[[Lamentations 2|<< Lamentations 2]] | [[Lamentations|Lamentations]] | [[Lamentations 4|Lamentations 4 >>]] ### Lamentations 3 1 I _AM_ the man _that_ has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. ^1 2 He has led me, and brought _me_ _into_ darkness, but not _into_ light. ^2 3 Surely against me is he turned; he turns his hand _against_ _me_ all the day. ^3 4 My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones. ^4 5 He has built against me, and compassed _me_ with gall and travail. ^5 6 He has set me in dark places, as _they_ _that_ _be_ dead of old. ^6 7 He has hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he has made my chain heavy. ^7 8 Also when I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer. ^8 9 He has inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he has made my paths crooked. ^9 10 He _was_ unto me _as_ a bear lying in wait, _and_ _as_ a lion in secret places. ^10 11 He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he has made me desolate. ^11 12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. ^12 13 He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. ^13 14 I was a derision to all my people; _and_ their song all the day. ^14 15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood. ^15 16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he has covered me with ashes. ^16 17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. ^17 18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: ^18 19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. ^19 20 My soul has _them_ still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. ^20 21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. ^21 22 ¶ _It_ _is_ _of_ the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. ^22 23 _They_ _are_ new every morning: great _is_ thy faithfulness. ^23 24 The LORD _is_ my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. ^24 25 The LORD _is_ good unto them that wait for him, to the soul _that_ seeks him. ^25 26 _It_ _is_ good that _a_ _man_ should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. ^26 27 _It_ _is_ good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. ^27 28 He sits alone and keeps silence, because he has borne _it_ upon him. ^28 29 He puts his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. ^29 30 He gives _his_ cheek to him that smites him: he is filled full with reproach. ^30 31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: ^31 32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. ^32 33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. ^33 34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, ^34 35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, ^35 36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approves not. ^36 37 ¶ Who _is_ he _that_ saith, and it comes to pass, _when_ the Lord commands _it_ not? ^37 38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good? ^38 39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? ^39 40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. ^40 41 Let us lift up our heart with _our_ hands unto God in the heavens. ^41 42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. ^42 43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. ^43 44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that _our_ prayer should not pass through. ^44 45 Thou hast made us _as_ the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. ^45 46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. ^46 47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction. ^47 48 Mine eye runs down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. ^48 49 Mine eye trickles down, and ceases not, without any intermission, ^49 50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven. ^50 51 Mine eye affects mine heart because of all the daughters of my city. ^51 52 Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause. ^52 53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. ^53 54 Waters flowed over mine head; _then_ I said, I am cut off. ^54 55 ¶ I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. ^55 56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. ^56 57 Thou drewest near in the day _that_ I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. ^57 58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. ^58 59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause. ^59 60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance _and_ all their imaginations against me. ^60 61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, _and_ all their imaginations against me; ^61 62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. ^62 63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I _am_ their musick. ^63 64 ¶ Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. ^64 65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. ^65 66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD. ^66