled with insults.

^31 (D)For the Lord will not
    cast off forever,
³² but, though he ^(E)cause grief, ^(F)he will have compassion
    ^(G)according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
^33 (H)for he does not afflict from his heart
    or ^(I)grieve the children of men.

³⁴ To crush underfoot
    all ^(J)the prisoners of the earth,
^35 (K)to deny a man justice
    in the presence of the Most High,
³⁶ to subvert a man in his lawsuit,
    ^(L)the Lord does not approve.

^37 (M)Who has spoken and it came to pass,
    unless the Lord has commanded it?
^38 (N)Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
    that good and bad come?
^39 (O)Why should a living man complain,
    a man, about the punishment of his sins?

⁴⁰ Let us test and examine our ways,
    ^(P)and return to the Lord!
^41 (Q)Let us lift up our hearts and hands
    to God in heaven:
^42 (R)“We have transgressed and ^(S)rebelled,
    and you have not forgiven.

⁴³ “You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
    ^(T)killing without pity;
^44 (U)you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
    so that no prayer can pass through.
^45 (V)You have made us scum and garbage
    among the peoples.

^46 (W)“All our enemies
    open their mouths against us;
^47 (X)panic and pitfall have come upon us,
    devastation and ^(Y)destruction;
^48 (Z)my eyes flow with rivers of tears
    because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

^49 (AA)“My eyes will flow without ceasing,
    without respite,
^50 (AB)until the Lord from heaven
    looks down and sees;
⁵¹ my eyes cause me grief
    at the fate of all the daughters of my city.

^52 (AC)“I have been hunted ^(AD)like a bird
    by those who were my enemies ^(AE)without cause;
^53 (AF)they flung me alive into the pit
    ^(AG)and cast stones on me;
^54 (AH)water closed over my head;
    I said, ^(AI)‘I am lost.’

^55 (AJ)“I called on your name, O Lord,
    from the depths of the pit;
^56 (AK)you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
    your ear to my cry for help!’
^57 (AL)You came near when I called on you;
    you said, ^(AM)‘Do not fear!’

⁵⁸ “You have ^(AN)taken up my cause, ^(AO)O Lord;
    you have ^(AP)redeemed my life.
⁵⁹ You have seen the wrong done to me, ^(AQ)O Lord;
    judge my cause.
⁶⁰ You have seen all their vengeance,
    all ^(AR)their plots against me.

^61 (AS)“You have heard their taunts, O Lord,
    all ^(AT)their plots against me.
⁶² The lips and thoughts ^(AU)of my assailants
    are against me all the day long.
^63 (AV)Behold their sitting and their rising;
    ^(AW)I am the object of their taunts.

^64 (AX)“You will repay them,^[a] O Lord,
    ^(AY)according to the work of their hands.
⁶⁵ You will give them^[b] dullness of heart;
    your curse will be^[c] on them.
⁶⁶ You will pursue them^[d] in anger and ^(AZ)destroy them
    from under ^(BA)your heavens, O Lord.”^[e]