Lamentations 3

I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. ² He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light. ³ Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day. ⁴ My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. ⁵ He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. ^{6 a}He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. ⁷ He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. ⁸ Also ^bwhen I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. ⁹ He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. ^{10 c}He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places. ¹¹ He hath turned aside my ways, and ^dpulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate. ¹² He hath bent his bow, and ^eset me as a mark for the arrow. ¹³ He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. ¹⁴ I was a derision ^fto all my people; and their song all the day. ^{15 g}He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. ¹⁶ He hath also broken my teeth ^hwith gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. ¹⁷ And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. ^{18 i}And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: ¹⁹ Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. ²⁰ My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. ²¹ This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

^{22 j}It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. ²³ They are new ^kevery morning: great is thy faithfulness. ²⁴ The LORD is my ^lportion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. ²⁵ The LORD is good unto them that ^mwait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. ²⁶ It is good that a man should both hope ⁿand quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. ^{27 o}It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. ^{28 p}He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. ^{29 q}He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. ^{30 r}He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. ^{31 s}For the Lord will not cast off for ever: ³² But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. ³³ For ^the doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men. ³⁴ To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, ³⁵ To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, ³⁶ To subvert a man in his cause, ^uthe Lord approveth not.

³⁷ Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when ^vthe Lord commandeth it not? ³⁸ Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not ^wevil and good? ³⁹ Wherefore doth a living man complain, ^xa man for the punishment of his sins? ^{40 y}Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD. ^{41 z}Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. ^{42 a}We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. ⁴³ Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. ⁴⁴ Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through. ⁴⁵ Thou hast made us as ^bthe offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. ⁴⁶ All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. ⁴⁷ Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction. ^{48 c}Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. ⁴⁹ Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, ⁵⁰ Till the LORD ^dlook down, and behold from heaven. ⁵¹ Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city. ⁵² Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, ^ewithout cause. ⁵³ They have cut off my life ^fin the dungeon, and ^gcast a stone upon me. ^{54 h}Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.

^{55 i}I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. ⁵⁶ Thou ^jhast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. ⁵⁷ Thou ^kdrewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. ⁵⁸ O Lord, thou hast ^lpleaded the causes of my soul; ^mthou hast redeemed my life. ⁵⁹ O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause. ⁶⁰ Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their ⁿimaginations against me. ⁶¹ Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me; ⁶² The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. ⁶³ Behold their ^ositting down, and their rising up; I am their musick. ^{64 p}Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. ⁶⁵ Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. ⁶⁶ Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the ^qheavens of the LORD.

Lamentations 4