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The Lamentations of Jeremiah

⭑ Literal Standard Version :: World English Bible Catholic ⭑

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- Chapter 3 -

1
[ALEPH-BET] I [am] the man [who] has seen affliction || By the rod of His wrath.
2
He has led me, and causes to go [in] darkness, and without light.
3
Surely against me He turns back, || He turns His hand all the day.
4
He has worn out my flesh and my skin. He has broken my bones.
5
He has built up against me, || And sets around poverty and weariness.
6
In dark places He has caused me to dwell, || As the dead of old.
7
He has hedged me in, and I do not go out, || He has made heavy my chain.
8
Also when I call and cry out, || He has shut out my prayer.
9
He has hedged my ways with hewn work, || My paths He has made crooked.
10
A bear lying in wait He [is] to me, || A lion in secret hiding places.
11
My ways He is turning aside, and He pulls me in pieces, || He has made me a desolation.
12
He has bent His bow, || And sets me up as a mark for an arrow.
13
He has caused to enter into my reins || The sons of His quiver.
14
I have been a derision to all my people, || Their song all the day.
15
He has filled me with bitter things, || He has filled me [with] wormwood.
16
And He breaks with gravel my teeth, || He has covered me with ashes.
17
And You cast off my soul from peace, || I have forgotten prosperity.
18
And I say, My strength and my hope have perished from YHWH.

The Prophet’s Hope

19
Remember my affliction and my mourning, || Wormwood and gall!
20
Remember well, and my soul bows down in me.
21
This I turn to my heart—therefore I hope.
22
The kindnesses of YHWH! For we have not been consumed, || For His mercies have not ended.
23
New every morning, abundant [is] Your faithfulness.
24
My portion [is] YHWH, my soul has said, || Therefore I hope for Him.
25
YHWH [is] good to those waiting for Him, || To the soul [that] seeks Him.
26
[It is] good when one stays and stands still || For the salvation of YHWH.
27
[It is] good for a man that he bears a yoke in his youth.
28
He sits alone, and is silent, || For He has laid [it] on him.
29
He puts his mouth in the dust, if so be, there is hope.
30
He gives to his striker the cheek, || He is filled with reproach.
31
For the Lord does not cast off for all time.
32
For though He afflicted, yet He has pitied, || According to the abundance of His kindness.
33
For He has not afflicted with His heart, || Nor does He grieve the sons of men.
34
To bruise under one’s feet any bound ones of earth,
35
To turn aside the judgment of a man, || Before the face of the Most High,
36
To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord has not approved.

God’s Justice

37
Who [is] this—he has spoken, and it is, || [And] the Lord has not commanded [it]?
38
From the mouth of the Most High does not go forth the evils and the good.
39
Why does a living man sigh habitually, || A man for his sin?
40
We search our ways, and investigate, || And turn back to YHWH.
41
We lift up our heart on the hands to God in the heavens.
42
We have transgressed and been rebellious, || You have not forgiven.
43
You have covered Yourself with anger, || And pursue us; You have slain—You have not pitied.
44
You have covered Yourself with a cloud, || So that prayer does not pass through.
45
Outcast and refuse You make us || In the midst of the peoples.
46
Opened against us their mouth have all our enemies.
47
Fear and a snare has been for us, || Desolation and destruction.
48
Streams of water go down my eye, || For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49
My eye is poured out, || And does not cease without intermission,
50
Until YHWH looks and sees from the heavens,
51
My eye affects my soul, || Because of all the daughters of my city.
52
Hunting—my enemies have hunted me without cause like the bird.
53
They have cut off my life in a pit, || And they cast a stone against me.
54
Waters have flowed over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.
55
I called Your Name, O YHWH, from the lower pit.
56
You have heard my voice, do not hide Your ear at my breathing—at my cry.
57
You have drawn near in the day I call You, You have said, Do not fear.
58
You have pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, || You have redeemed my life.
59
You have seen, O YHWH, my overthrow, || Judge my cause.
60
You have seen all their vengeance, || All their thoughts of me.
61
You have heard their reproach, O YHWH, || All their thoughts against me,
62
The lips of my withstanders, || Even their meditation against me all the day.
63
Their sitting down, and their rising up, || Behold attentively, I [am] their song.
64
You return to them the deed, O YHWH, || According to the work of their hands.
65
You give to them a covered heart, || Your curse to them.
66
You pursue in anger, and destroy them, || From under the heavens of YHWH!
Copyright © 2020 Covenant Press and the CCC - licensed under CC BY-SA
1
I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2
He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3
Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.
4
He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
5
He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6
He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
7
He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.
8
Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9
He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
10
He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
11
He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
12
He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13
He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
14
I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.
15
He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.
16
He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
17
You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
18
I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from the LORD.”

The Prophet’s Hope

19
Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
20
My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
21
This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
22
It is because of The LORD’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail.
23
They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
24
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”
25
The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
26
It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
27
It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28
Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
29
Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
30
Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
31
For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32
For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
33
For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34
To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35
to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
36
to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.

God’s Justice

37
Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?
38
Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
39
Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40
Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
41
Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God (a) in the heavens.
42
“We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
43
“You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
44
You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45
You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
46
“All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47
Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
48
My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49
My eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,
50
until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.
51
My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52
They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
53
They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
54
Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
55
I called on your name, LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.
56
You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
57
You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
58
Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
59
LORD, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
60
You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
61
You have heard their reproach, LORD, and all their plans against me,
62
the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
63
You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
64
You will pay them back, LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65
You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
66
You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.

Footnotes

(a)3:41 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).
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