Lamentations 3

1I {am} the man {that} hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.● 2He hath led me, and brought {me into} darkness, but not {into} light.● 3Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand {against me} all the day.● 4My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.● 5He hath builded against me, and compassed {me} with gall and travail.● 6He hath set me in dark places, as {they that be} dead of old.● 7He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.● 8Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.● 9He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.● 10He {was} unto me {as} a bear lying in wait, {and as} a lion in secret places.● 11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.● 12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.● 13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. {arrows: Heb. sons}● 14I was a derision to all my people; {and} their song all the day.● 15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. {bitterness: Heb. bitternesses}● 16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. {covered...: or, rolled me in the ashes}● 17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. {prosperity: Heb. good}● 18And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:● 19Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. {Remembering: or, Remember}● 20My soul hath {them} still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. {humbled: Heb. bowed}● 21This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. {recall...: Heb. make to return to my heart}● 22{It is of} the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.● 23{They are} new every morning: great {is} thy faithfulness.● 24The LORD {is} my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.● 25The LORD {is} good unto them that wait for him, to the soul {that} seeketh him.● 26{It is} good that {a man} should both 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.● 28He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne {it} upon him.● 29He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.● 30He giveth {his} cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.● 31For the Lord will not cast off for ever:● 32But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.● 33For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. {willingly: Heb. from his heart}● 34To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,● 35To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, {the most High: or, a superior}● 36To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. {approveth not: or, seeth not}● 37Who {is} he {that} saith, and it cometh to pass, {when} the Lord commandeth {it} not?● 38Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?● 39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? {complain: or, murmur}● 40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.● 41Let us lift up our heart with {our} hands unto God in the heavens.● 42We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.● 43Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.● 44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that {our} prayer should not pass through.● 45Thou hast made us {as} the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.● 46All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.● 47Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.● 48Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.● 49Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,● 50Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.● 51Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city. {mine heart: Heb. my soul} {because...: or, more than all}● 52Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.● 53They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.● 54Waters flowed over mine head; {then} I said, I am cut off.● 55I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.● 56Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.● 57Thou drewest near in the day {that} I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.● 58O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.● 59O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.● 60Thou hast seen all their vengeance {and} all their imaginations against me.● 61Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, {and} all their imaginations against me;● 62The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.● 63Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I {am} their musick.● 64Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.● 65Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. {sorrow...: or, obstinacy of heart}● 66Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.●