CINXE.COM

<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Transitional//EN" "//www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-transitional.dtd"><html xmlns="//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 CEV</title><link rel="stylesheet" href="/chapnew2.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /><link rel="stylesheet" href="../spec.css" type="text/css" media="Screen" /></head> <script async src="https://www.googletagmanager.com/gtag/js?id=G-LR4HSKRP2H"></script> <script> window.dataLayer = window.dataLayer || []; function gtag(){dataLayer.push(arguments);} gtag('js', new Date()); gtag('config', 'G-LR4HSKRP2H'); </script><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="../topmenuchap/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="//biblehub.com">Bible</a> > <a href="../">CEV</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 class="vheading">Contemporary English Version</div><div class="chap"><h3 class="s1">There Is Still Hope</h3><h5 class="sp">The Prophet Speaks:</h5>1I have suffered muchbecause God was angry.2He chased me into a dark place,where no light could enter.3I am the only one he punishesover and over again,without ever stopping.4God caused my skin and fleshto waste away,and he crushed my bones.5He attacked and surrounded mewith hardships and trouble;6he forced me to sit in the darklike someone long dead.7God built a fence around methat I cannot climb over,and he chained me down.8Even when I shoutedand prayed for help,he refused to listen.9God put big rocks in my wayand made me followa crooked path.10God was like a bear or a lionwaiting in ambush for me;11he dragged me from the road,then tore me to shreds.<a href="#fn" id="link_Lam.3.11!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> 12God took careful aimand shot his arrows13straight through my heart.14I am a joke to everyone—no one ever stopsmaking fun of me.15God has turned my life sour.16He made me eat graveland rubbed me in the dirt.17I cannot find peaceor remember happiness.18I tell myself, “I am finished!I can't count on the Lordto do anything for me.”19Just thinking of my troublesand my lonely wanderingmakes me miserable.20That's all I ever think about,and I am depressed.<a href="#fn" id="link_Lam.3.20!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> 21Then I remember somethingthat fills me with hope.22The Lord's kindness never fails!If he had not been merciful,we would have been destroyed.<a href="#fn" id="link_Lam.3.22!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> 23The Lord can always be trustedto show mercy each morning.24Deep in my heart I say,“The Lord is all I need;I can depend on him!”25The Lord is kind to everyonewho trusts and obeys him.26It is good to wait patientlyfor the Lord to save us.27When we are young,it is good to struggle hard28and to sit silently alone,if this is whatthe Lord intends.29Being rubbed in the dirtcan teach us a lesson;<a href="#fn" id="link_Lam.3.29!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> 30we can also learn from insultsand hard knocks.31The Lord won't always reject us!32He causes a lot of suffering,but he also has pitybecause of his great love.33The Lord doesn't enjoysending grief or pain.34Don't trample prisonersunder your feet35or cheat anyone out ofwhat is rightfully theirs.God Most High sees everything,36and he knows when you refuseto give someone a fair trial.37No one can do anythingwithout the Lord's approval.38Good and bad each happenat the commandof God Most High.39We're still alive!We shouldn't complainwhen we are being punishedfor our sins.40Instead, we should thinkabout the way we are living,and turn back to the Lord.41When we lift our handsin prayer to God in heaven,we should offer him our heartsand say, 42“We've sinned!We've rebelled against you,and you haven't forgiven us!43Anger is written all over you,as you pursue and slaughter uswithout showing pity.44You are behind a wall of cloudsthat blocks out our prayers.45You allowed nationsto treat us like garbage;46our enemies curse us.47We are terrified and trapped,caught and crushed.”48My people are destroyed!Tears flood my eyes,49and they won't stop50until the Lord looks downfrom heaven and helps.51I am horrified when I seewhat enemies have doneto the young women of our city.52No one had reason to hate me,but I was hunted downlike a bird.53Then they tried to kill meby tossing me into a pitand throwing stones at me.54Water covered my head—I thought I was gone.55From the bottom of the pit,I prayed to you, Lord.56I begged you to listen.“Help!” I shouted. “Save me!”You answered my prayer57and came when I was in need.You told me, “Don't worry!”58You rescued meand saved my life.59You saw them abuse me, Lord,so make things right.60You know every plotthey have made against me.61Yes, you know their insultsand their evil plans.62All day long they attackwith words and whispers.63No matter what they are doing,they keep on mocking me.64Pay them back for everythingthey have done, Lord!65Put your curse on themand make them suffer.<a href="#fn" id="link_Lam.3.65!f.1" class="notelink f-link">+</a> 66Get angry and go after themuntil not a trace is leftunder the heavens.</div> </div> <a name="fn"></a> Footnotes: <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">3.11 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">shreds: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 11.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">3.20 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">I am depressed: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">3.22 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">destroyed: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 22.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">3.29 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">lesson: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text of verse 29.</char></note> <note caller="+" style="f"><char style="fr" closed="false">3.65 </char><char style="fq" closed="false">make them suffer: </char><char style="ft" closed="false">One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.</char></note></div></div> <div align="center">Contemporary English Version, Second Edition (CEV®) © 2006 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Bible text from the Contemporary English Version 2nd Edition (CEV®) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (<a href="http://www.americanbible.org">www.americanbible.org</a>). Learn more at <a href="http://www.cev.bible">www.cev.bible</a>. Discover .BIBLE resources for your ministry at <a href="http://www.get.bible/cev">www.get.bible/cev</a> <a href="/">Bible Hub</a> </div></div></td></tr></table></div><div id="left"><a href="../lamentations/2.htm" onmouseover='lft.src="/leftgif.png"' onmouseout='lft.src="/left.png"' title="Lamentations 2"><img src="/left.png" name="lft" border="0" alt="Lamentations 2" /></a></div><div id="right"><a href="../lamentations/4.htm" onmouseover='rght.src="/rightgif.png"' onmouseout='rght.src="/right.png"' title="Lamentations 4"><img src="/right.png" name="rght" border="0" alt="Lamentations 4" /></a></div><div id="botleft"><a href="#" onmouseover='botleft.src="/botleftgif.png"' onmouseout='botleft.src="/botleft.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botleft.png" name="botleft" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="botright"><a href="#" onmouseover='botright.src="/botrightgif.png"' onmouseout='botright.src="/botright.png"' title="Top of Page"><img src="/botright.png" name="botright" border="0" alt="Top of Page" /></a></div><div id="rightbox"><div class="padright"><div id="pic"><iframe width="100%" height="860" scrolling="no" src="//biblescan.com/mpc/lamentations/3-1.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></div></div><div id="rightbox4"><div class="padright2"><div id="spons1"><table width="100%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><tr><td class="sp1"><iframe width="122" height="860" scrolling="no" src="../sidemenu.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></td></tr></table></div></div></div><div id="bot"><iframe width="100%" height="1500" scrolling="no" src="/botmenubhchapnoad.htm" frameborder="0"></iframe></div></td></tr></table></div></body></html>