Home Master Index
←Prev   Lamentations 3 as rendered by/in  Next→ 


3:1  I am a man who has seen the suffering that comes from the rod of the Lord’s anger.
3:2  He led me into darkness, not light.
3:3  He turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.
3:4  He caused my flesh and skin to wear out. He broke my bones.
3:5  He surrounded me and attacked me with sadness and grief.
3:6  He made me sit in the dark, like someone who has been dead a long time.
3:7  He shut 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 my prayer.
3:9  He has blocked my way with stones. He has made my life difficult.
3:10  The Lord is like a bear ready to attack me. He is like a lion in hiding.
3:11  He led me the wrong way and tore me to pieces. He left me without help.
3:12  He prepared to shoot his bow. He made me the target for his arrows.
3:13  He shot me in the kidneys with the arrows from his arrow bag.
3:14  I have become a joke to all my people. All day long they make fun of me with songs.
3:15  The Lord filled me with misery. He filled me with suffering.
3:16  The Lord broke my teeth with gravel. He crushed me into the dirt.
3:17  I have no more peace. I have forgotten what happiness is.
3:18  I said, “My strength is gone. I have no more hope that the Lord will help me.”
3:19  Lord, remember my suffering and how I have no home. Remember the misery and suffering.
3:20  I remember them well. And I am very sad.
3:21  But I have hope when I think of this:
3:22  The Lord’s love never ends. His mercies never stop.
3:23  They are new every morning. Lord, your loyalty is great.
3:24  I say to myself, “The Lord is what I have left. So I have hope.”
3:25  The Lord is good to those who put their hope in him. He is good to those who look to him for help.
3:26  It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save.
3:27  It is good for a man to work hard while he is young.
3:28  He should sit alone and be quiet because the Lord has given him hard work to do.
3:29  He should bow to the Lord with his face to the ground. Maybe there is still hope.
3:30  He should offer his cheek if someone wants to hit him. He should be filled with shame.
3:31  The Lord will not reject his people forever.
3:32  Although the Lord brings sorrow, he also has mercy. His love is great.
3:33  The Lord does not like to punish people or make them sad.
3:34  The Lord sees if any prisoner of the earth is crushed under his feet.
3:35  He sees if someone is treated unfairly before the Most High God.
3:36  The Lord sees if someone is cheated in his case in court.
3:37  Nobody can speak and have it happen unless the Lord commands it.
3:38  Both bad and good things come by the command of the Most High God.
3:39  No man should complain when he is punished for his sins.
3:40  Let us examine and look at what we have done. Then let us return to the Lord.
3:41  Let us lift up our hands and pray from our hearts. Let us say to God in heaven,
3:42  “We have sinned and turned against you. And you have not forgiven us.
3:43  “You wrapped yourself in anger and chased us. You killed us without mercy.
3:44  You wrapped yourself in a cloud. No prayer could get through.
3:45  You made us like scum and trash among the other nations.
3:46  “All of our enemies open their mouths and say things against us.
3:47  We have been frightened and fearful. We have been ruined and destroyed.”
3:48  Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed.
3:49  My tears flow continually, without stopping,
3:50  until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven.
3:51  I am sad when I see what has happened to all the women of my city.
3:52  Those who are my enemies for no reason hunted me like a bird.
3:53  They threw me alive into a pit. They threw stones at me.
3:54  Water came up over my head. I said to myself, “I am going to die.”
3:55  I called out to you, Lord, from the bottom of the pit.
3:56  You heard me calling, “Do not close your ears. Do not ignore my cry for help.”
3:57  You came close when I called out to you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
3:58  Lord, you have taken my case. You have given me back 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. You have seen all their evil plans against me.
3:61  Lord, you have heard their insults and all their evil plans against me.
3:62  The words and thoughts of my enemies are against me all the time.
3:63  Look! In everything they do they make fun of me with songs.
3:64  Punish them as they should be punished, Lord. Pay them back for what they have done.
3:65  Make them stubborn. Put your curse on them.
3:66  Chase them in anger. Destroy them from the Lord’s earth.