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Lamentations

Poems mourning the fall of Jerusalem and expressing hope in God's mercy.

Chapter 3

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1 I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
*I am the person who has experienced trouble because of his anger.
2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
*He has guided me and taken me to darkness, but not to light.
3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
*He has definitely turned against me; he constantly uses his hand to harm me throughout the day.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
*He has made my body and skin grow old, and he has broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
*He has built up problems for me and surrounded me with pain and hardship.
6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
*He has placed me in dark places, like those long-dead people.
7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
*He has surrounded me so I can't escape; he has made my chain very heavy.
8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
*When I complain loudly, he rejects my request.
9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
*He has enclosed my path with carved stones, making my way hard to follow.
10 He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
*He seemed to me like a bear hiding to attack, and like a hidden lion.
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
*He has led me astray and torn me apart; he has left me empty.
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
*He aimed his bow at me, using me as the target for the arrow.
13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
*He has made his arrow from his quiver go into my kidneys.
14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
*I was laughed at by everyone; and they sang about it all day long.
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
*He has made me feel bitter, he has intoxicated me with a bitter herb called wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
*He has also shattered my teeth with rocks, covering me in ash.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.
*And you have taken my soul away from peace; I forgot about wealth and success.
18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
*I said, "My strength and hope are gone from the Lord."
19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
*Remembering my suffering and sadness, the bitter plant and the painful poison.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
*My soul still remembers them and makes me feel small.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
*I remember this, so I have hope.
22 It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
*We are safe because of the LORD's kindness; He never stops caring for us.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
*Every day, they're renewed; your loyalty is immense.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
*The Lord is what I have; my soul says so. That's why I trust Him.
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
*God is kind to those who patiently wait for Him, to the person who searches for Him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
*It's good for someone to have hope and patiently wait for the Lord's rescue.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
*It's beneficial for someone to learn responsibility early in life.
28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
*He sits alone and is quiet because he has taken on a heavy burden.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
*He puts his mouth in the dirt, hoping for salvation.
30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
*He lets someone hit the other side of his face: he receives a lot of disgrace.
31 For the LORD will not cast off for ever:
*The LORD won't abandon forever.
32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
*But even if he causes sadness, he will still show kindness based on the many mercies he has.
33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
*He doesn't intentionally cause pain or sadden people.
34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
*To squash with his feet everyone held captive on Earth.
35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
*To change a man's rightful path so he deviates from the highest power's view.
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approveth not.
*The Lord does not support destroying someone's goals.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
*Who is the person that says something will happen when the Lord hasn't commanded it?
38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?
*Does the Most High's mouth not produce both bad and good things?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
*Why does a living person complain, a person about the punishment for their sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
*Let's find new ways and return to God.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
*Lift your heart to God in heaven with your hands.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
*We've disobeyed and gone our own way; you haven't forgiven us.
43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
*You have filled us with anger and pursued us; you have killed but shown no mercy.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
*You have hidden yourself behind a cloud, so our prayers cannot reach you.
45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.
*You have made us like unwanted trash among the people.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
*Everyone who wants to defeat us is speaking against us.
47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.
*Fear and a trap have caught us; we have sadness and ruin.
48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
*My eyes overflow with tears for the destruction of my people's daughter.
49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
*My eye keeps flowing nonstop, without stopping at all.
50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
*Wait for the Lord to look down from heaven.
51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.
*My eye is drawn to my heart due to all the girls in my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.
*My opponents pursued me harshly, like a frightened bird, for no reason.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.
*They took away my life in the dark prison and threw a rock at me.
54 Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.
*Water covered my head; I thought I was trapped.
55 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.
*I cried to you, God, from deep underground.
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
*You have heard my voice; do not hide your ear when I breathe or cry.
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
*You came close when I called on you; you said, "Don't be afraid."
58 O LORD, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
*DEAR GOD, you have defended the needs of my heart; you have saved my life.
59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
*O GOD, you have seen my mistake: decide my situation.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
*You have seen all their anger and all their thoughts to harm me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;
*You have heard their insults, Lord, and all their thoughts against me.
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
*The mouths of people who opposed me and their plans to defeat me every day.
63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.
*Look at them sitting and standing; I am the music that plays for them.
64 Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
*Give them what they deserve, Lord, based on what they have done.
65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.
*Cause them sadness, and put a curse on them.
66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.
*Angrily chase and eliminate them under the Lord's sky.
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