3:1 I am a man [C symbolizing Jerusalem] who has seen the ·suffering [affliction] that comes from the rod of ·the Lord’s [L his] anger.
3:2 He ·led [L guided and brought] me into darkness, not light.
3:3 He turned his hand against me again and again, all day long [Jer. 21:5].
3:4 He ·wore out [wasted away] my flesh and skin and broke my bones.
3:5 He ·surrounded me with sadness and attacked me with grief [L has built up and besieged me with bitterness/or poverty and hardship].
3:6 He made me sit in the dark, like those who have been dead a long time.
3:7 He ·shut me [L walled me] in so I could not get out; he put heavy chains on me.
3:8 I cry out and beg for help, but he ·ignores [obstructs] my prayer.
3:9 He ·blocked [L walled in] my way with ·a stone wall [L cut stones] and ·led me in the wrong direction [L twisted my paths; Job 19:7–12].
3:10 He is like a bear ready to ·attack [ambush] me, like a lion in hiding [Hos. 13:8; Amos 5:19].
3:11 He led me the wrong way and ·let me stray [or tore me to pieces] and left me ·without help [desolate].
3:12 He ·prepared to shoot [has drawn] his bow and made me the target for his arrows.
3:13 He shot me in the kidneys with the arrows from his ·bag [quiver; Job 16:13].
3:14 I was a joke to all my people, who make fun of me with ·songs [mocking songs] all day long [Ps. 22:7; 69:12; 119:51].
3:15 ·The Lord [L He] filled me with ·misery [bitterness]; he made me drunk with ·suffering [affliction; L wormwood; gall; C a bitter-tasting herb].
3:16 He ·broke [made me gnash] my teeth with gravel and trampled me into the ·dirt [dust; ashes].
3:17 ·I have no more peace [L My life/soul is rejected from peace]. I have forgotten ·what happiness is [prosperity; L good].
3:18 I said, “My ·strength [luster; or endurance] ·is gone [has perished], and I have no hope in the Lord.”
3:19 Lord, remember my ·suffering [affliction] and my ·misery [or wanderings; homelessness; 1:7], ·my sorrow and trouble [L it is wormwood and gall; 3:15].
3:20 Please remember me and think about ·me [L my life].
3:21 But I have hope when I ·think of this [L return to my mind/heart]:
3:22 The Lord’s ·love [loyalty] never ends; his ·mercies [compassion] never stop.
3:23 They are new every morning; Lord, your ·loyalty [faithfulness] is ·great [abundant; Ps. 33:4; 92:2; 143:1].
3:24 I say to myself, “The Lord is ·mine [L my lot/portion], so I hope in him.”
3:25 The Lord is good to those who ·hope in [wait for] him, to those who seek him.
3:26 It is good to wait ·quietly [silently] for the Lord to ·save [be victorious].
3:27 It is good for someone to ·work hard [L carry/bear the yoke] while he is young.
3:28 He should sit alone and be ·quiet [silent]; ·the Lord has given him hard work to do [L when it is imposed/heavy on him].
3:29 He should ·bow down to the ground [L put his mouth in the dust]; maybe there is still hope.
3:30 He should ·let anyone slap [L give to the striker] his cheek; he should be ·filled [sated] with ·shame [scorn].
3:32 Although he brings ·sorrow [grief], he also has ·mercy [compassion] and great ·love [loyalty].
3:33 He does not ·like to punish people [L afflict from his heart] or make them ·sad [grieve].
3:34 ·He sees [L Does he not see…?] if any prisoner of the earth is crushed under ·his [or their; C the wicked oppressors’] feet;
3:35 ·he sees [L does he not see…?] if ·someone is treated unfairly [human rights are distorted] before the Most High God;
3:36 ·the Lord sees [L does the Lord not see…?] if someone is cheated in his case in court.
3:37 ·Nobody [L Who…?] can speak and have it happen unless the Lord commands it.
3:38 ·Both [L Do not…?] bad and good things come by the command of the Most High God [Job 2:10].
3:39 No ·one [L living person] should complain ·when he is punished for [L before] his sins.
3:40 Let us ·examine [check] and ·see [investigate] ·what we have done [L our ways] and then return to the Lord [C repent; Jer. 17:9–10; Ps. 139:23–24].
3:41 Let us lift up our hands ·and pray from [as well as] our hearts to God in heaven:
3:42 “We have ·sinned [transgressed] and ·turned [rebelled] against you, and you have not forgiven us.
3:43 “You ·wrapped [covered] yourself in anger and ·chased [pursued] us; you killed us without ·mercy [pity].
3:44 You ·wrapped [covered] yourself in a cloud [Ex. 40:34–38], and no prayer could ·get [pass] through.
3:45 You made us like ·scum [sweepings] and trash ·among the other nations [L in the midst of the peoples].
3:46 “All of our enemies ·open [L crack] their mouths and speak against us [2:16].
3:47 We have been ·frightened [terrified] and fearful, ruined and ·destroyed [broken].”
3:48 ·Streams of tears [L Channels of water] flow from my eyes, because ·my people are destroyed [L of the fracture of my people].
3:49 My tears flow ·continually [without ceasing], without ·stopping [respite; relaxation],
3:50 until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven.
3:51 ·I am sad when I see [L My eyes torment my life/soul] ·what has happened to all the women [because of all the daughters] of my city.
3:52 Those who are my enemies ·for no reason [without cause; Ps. 7:4; 35:7] hunted me like a bird [Ps. 91:3; Prov. 6:5; 7:23].
3:53 They ·tried to kill me [destroyed my life/soul] in a pit [Ps. 7:15; 9:15]; they threw stones at me.
3:54 Water came up over my head [Ps. 69:1–2], and I said, “I am ·going to die [lost; L cut off].”
3:55 I called out ·to you [L your name], Lord, from the ·bottom [depth] of the pit [Ps. 130:1].
3:56 You heard ·me calling [L my voice], “Do not close your ears ·and ignore my gasps and shouts [to my cries for relief].”
3:57 You came near ·when [L in the day] I called to you; you said, “Don’t be afraid.”
3:58 Lord, ·you have taken my case [you defend/have defended me] and ·given me back [L redeem; redeemed] my life.
3:59 Lord, you have seen how I have been wronged. Now judge my case for me.
3:60 You have seen ·how my enemies took revenge on me [L all their vengeance] ·and made evil plans against me [L all their plots against me].
3:61 Lord, you ·have heard [hear] their ·insults [scorn] and all their ·evil plans [plots] against me.
3:62 The ·words [whispers; L lips] and ·thoughts [mumblings; murmurs] of ·my enemies [L those who rise up against me] are against me all the time.
3:63 Look! In ·everything they do [L their sitting and their rising up] they ·make fun of me with songs [sing mocking songs; Ps. 69:7–12].
3:64 Pay them back, Lord, ·for what they have done [L according to the acts of their hands].
3:65 Make them ·stubborn [L insolent of heart], and put your curse on them.
3:66 ·Chase [Pursue] them in anger, Lord, and destroy them from under ·your [L the Lord’s] heavens.
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