Lamentations 3:37-66

New International Version

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

⁴⁰ Let us examine our ways and test them,^(D)
    and let us return to the Lord.^(E)
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
    to God in heaven,^(F) and say:
⁴² “We have sinned and rebelled^(G)
    and you have not forgiven.^(H)

⁴³ “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued^(I) us;
    you have slain without pity.^(J)
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud^(K)
    so that no prayer^(L) can get through.^(M)
45 You have made us scum^(N) and refuse
    among the nations.

⁴⁶ “All our enemies have opened their mouths
    wide^(O) against us.^(P)
47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,^(Q)
    ruin and destruction.^(R)”
⁴⁸ Streams of tears^(S) flow from my eyes^(T)
    because my people are destroyed.^(U)

⁴⁹ My eyes will flow unceasingly,
    without relief,^(V)
50 until the Lord looks down
    from heaven and sees.^(W)
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.^(X)
53 They tried to end my life in a pit^(Y)
    and threw stones at me;
⁵⁴ the waters closed over my head,^(Z)
    and I thought I was about to perish.^(AA)

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

⁵⁸ You, Lord, took up my case;^(AG)
    you redeemed my life.^(AH)
59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.^(AI)
    Uphold my cause!^(AJ)
60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
    all their plots against me.^(AK)

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

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