Lamentations 3:8-44
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. 30Let him give his cheek to the one who is going to strike him; Let him be filled with shame. 31For the Lord will not reject forever, 32For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion In proportion to His abundant mercy. 33For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of mankind. 34To crush under one’s feet All the prisoners of the land, 35To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High, 36To defraud someone in his lawsuit— Of these things the Lord does not approve. 37Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? 38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both adversity and good proceed? 39Of what can any living mortal, or any man, Complain in view of his sins? 40Let’s examine and search out our ways, And let’s return to the Lord. 41We raise our heart and hands Toward God in heaven; 42We have done wrong and rebelled; You have not pardoned. 43You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain and have not spared. 44You have veiled Yourself with a cloud So that no prayer can pass through.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.
30He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
31For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
32But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
33For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
34To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
36To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.
37Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?
39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
41Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
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. 30Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with disgrace. 31For the Lord will not reject us forever. 32Even if he causes suffering, he will show compassion according to the abundance of his faithful love. 33For he does not enjoy bringing affliction or suffering on mankind. 34Crushing all the prisoners of the land beneath one's feet, 35denying justice to a man in the presence of the Most High, 36or subverting a person in his lawsuit -- the Lord does not approve of these things. 37Who is there who speaks and it happens, unless the Lord has ordained it? 38Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High? 39Why should any living person complain, any man, because of the punishment for his sins? 40Let's examine and probe our ways, and turn back to the Lord. 41Let's lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven: 42"We have sinned and rebelled; you have not forgiven. 43"You have covered yourself in anger and pursued us; you have killed without compassion. 44You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.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!'
25The Lord is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him.
26So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the Lord.
27And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline:
28Let them sit alone in silence beneath the Lord’s demands.
29Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last.
30Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies.
31For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever.
32Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love.
33For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow.
34If people crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
35if they deprive others of their rights in defiance of the Most High,
36if they twist justice in the courts — doesn’t the Lord see all these things?
37Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission?
38Does not the Most High send both calamity and good?
39Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins?
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; 30let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. 31For the Lord will not cast off forever, 32but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; 33for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. 34To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, 35to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, 36to subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve. 37Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? 38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? 39Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? 40Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! 41Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven: 42“We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven. 43“You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us, killing without pity; 44you have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.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.
24I say to myself, 'The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.'
25The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
26it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
27It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.
28Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.
29Let him bury his face in the dust-- there may yet be hope.
30Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace.
31For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.
32Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.
33For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.
34To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land,
35to deny people their rights before the Most High,
36to deprive them of justice-- would not the Lord see such things?
37Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
New King James Version
