Berean Standard Bible

Lamentations 3

1IH589 1 am the manH1397 who has seenH7200 afflictionH6040 under the rodH7626 of God’s wrathH5678.2 He has driven me awayH5090 and made me walkH1980 in darknessH2822 instead ofH3808 lightH216.3IndeedH389, He keeps turningH7725 H2015 His handH3027 against me all day longH3605 H3117.

4He has worn awayH1086 my fleshH1320 and skinH5785;He has shatteredH7665 my bonesH6106.5He has besiegedH1129 meH5921 and surrounded meH5362with bitternessH7219 and hardshipH8513.6He has made me dwellH3427 in darknessH4285like those deadH4191 for agesH5769.

7He has walled me inH1443 H1157 so I cannotH3808 escapeH3318;He has weighed me downH3513 with chainsH5178.8EvenH1571 whenH3588 I cry outH2199 and plead for helpH7768,He shuts outH5640 my prayerH8605.9He has barredH1443 my waysH1870 with cut stonesH1496;He has made my pathsH5410 crookedH5753.

10HeH1931 is a bearH1677 lying in waitH693,a lionH738 hiding in ambushH4565.11He forced me offH5493 my pathH1870 and tore me to piecesH6582;He left meH7760 without helpH8076.12He bentH1869 His bowH7198and set meH5324 as the targetH4307 for His arrowH2671.

13He piercedH935 my kidneysH3629with His arrowsH1121 H827.14I amH1961 a laughingstockH7814 to allH3605 my peopleH5971;they mock me in songH5058 all day longH3605 H3117.15He has filled meH7646 with bitternessH4844;He has intoxicated meH7301 with wormwoodH3939.

16He has groundH1638 my teethH8127 with gravelH2687and trampled meH3728 in the dustH665.17My soulH5315 has been deprivedH2186 of peaceH7965;I have forgottenH5382 what prosperity isH2896.

The Prophet’s Hope

18So I sayH559, “My strengthH5331 has perishedH6, along with my hopeH8431 from the LORDH3068.”

19RememberH2142 my afflictionH6040 and wanderingH4788,the wormwoodH3939 and the gallH7219.20SurelyH2142 my soulH5315 remembersH2142and is humbledH7743 within meH5921.21Yet I callH7725 thisH2063 toH413 mindH3820,and thereforeH5921 H3651 I have hopeH3176:

22Because ofH3588 the loving devotionH2617 2 of the LORDH3068 we are notH3808 consumedH8552,forH3588 His merciesH7356 neverH3808 failH3615.23They are new every morningH2319 H1242;greatH7227 is Your faithfulnessH530!24“The LORDH3068 is my portionH2506,” saysH559 my soulH5315,“thereforeH5921 H3651 I will hopeH3176 in Him.”

25The LORDH3068 is goodH2896 to those who wait for HimH6960,to the soulH5315 who seeks HimH1875.26It is goodH2896 to waitH3175 quietlyH1748for the salvationH8668 of the LORDH3068.27It is goodH2896 for a manH1397 H3588 to bearH5375 the yokeH5923while he is still youngH5271.

28Let him sitH3427 aloneH910 in silenceH1826,forH3588 the LORD has laid itH5190 upon himH5921.29Let him buryH5414 his faceH6310 in the dustH6083—perhapsH194 there isH3426 still hopeH8615.30Let him offerH5414 his cheekH3895 to the one who would strike himH5221;let him be filledH7646 with reproachH2781.

31ForH3588 the LordH136 will notH3808cast us offH2186 foreverH5769.32EvenH3588 ifH518 He causes griefH3013, He will show compassionH7355according to His abundantH7230 loving devotionH2617.33ForH3588 He does notH3808 willinglyH3820 afflictH6031or grieveH3013 the sonsH1121 of menH376.

34To crushH1792 underfootH8478 H7272allH3605 the prisonersH615 of the landH776,35to denyH5186 a manH1397 justiceH4941beforeH5048 H6440 the Most HighH5945,

36to subvertH5791 a manH120 in his lawsuitH7379— of these the LordH136 does notH3808 approveH7200.

37WhoH4310 H2088 has spokenH559 and it came to passH1961,unlessH3808 the LordH136 has ordained itH6680?38Do notH3808 both adversityH7451 and goodH2896comeH3318 from the mouthH6310 of the Most HighH5945?39WhyH4100 should any mortalH2416 manH120 complainH596,in view ofH5921 his sinsH2399?

40Let us examineH2664 and testH2713 our waysH1870,and turn backH7725 toH5704 the LORDH3068.41Let us lift upH5375 our heartsH3824 and handsH3709toH413 GodH410 in heavenH8064:42“WeH5168 have sinnedH6586 and rebelledH4784;YouH859 have notH3808 forgivenH5545.”

43You have coveredH5526 Yourself in angerH639 and pursued usH7291;You have killedH2026 withoutH3808 pityH2550.44You have coveredH5526 Yourself with a cloudH6051that no prayerH8605 can pass throughH5674.45You have made usH7760 scumH5501 and refuseH3973amongH7130 the nationsH5971.

46AllH3605 our enemiesH341openH6475 their mouthsH6310 against usH5921.47PanicH6343 and pitfallH6354 have comeH1961 upon us—devastationH7612 and destructionH7667.48StreamsH6388 of tearsH4325 flowH3381 from my eyesH5869overH5921 the destructionH7667 of the daughterH1323 of my peopleH5971.

49My eyesH5869 overflowH5064 unceasinglyH3808 H1820,withoutH369 reliefH2014,50untilH5704 the LORDH3068looks downH8259 from heavenH8064 and seesH7200.51My eyesH5869 bring griefH5953 to my soulH5315because of allH3605 the daughtersH1323 of my cityH5892.

52Without causeH2600 my enemiesH341hunted meH6679 like a birdH6833.53They dropped meH6789 aliveH2416 into a pitH953and castH3034 stonesH68 upon me.54The watersH4325 flowedH6687 overH5921 my headH7218,and I thoughtH559 I was going to dieH1504.

55I called onH7121 Your nameH8034, O LORDH3068,out of the depthsH8482 of the PitH953.56You heardH8085 my pleaH6963:“Do notH408 ignoreH5956 H241 my cryH7775 for reliefH7309.”57You drew nearH7126 whenH3117 I called on YouH7121;You saidH559, “Do notH408 be afraidH3372.”

58You defendH7378 myH5315 causeH7379, O LordH136;You redeemH1350 my lifeH2416.59You have seenH7200, O LORDH3068, the wrong done to meH5792;vindicateH8199 my causeH4941!60You have seenH7200 allH3605 their maliceH5360,allH3605 their plotsH4284 against me.

61O LORDH3068, You have heardH8085 their insultsH2781,allH3605 their plotsH4284 against meH5921—62the slanderH8193 and murmuringH1902 of my assailantsH6965against meH5921 allH3605 day longH3117.63When they sitH7675 and when they riseH7012,see howH5027 they mock me in songH589 H4485.

64You will pay them backH7725 what they deserveH1576, O LORDH3068,according to the workH4639 of their handsH3027.65PutH5414 a veil of anguishH4044 over their heartsH3820;may Your curse beH8381 upon them!66You will pursue themH7291 in angerH639 and exterminate themH8045from underH8478 Your heavensH8064, O LORDH3068.

1. Lamentations 3:1 This chapter is an acrostic poem, each 3–verse stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. ↩
2. Lamentations 3:22 Forms of the Hebrew chesed are translated here and in most cases throughout the Scriptures as loving devotion; the range of meaning includes love, goodness, kindness, faithfulness, and mercy, as well as loyalty to a covenant. ↩