Berean Standard Bible

Lamentations 3:1-36

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 isH2896.18So 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.

Notes

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. ↩