Lamentations 3

Hope through God’s Mercy

א Aleph

1I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath.

2He has driven me away and forced me to walk in darkness instead of light.

ב Beth

3Yes, he repeatedly turns his hand against me all day long.

4He has worn away my flesh and skin; he has broken my bones.

5He has laid siege against me, encircling me with bitterness and hardship.

ג Gimel

6He has made me dwell in darkness like those who have been dead for ages.

7He has walled me in so I cannot get out; he has weighed me down with chains.

8Even when I cry out and plead for help, he blocks out my prayer.

ד Daleth

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.

ה He

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.

ו Waw

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.

ז Zayin

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.

ח Cheth

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!

ט Teth

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.

י Yod

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.

כ Kaph

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.

ל Lamed

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,

מ Mem

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?

נ Nun

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:

ס Samek

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.

פ Pe

45You have made us disgusting filth among the peoples.

46“All our enemies open their mouths against us.

47We have experienced panic and pitfall, devastation and destruction.”

ע Ayin

48My eyes flow with streams of tears because of the destruction of my dear people.

49My eyes overflow unceasingly, without end,

50until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees.

צ Tsade

51My eyes bring me grief because of the fate of all the women in my city.

52For no reason, my enemies hunted me like a bird.

53They smothered my life in a pit and threw stones on me.

ק Qoph

54Water flooded over my head, and I thought, “I’m going to die!”

55I called on your name, Lord, from the depths of the pit.

56You heard my plea: Do not ignore my cry for relief.

ר Resh

57You came near whenever I called you; you said, “Do not be afraid.”

58You championed my cause, Lord; you redeemed my life.

59Lord, you saw the wrong done to me; judge my case.

ׂש Sin  / שׁ Shin

60You saw all their vengefulness, all their plots against me.

61Lord, you heard their insults, all their plots against me.

62The slander and murmuring of my opponents attack me all day long.

ת Taw

63When they sit and when they rise, look, I am mocked by their songs.

64You will pay them back what they deserve, Lord, according to the work of their hands.

65You will give them a heart filled with anguish. May your curse be on them!

66You will pursue them in anger and destroy them under your heavens.