Lamentations 3:8-29
New American Standard Bible
Chapter 3
8Even when I cry out and call for help, He shuts out my prayer. 9He has blocked my ways with cut stone; He has twisted my paths. 10He is to me like a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in secret places. 11He has made my ways deviate, and torn me to pieces; He has made me desolate. 12He bent His bow And took aim at me as a target for the arrow. 13He made the arrows of His quiver Enter my inward parts. 14I have become a laughingstock to all my people, Their song of ridicule all the day. 15He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink plenty of wormwood. 16He has also made my teeth grind with gravel; He has made me cower in the dust. 17My soul has been excluded from peace; I have forgotten happiness. 18So I say, 'My strength has failed, And so has my hope from the Lord.' 19Remember my misery and my homelessness, the wormwood and bitterness. 20My soul certainly remembers, And is bent over within me. 21I recall this to my mind, Therefore I wait. 22 The Lord’S acts of mercy indeed do not end, For His compassions do not fail. 23 They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. 24'The Lord is my portion,' says my soul, 'Therefore I wait for Him.' 25The Lord is good to those who await Him, To the person who seeks Him. 26 It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the Lord. 27 It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth. 28Let him sit alone and keep quiet, Since He has laid it on him. 29Let him put his mouth in the dust; Perhaps there is hope.King James Version
Chapter 3
8Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. 9He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. 10He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. 11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate. 12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. 13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. 14I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day. 15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. 16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. 17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. 18And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: 19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
29He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
Christian Standard Bible
Chapter 3
8Even when I cry out and plead for help, he blocks out my prayer. 9He has walled in my ways with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked. 10He is a bear waiting in ambush, a lion in hiding. 11He forced me off my way and tore me to pieces; he left me desolate. 12He strung his bow and set me as the target for his arrow. 13He pierced my kidneys with shafts from his quiver. 14I am a laughingstock to all my people, mocked by their songs all day long. 15He filled me with bitterness, satiated me with wormwood. 16He ground my teeth with gravel and made me cower in the dust. 17I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. 18Then I thought, "My future is lost, as well as my hope from the Lord." 19Remember my affliction and my homelessness, the wormwood and the poison. 20I continually remember them and have become depressed. 21Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22Because of the Lord's faithful love we do not perish, for his mercies never end. 23They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness! 24I say, "The Lord is my portion, therefore I will put my hope in him." 25The Lord is good to those who wait for him, to the person who seeks him. 26It is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord. 27It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young. 28Let him sit alone and be silent, for God has disciplined him. 29Let him put his mouth in the dust -- perhaps there is still hope.New Living Translation
Chapter 3
8And though I cry and shout, he has shut out my prayers. 9He has blocked my way with a high stone wall; he has made my road crooked.
10He has hidden like a bear or a lion, waiting to attack me.
11He has dragged me off the path and torn me in pieces, leaving me helpless and devastated.
12He has drawn his bow and made me the target for his arrows.
13He shot his arrows deep into my heart.
14My own people laugh at me. All day long they sing their mocking songs.
15He has filled me with bitterness and given me a bitter cup of sorrow to drink.
16He has made me chew on gravel. He has rolled me in the dust.
17Peace has been stripped away, and I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18I cry out, 'My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the Lord is lost!'
19The thought of my suffering and homelessness is bitter beyond words.
20I will never forget this awful time, as I grieve over my loss.
21Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this:
22The faithful love of the Lord never ends! His mercies never cease.
23Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning.
24I say to myself, 'The Lord is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!'
English Standard Version
Chapter 3
8though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer; 9he has blocked my ways with blocks of stones; he has made my paths crooked. 10He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding; 11he turned aside my steps and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate; 12he bent his bow and set me as a target for his arrow. 13He drove into my kidneys the arrows of his quiver; 14I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the object of their taunts all day long. 15He has filled me with bitterness; he has sated me with wormwood. 16He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes; 17my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is; 18so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.” 19Remember my affliction and my wanderings, the wormwood and the gall! 20My soul continually remembers it and is bowed down within me. 21But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: 22The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; 23they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. 24“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” 25The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. 26It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. 27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 28Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; 29let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope;New International Version
9He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked.
10Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding,
11he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help.
12He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows.
13He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver.
14I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
15He has filled me with bitter herbs and given me gall to drink.
16He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust.
17I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18So I say, 'My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD.'
19I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
20I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
21Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
22Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
New King James Version
