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<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"><head><meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html; charset=utf-8" /><meta name="viewport" content="width=device-width, initial-scale=1"><title>Lamentations 3</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/bsb/spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="/print.css" type="text/css" media="Print" /></head><body><div id="fx"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx2"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="30" scrolling="no" src="../cmenus/lamentations/3.htm" align="left" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div><div id="blnk"></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable"><tr><td><div id="fx5"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" id="fx6"><tr><td><iframe width="100%" height="245" scrolling="no" src="/bmc//lamentations/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" class="maintable3"><tr><td><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" id="announce"><tr><td><div id="l1"><div id="breadcrumbs"><a href="http://biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="/lamentations/">Lamentations</a> > Lamentations 3</div><div id="anc"><iframe src="/anc.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></div><div id="anc2"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><iframe src="/anc2.htm" width="100%" height="27" scrolling="no" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></td></tr></table><div id="movebox2"><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0"><tr><td><div id="topheading"><a href="../lamentations/2.htm" title="Lamentations 2">◄</a> Lamentations 3 <a href="../lamentations/4.htm" title="Lamentations 4">►</a></div></td></tr></table></div><div align="center" class="maintable2"><table border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center"><tr><td><div id="leftbox"><div class="padleft"><div align="center" id="jump2"><a href="/niv/lamentations/3.htm">NIV</a> • <a href="/nlt/lamentations/3.htm">NLT</a> • <a href="/esv/lamentations/3.htm">ESV</a> • <a href="/kjv/lamentations/3.htm">KJV</a> • <a href="/nkjv/lamentations/3.htm">NKJ</a> • <a href="/nasb/lamentations/3.htm">NAS</a></div> <div class="vheading"><table width="100%"><tr><td width="1%" valign="top">BSB</td><td width="99%" valign="top" align="right"><a href="/parallel/lamentations/3.htm" style="font-weight:normal" title="Parallel Chapters">Parallel Chapters ▾ </a></tr></table></div><div class="chap"><A name="2"></a>The Prophet’s Afflictions<a href="/lamentations/3-1.htm">1</a>I<a href="#fn">a</a> am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath. <A name="3"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-2.htm">2</a>He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light. <A name="4"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-3.htm">3</a>Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long. <A name="5"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-4.htm">4</a>He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones. <A name="6"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-5.htm">5</a>He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship. <A name="7"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-6.htm">6</a>He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages. <A name="8"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-7.htm">7</a>He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains. <A name="9"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-8.htm">8</a>Even when I cry out and plead for help, He shuts out my prayer. <A name="10"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-9.htm">9</a>He has barred my ways with cut stones; He has made my paths crooked. <A name="11"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-10.htm">10</a>He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush. <A name="12"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-11.htm">11</a>He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help. <A name="13"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-12.htm">12</a>He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow. <A name="14"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-13.htm">13</a>He pierced my kidneys with His arrows. <A name="15"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-14.htm">14</a>I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long. <A name="16"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-15.htm">15</a>He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood. <A name="17"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-16.htm">16</a>He has ground my teeth with gravel and trampled me in the dust. <A name="18"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-17.htm">17</a>My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. <A name="19"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-18.htm">18</a>So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.” <A name="20"></a>The Prophet’s Hope<a href="/lamentations/3-19.htm">19</a>Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall. <A name="21"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-20.htm">20</a>Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me. <A name="22"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-21.htm">21</a>Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope: <A name="23"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-22.htm">22</a>Because of the loving devotion<a href="#fn">b</a> of the LORD we are not consumed, for His mercies never fail. <A name="24"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-23.htm">23</a>They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness! <A name="25"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-24.htm">24</a>“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.” <A name="26"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-25.htm">25</a>The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him. <A name="27"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-26.htm">26</a>It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD. <A name="28"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-27.htm">27</a>It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young. <A name="29"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-28.htm">28</a>Let him sit alone in silence, for God has disciplined him. <A name="30"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-29.htm">29</a>Let him bury his face in the dust— perhaps there is still hope. <A name="31"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-30.htm">30</a>Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with reproach. <A name="32"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-31.htm">31</a>For the Lord will not cast us off forever. <A name="33"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-32.htm">32</a>Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion. <A name="34"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-33.htm">33</a>For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men. <A name="35"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-34.htm">34</a>To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land, <A name="36"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-35.htm">35</a>to deny a man justice before the Most High, <A name="37"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-36.htm">36</a>to subvert a man in his lawsuit— of these the Lord does not approve. <A name="38"></a>God’s Justice<a href="/lamentations/3-37.htm">37</a>Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it? <A name="39"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-38.htm">38</a>Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High? <A name="40"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-39.htm">39</a>Why should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins? <A name="41"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-40.htm">40</a>Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD. <A name="42"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-41.htm">41</a>Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven: <A name="43"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-42.htm">42</a>“We have sinned and rebelled; You have not forgiven.” <A name="44"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-43.htm">43</a>You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity. <A name="45"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-44.htm">44</a>You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through. <A name="46"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-45.htm">45</a>You have made us scum and refuse among the nations. <A name="47"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-46.htm">46</a>All our enemies open their mouths against us. <A name="48"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-47.htm">47</a>Panic and pitfall have come upon us— devastation and destruction. <A name="49"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-48.htm">48</a>Streams of tears flow from my eyes over the destruction of the daughter of my people. <A name="50"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-49.htm">49</a>My eyes overflow unceasingly, without relief, <A name="51"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-50.htm">50</a>until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees. <A name="52"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-51.htm">51</a>My eyes bring grief to my soul because of all the daughters of my city. <A name="53"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-52.htm">52</a>Without cause my enemies hunted me like a bird. <A name="54"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-53.htm">53</a>They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me. <A name="55"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-54.htm">54</a>The waters flowed over my head, and I thought I was going to die. <A name="56"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-55.htm">55</a>I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the depths of the Pit. <A name="57"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-56.htm">56</a>You heard my plea: “Do not ignore my cry for relief.” <A name="58"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-57.htm">57</a>You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not be afraid.” <A name="59"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-58.htm">58</a>You defend my cause, O Lord; You redeem my life. <A name="60"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-59.htm">59</a>You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me; vindicate my cause! <A name="61"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-60.htm">60</a>You have seen all their malice, all their plots against me. <A name="62"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-61.htm">61</a>O LORD, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me— <A name="63"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-62.htm">62</a>the slander and murmuring of my assailants against me all day long. <A name="64"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-63.htm">63</a>When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song. <A name="65"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-64.htm">64</a>You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. <A name="66"></a><a href="/lamentations/3-65.htm">65</a>Put a veil of anguish over their hearts; may Your curse be upon them! <a href="/lamentations/3-66.htm">66</a>You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.<A name="fn"></a><div id="fnlink"> Footnotes: 1 a This chapter is an acrostic poem, each 3–verse stanza beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet. 22 b 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 . </div> </div></div><div id="botbox"><div class="padbot"><div align="center">The Berean Bible (<a href=http://berean.bible>www.Berean.Bible</a>) <a href=http://bereanbible.com>Berean Study Bible (BSB)</a> © 2016, 2020 by <a href=http://biblehub.com>Bible Hub</a> and <a href=http://berean.bible>Berean.Bible</a>. 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