Lamentations 3:21-66
Lamentations 3:19-66 The Message (MSG)
I’ll never forget the trouble, the utter lostness, the taste of ashes, the poison I’ve swallowed. I remember it all—oh, how well I remember— the feeling of hitting the bottom. But there’s one other thing I remember, and remembering, I keep a grip on hope: GOD’s loyal love couldn’t have run out, his merciful love couldn’t have dried up. They’re created new every morning. How great your faithfulness! I’m sticking with GOD (I say it over and over). He’s all I’ve got left. GOD proves to be good to the man who passionately waits, to the woman who diligently seeks. It’s a good thing to quietly hope, quietly hope for help from GOD. It’s a good thing when you’re young to stick it out through the hard times. When life is heavy and hard to take, go off by yourself. Enter the silence. Bow in prayer. Don’t ask questions: Wait for hope to appear. Don’t run from trouble. Take it full-face. The “worst” is never the worst. Why? Because the Master won’t ever walk out and fail to return. If he works severely, he also works tenderly. His stockpiles of loyal love are immense. He takes no pleasure in making life hard, in throwing roadblocks in the way: Stomping down hard on luckless prisoners, Refusing justice to victims in the court of High God, Tampering with evidence— the Master does not approve of such things. Who do you think “spoke and it happened”? It’s the Master who gives such orders. Doesn’t the High God speak everything, good things and hard things alike, into being? And why would anyone gifted with life complain when punished for sin? Let’s take a good look at the way we’re living and reorder our lives under GOD. Let’s lift our hearts and hands at one and the same time, praying to God in heaven: “We’ve been contrary and willful, and you haven’t forgiven. “You lost your temper with us, holding nothing back. You chased us and cut us down without mercy. You wrapped yourself in thick blankets of clouds so no prayers could get through. You treated us like dirty dishwater, threw us out in the backyard of the nations. “Our enemies shout abuse, their mouths full of derision, spitting invective. We’ve been to hell and back. We’ve nowhere to turn, nowhere to go. Rivers of tears pour from my eyes at the smashup of my dear people. “The tears stream from my eyes, an artesian well of tears, Until you, GOD, look down from on high, look and see my tears. When I see what’s happened to the young women in the city, the pain breaks my heart. “Enemies with no reason to be enemies hunted me down like a bird. They threw me into a pit, then pelted me with stones. Then the rains came and filled the pit. The water rose over my head. I said, ‘It’s all over.’ “I called out your name, O GOD, called from the bottom of the pit. You listened when I called out, ‘Don’t shut your ears! Get me out of here! Save me!’ You came close when I called out. You said, ‘It’s going to be all right.’ “You took my side, Master; you brought me back alive! GOD, you saw the wrongs heaped on me. Give me my day in court! Yes, you saw their mean-minded schemes, their plots to destroy me. “You heard, GOD, their vicious gossip, their behind-my-back plots to ruin me. They never quit, these enemies of mine, dreaming up mischief, hatching malice, day after day after day. Sitting down or standing up—just look at them!— they mock me with vulgar doggerel. “Make them pay for what they’ve done, GOD. Give them their just deserts. Break their miserable hearts! Damn their eyes! Get good and angry. Hunt them down. Make a total demolition here under your heaven!”
Lamentations 3:21-66 King James Version (KJV)
This I recall to my mind, Therefore have I hope. It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, Because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: Great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; Therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, To the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly Wait for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear The yoke in his youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, Because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust; If so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: He is filled full with reproach. For the Lord will not Cast off for ever: But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion According to the multitude of his mercies. For he doth not afflict willingly Nor grieve the children of men. To crush under his feet All the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the right of a man Before the face of the Most High, To subvert a man in his cause, The Lord approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, When the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the Most High Proceedeth not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, And turn again to the LORD. Let us lift up our heart with our hands Unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed and have rebelled: Thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: Thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, That our prayer should not pass through. Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse In the midst of the people. All our enemies Have opened their mouths against us. Fear and a snare is come upon us, Desolation and destruction. Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people. Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, Without any intermission, Till the LORD look down, And behold from heaven. Mine eye affecteth mine heart Because of all the daughters of my city. Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, Without cause. They have cut off my life in the dungeon, And cast a stone upon me. Waters flowed over mine head; Then I said, I am cut off. I called upon thy name, O LORD, Out of the low dungeon. Thou hast heard my voice: Hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: Thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; Thou hast redeemed my life. O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: Judge thou my cause. Thou hast seen all their vengeance And all their imaginations against me. Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, And all their imaginations against me; The lips of those that rose up against me, And their device against me all the day. Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick. Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, According to the work of their hands. Give them sorrow of heart, Thy curse unto them. Persecute and destroy them in anger From under the heavens of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:21-66 New American Standard Bible - NASB 1995 (NASB1995)
This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. The LORD’S lovingkindnesses indeed never cease, For His compassions never fail. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I have hope in Him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the person who seeks Him. It is good that he waits silently For the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and be silent Since He has laid it on him. Let him put his mouth in the dust, Perhaps there is hope. Let him give his cheek to the smiter, Let him be filled with reproach. For the Lord will not reject forever, For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness. For He does not afflict willingly Or grieve the sons of men. To crush under His feet All the prisoners of the land, To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High, To defraud a man in his lawsuit— Of these things the Lord does not approve. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both good and ill go forth? Why should any living mortal, or any man, Offer complaint in view of his sins? Let us examine and probe our ways, And let us return to the LORD. We lift up our heart and hands Toward God in heaven; We have transgressed and rebelled, You have not pardoned. You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain and have not spared. You have covered Yourself with a cloud So that no prayer can pass through. You have made us mere offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples. All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. Panic and pitfall have befallen us, Devastation and destruction; My eyes run down with streams of water Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes pour down unceasingly, Without stopping, Until the LORD looks down And sees from heaven. My eyes bring pain to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city. My enemies without cause Hunted me down like a bird; They have silenced me in the pit And have placed a stone on me. Waters flowed over my head; I said, “I am cut off!” I called on Your name, O LORD, Out of the lowest pit. You have heard my voice, “Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, From my cry for help.” You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not fear!” O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause; You have redeemed my life. O LORD, You have seen my oppression; Judge my case. You have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me. You have heard their reproach, O LORD, All their schemes against me. The lips of my assailants and their whispering Are against me all day long. Look on their sitting and their rising; I am their mocking song. You will recompense them, O LORD, According to the work of their hands. You will give them hardness of heart, Your curse will be on them. You will pursue them in anger and destroy them From under the heavens of the LORD!
Lamentations 3:21-66 New Century Version (NCV)
But I have hope when I think of this: The LORD’s love never ends; his mercies never stop. They are new every morning; LORD, your loyalty is great. I say to myself, “The LORD is mine, so I hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who hope in him, to those who seek him. It is good to wait quietly for the LORD to save. It is good for someone to work hard while he is young. He should sit alone and be quiet; the LORD has given him hard work to do. He should bow down to the ground; maybe there is still hope. He should let anyone slap his cheek; he should be filled with shame. The Lord will not reject his people forever. Although he brings sorrow, he also has mercy and great love. He does not like to punish people or make them sad. He sees if any prisoner of the earth is crushed under his feet; he sees if someone is treated unfairly before the Most High God; the Lord sees if someone is cheated in his case in court. Nobody can speak and have it happen unless the Lord commands it. Both bad and good things come by the command of the Most High God. No one should complain when he is punished for his sins. Let us examine and see what we have done and then return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hands and pray from our hearts to God in heaven: “We have sinned and turned against you, and you have not forgiven us. “You wrapped yourself in anger and chased us; you killed us without mercy. You wrapped yourself in a cloud, and no prayer could get through. You made us like scum and trash among the other nations. “All of our enemies open their mouths and speak against us. We have been frightened and fearful, ruined and destroyed.” Streams of tears flow from my eyes, because my people are destroyed. My tears flow continually, without stopping, until the LORD looks down and sees from heaven. I am sad when I see what has happened to all the women of my city. Those who are my enemies for no reason hunted me like a bird. They tried to kill me in a pit; they threw stones at me. Water came up over my head, and I said, “I am going to die.” I called out to you, LORD, from the bottom of the pit. You heard me calling, “Do not close your ears and ignore my gasps and shouts.” You came near when I called to you; you said, “Don’t be afraid.” Lord, you have taken my case and given me back my life. LORD, you have seen how I have been wronged. Now judge my case for me. You have seen how my enemies took revenge on me and made evil plans against me. LORD, you have heard their insults and all their evil plans against me. The words and thoughts of my enemies are against me all the time. Look! In everything they do they make fun of me with songs. Pay them back, LORD, for what they have done. Make them stubborn, and put your curse on them. Chase them in anger, LORD, and destroy them from under your heavens.
Lamentations 3:21-66 American Standard Version (ASV)
This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope. It is of Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him. Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach. For the Lord will not cast off for ever. For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High, To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good? Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah. Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned. Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through. Thou hast made us an offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples. All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us. Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction. Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people. Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven. Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city. They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause. They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me. Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off. I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon. Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause. Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me. Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me, The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song. Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands. Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them. Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Lamentations 3:21-66 New International Version (NIV)
Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope: Because of the LORD’s great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. I say to myself, “The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him.” The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him; it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young. Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him. Let him bury his face in the dust— there may yet be hope. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace. For no one is cast off by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love. For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone. To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land, to deny people their rights before the Most High, to deprive them of justice— would not the Lord see such things? Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why should the living complain when punished for their sins? Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say: “We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven. “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity. You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through. You have made us scum and refuse among the nations. “All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us. We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction.” Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed. My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief, until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. What I see brings grief to my soul because of all the women of my city. Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me like a bird. They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me; the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to perish. I called on your name, LORD, from the depths of the pit. You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears to my cry for relief.” You came near when I called you, and you said, “Do not fear.” You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life. LORD, you have seen the wrong done to me. Uphold my cause! You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against me. LORD, you have heard their insults, all their plots against me— what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long. Look at them! Sitting or standing, they mock me in their songs. Pay them back what they deserve, LORD, for what their hands have done. Put a veil over their hearts, and may your curse be on them! Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:21-66 New King James Version (NKJV)
This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope. Through the LORD’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not. They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!” The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him. It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because God has laid it on him; Let him put his mouth in the dust— There may yet be hope. Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, And be full of reproach. For the Lord will not cast off forever. Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies. For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men. To crush under one’s feet All the prisoners of the earth, To turn aside the justice due a man Before the face of the Most High, Or subvert a man in his cause— The Lord does not approve. Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, When the Lord has not commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed? Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins? Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD; Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven. We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned. You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain and not pitied. You have covered Yourself with a cloud, That prayer should not pass through. You have made us an offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples. All our enemies Have opened their mouths against us. Fear and a snare have come upon us, Desolation and destruction. My eyes overflow with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people. My eyes flow and do not cease, Without interruption, Till the LORD from heaven Looks down and sees. My eyes bring suffering to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city. My enemies without cause Hunted me down like a bird. They silenced my life in the pit And threw stones at me. The waters flowed over my head; I said, “I am cut off!” I called on Your name, O LORD, From the lowest pit. You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help.” You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, “Do not fear!” O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life. O LORD, You have seen how I am wronged; Judge my case. You have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me. You have heard their reproach, O LORD, All their schemes against me, The lips of my enemies And their whispering against me all the day. Look at their sitting down and their rising up; I am their taunting song. Repay them, O LORD, According to the work of their hands. Give them a veiled heart; Your curse be upon them! In Your anger, Pursue and destroy them From under the heavens of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:21-66 Amplified Bible (AMP)
But this I call to mind, Therefore I have hope. It is because of the LORD’S lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, Because His [tender] compassions never fail. [Mal 3:6] They are new every morning; Great and beyond measure is Your faithfulness. [Is 33:2] “The LORD is my portion and my inheritance,” says my soul; “Therefore I have hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.” [Num 18:20] The LORD is good to those who wait [confidently] for Him, To those who seek Him [on the authority of God’s word]. It is good that one waits quietly For the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he should bear The yoke [of godly discipline] in his youth. Let him sit alone [in hope] and keep quiet, Because God has laid it on him [for his benefit]. [Rom 8:28] Let him put his mouth in the dust [in recognition of his unworthiness]; There may yet be hope. [Mic 7:17] Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him; Let him be filled with reproach. For the Lord will not reject forever, [Ps 94:14] For if He causes grief, Then He will have compassion According to His abundant lovingkindness and tender mercy. For He does not afflict willingly and from His heart Or grieve the children of men. [Ezek 18:23, 32; Hos 11:8; Heb 12:5-10; 2 Pet 3:9] To trample and crush under His feet All the prisoners of the land, To deprive a man of justice In the presence of the Most High, To defraud a man in his lawsuit— The Lord does not approve of these things. Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass, Unless the Lord has authorized and commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That both adversity (misfortune) and good (prosperity, happiness) proceed? ¶Why should any living mortal, or any man, Complain [of punishment] in view of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, And let us return to the LORD. Let us lift up our hearts and our hands [in prayer] Toward God in heaven; We have transgressed and rebelled, You have not pardoned. You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain [without pity] and have not spared. You have covered Yourself with a cloud So that no prayer can pass through. You have made us scum and refuse Among the peoples (Gentile nations). All our enemies have gaped at us. Panic and pitfall (traps, danger) have come on us, Devastation and destruction. My eyes overflow with streams of tears Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people (Jerusalem). My eyes overflow unceasingly, Without stopping, Until the LORD looks down And sees from heaven. My eyes [see things that] bring pain to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city. Without cause my enemies Hunted me down like a bird; They silenced me in the pit And placed a stone over me. [Jer 38] The waters ran down on my head; I said, “I am cut off (destroyed)!” I called on Your name, O LORD, Out of the lowest pit. [Jer 38:6] You have heard my voice, “Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, From my cry for help.” You drew near on the day I called to You; You said, “Do not fear.” [James 4:8] O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause [You have guided my way and protected me]; You have rescued and redeemed my life. O LORD, You have seen the wrong [done to me]; Judge my case. You have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me. You have heard their reproach, O LORD, And all their schemes against me. The lips and whispering of my assailants Are against me all day long. Look at their sitting and their rising [their actions and secret counsels]; I am their mocking song [the subject of their ridicule]. [Ps 139:2; Is 37:28] You will repay them, O LORD, According to the work of their hands. You will harden their hearts; Your curse will be upon them. You will pursue them in anger and destroy them From under the heavens of the LORD.
Lamentations 3:21-66 New Living Translation (NLT)
Yet I still dare to hope when I remember this: The faithful love of the LORD never ends! His mercies never cease. Great is his faithfulness; his mercies begin afresh each morning. I say to myself, “The LORD is my inheritance; therefore, I will hope in him!” The LORD is good to those who depend on him, to those who search for him. So it is good to wait quietly for salvation from the LORD. And it is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of his discipline: Let them sit alone in silence beneath the LORD’s demands. Let them lie face down in the dust, for there may be hope at last. Let them turn the other cheek to those who strike them and accept the insults of their enemies. For no one is abandoned by the Lord forever. Though he brings grief, he also shows compassion because of the greatness of his unfailing love. For he does not enjoy hurting people or causing them sorrow. If people crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, if they deprive others of their rights in defiance of the Most High, if they twist justice in the courts— doesn’t the Lord see all these things? Who can command things to happen without the Lord’s permission? Does not the Most High send both calamity and good? Then why should we, mere humans, complain when we are punished for our sins? Instead, let us test and examine our ways. Let us turn back to the LORD. Let us lift our hearts and hands to God in heaven and say, “We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not forgiven us. “You have engulfed us with your anger, chased us down, and slaughtered us without mercy. You have hidden yourself in a cloud so our prayers cannot reach you. You have discarded us as refuse and garbage among the nations. “All our enemies have spoken out against us. We are filled with fear, for we are trapped, devastated, and ruined.” Tears stream from my eyes because of the destruction of my people! My tears flow endlessly; they will not stop until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. My heart is breaking over the fate of all the women of Jerusalem. My enemies, whom I have never harmed, hunted me down like a bird. They threw me into a pit and dropped stones on me. The water rose over my head, and I cried out, “This is the end!” But I called on your name, LORD, from deep within the pit. You heard me when I cried, “Listen to my pleading! Hear my cry for help!” Yes, you came when I called; you told me, “Do not fear.” Lord, you have come to my defense; you have redeemed my life. You have seen the wrong they have done to me, LORD. Be my judge, and prove me right. You have seen the vengeful plots my enemies have laid against me. LORD, you have heard the vile names they call me. You know all about the plans they have made. My enemies whisper and mutter as they plot against me all day long. Look at them! Whether they sit or stand, I am the object of their mocking songs. Pay them back, LORD, for all the evil they have done. Give them hard and stubborn hearts, and then let your curse fall on them! Chase them down in your anger, destroying them beneath the LORD’s heavens.
Lamentations 3:21-66 The Passion Translation (TPT)
Yet there is one ray of hope when I remember this: YAHWEH’s tender mercies have no end, and the kindness of his endless love is never exhausted. New, fresh mercies greet me with every sunrise. So wonderfully great is your faithfulness! I tell my soul, “YAHWEH is my abundant portion. I need nothing more. So, I will put all my hope in him.” YAHWEH YAHWEH is always good to all who trust in him, to the soul who searches for him. It is always good to hope, quietly waiting for YAHWEH’s deliverance. It is always good to learn patience and humility from a young age. If your burden is heavy and hard to bear, endure it quietly. Bow low in humble submission, for there may still be hope. Offer a cheek to the one who would strike you, and learn to endure insults. For the Lord will not reject you forever. If he causes grief, he will show compassion from the cascading overflow of his endless love. The Lord takes no delight in afflicting anyone with suffering. To trample underfoot all the earth’s prisoners, to violate human rights in the presence of the Most High, to cheat someone of justice— these things the Lord does not approve. Who can make anything happen unless the Lord is willing? Is it not from the decree of the Most High that both calamities and good things come? Why, then, should anyone complain over the punishment of their sins? Let us examine our path, ponder our ways, and return to YAHWEH’s heart. Let us pray, offering up our hearts in our hands to our God above. “We have sinned and rebelled, and you have not yet pardoned us. “You have blanketed us with your anger and then pursued us, slaughtering without pity. You shrouded yourself in a cloud too thick for prayer to pierce. You have reduced us to rubbish; we are the lowest scum among the nations. “Our enemies are a choir of scoffers and scolders. Panic and pitfall have been our portion; calamity and collapse have come upon us.” My eyes stream with torrents of tears as I weep over the ruin of my beloved people. My eyes will weep without stopping, with no relief in sight until YAHWEH looks down from heaven and sees how much we suffer. My heart is so grieved over Jerusalem, the daughter of my people. My enemies, who hate me for no reason, have trapped me like a bird. They buried me alive in a pit and covered it with stones. Water rose over my head; I thought, “I’m going to die!” YAHWEH I called on your name, YAHWEH, from the bottom of the pit. You have heard me cry out to you: “Do not close your ears to my sighs and to my cries.” You drew near when I called to you. You told me, “Do not be afraid!” Lord, like a lawyer you contended for my cause; you liberated my life, my Redeemer. YAHWEH, you have seen the wrong done to me; judge in my favor. You have seen their malice and all their hateful plots against me. You have heard their mockery, YAHWEH, all their horrible schemes against me. They murmur and whisper against me all day long. See, from morning to night, I am the butt of their jokes. YAHWEH, repay them! Give them what their deeds deserve. Give them dullness of heart as you place your curse upon them. Pursue them with anger and destroy them from under your heavens!
Lamentations 3:21-66 English Standard Version 2016 (ESV)
But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope: The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases; his mercies never come to an end; they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness. “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in him.” The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him. It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. Let him sit alone in silence when it is laid on him; let him put his mouth in the dust— there may yet be hope; let him give his cheek to the one who strikes, and let him be filled with insults. For the Lord will not cast off forever, but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love; for he does not afflict from his heart or grieve the children of men. To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth, to deny a man justice in the presence of the Most High, to subvert a man in his lawsuit, the Lord does not approve. Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has commanded it? Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come? Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins? Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD! Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven: “We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven. “You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us, killing without pity; you have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through. You have made us scum and garbage among the peoples. “All our enemies open their mouths against us; panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction; my eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people. “My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite, until the LORD from heaven looks down and sees; my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the daughters of my city. “I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies without cause; they flung me alive into the pit and cast stones on me; water closed over my head; I said, ‘I am lost.’ “I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit; you heard my plea, ‘Do not close your ear to my cry for help!’ You came near when I called on you; you said, ‘Do not fear!’ “You have taken up my cause, O Lord; you have redeemed my life. You have seen the wrong done to me, O LORD; judge my cause. You have seen all their vengeance, all their plots against me. “You have heard their taunts, O LORD, all their plots against me. The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all the day long. Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the object of their taunts. “You will repay them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. You will give them dullness of heart; your curse will be on them. You will pursue them in anger and destroy them from under your heavens, O LORD.”