Lamentations 3

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE	Revised Standard Version Catholic Edition
1 I am a man who knows affliction from the rod of his anger,	1 I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath;
2 One whom he has led and forced to walk in darkness, not in the light;	2 he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light;
3 Against me alone he brings back his hand again and again all the day.	3 surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long.
4 He has worn away my flesh and my skin, he has broken my bones;	4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones;
5 He has beset me round about with poverty and weariness;	5 he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation;
6 He has left me to dwell in the dark like those long dead.	6 he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago.
7 He has hemmed me in with no escape and weighed me down with chains;	7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has put heavy chains on me;
8 Even when I cry out for help, he stops my prayer;	8 though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer;
9 He has blocked my ways with fitted stones, and turned my paths aside.	9 he has blocked my ways with hewn stones, he has made my paths crooked.
10 A lurking bear he has been to me, a lion in ambush!	10 He is to me like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding;
11 He deranged my ways, set me astray, left me desolate.	11 he led me off my way and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate;
12 He bent his bow, and set me up as the target for his arrow.	12 he bent his bow and set me as a mark for his arrow.
13 He pierces my sides with shafts from his quiver.	13 He drove into my heart the arrows of his quiver;
14 I have become a laughingstock for all nations, their taunt all the day long;	14 I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the burden of their songs all day long.
15 He has sated me with bitter food, made me drink my fill of wormwood.	15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood.
16 He has broken my teeth with gravel, pressed my face in the dust;	16 He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes;
17 My soul is deprived of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is;	17 my soul is bereft of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is;
18 I tell myself my future is lost, all that I hoped for from the LORD.	18 so I say, "Gone is my glory, and my expectation from the LORD."
19 The thought of my homeless poverty is wormwood and gall;	19 Remember my affliction and my bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!
20 Remembering it over and over leaves my soul downcast within me.	20 My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.
21 But I will call this to mind, as my reason to have hope:	21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 The favors of the LORD are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent;	22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;
23 They are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness.	23 they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 My portion is the LORD, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.	24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
25 Good is the LORD to one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him;	25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
26 It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the LORD.	26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth.	27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and in silence, when it is laid upon him.	28 Let him sit alone in silence when he has laid it on him;
29 Let him put his mouth to the dust; there may yet be hope.	29 let him put his mouth in the dust-- there may yet be hope;
30 Let him offer his cheek to be struck, let him be filled with disgrace.	30 let him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults.
31 For the Lord's rejection does not last forever;	31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever,
32 Though he punishes, he takes pity, in the abundance of his mercies;	32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33 He has no joy in afflicting or grieving the sons of men.	33 for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
34 When anyone tramples underfoot all the prisoners in the land,	34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 When he distorts men's rights in the very sight of the Most High,	35 to turn aside the right of a man in the presence of the Most High,
36 When he presses a crooked claim, the Lord does not look on unconcerned.	36 to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.
37 Who commands so that it comes to pass, except the Lord ordains it;	37 Who has commanded and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
38 Except it proceeds from the mouth of the Most High, whether the thing be good or bad!	38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come?
39 Why should any living man complain, any mortal, in the face of his sins?	39 Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search and examine our ways that we may return to the LORD!	40 Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!
41 Let us reach out our hearts toward God in heaven!	41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
42 We have sinned and rebelled; you have not forgiven us.	42 "We have transgressed and rebelled, and thou hast not forgiven.
43 You veiled yourself in wrath and pursued us, you slew us and took no pity;	43 "Thou hast wrapped thyself with anger and pursued us, slaying without pity;
44 You wrapped yourself in a cloud which prayer could not pierce.	44 thou hast wrapped thyself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us offscourings and refuse among the nations.	45 Thou hast made us offscouring and refuse among the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us;	46 "All our enemies rail against us;
47 Terror and the pit have been our lot, desolation and destruction;	47 panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction;
48 My eyes run with streams of water over the downfall of the daughter of my people.	48 my eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes flow without ceasing, there is no respite,	49 "My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite,
50 Till the LORD from heaven looks down and sees.	50 until the LORD from heaven looks down and sees;
51 My eyes torment my soul at the sight of all the daughters of my city.	51 my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the maidens of my city.
52 Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me down like a bird;	52 "I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies without cause;
53 They struck me down alive in the pit, and sealed me in with a stone.	53 they flung me alive into the pit and cast stones on me;
54 The waters flowed over my head, and I said, "I am lost!"	54 water closed over my head; 'I said, I am lost.'
55 I called upon your name, O LORD, from the bottom of the pit;	55 "I called on thy name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit;
56 You heard me call, "Let not your ear be deaf to my cry for help!"	56 thou didst hear my plea, 'Do not close thine ear to my cry for help!'
57 You came to my aid when I called to you; you said, "Have no fear!"	57 Thou didst come near when I called on thee; thou didst say, 'Do not fear!'
58 You defended me in mortal danger, you redeemed my life.	58 "Thou hast taken up my cause, O Lord, thou hast redeemed my life.
59 You see, O LORD, how I am wronged; do me justice!	59 Thou hast seen the wrong done to me, O LORD; judge thou my cause.
60 You see all their vindictiveness, all their plots against me.	60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their devices against me.
61 You hear their insults, O LORD, (all their plots against me),	61 "Thou hast heard their taunts, O LORD, all their devices against me.
62 The whispered murmurings of my foes, against me all the day;	62 The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all the day long.
63 Whether they sit or stand, see, I am their taunt song.	63 Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the burden of their songs.
64 Requite them as they deserve, O LORD, according to their deeds;	64 "Thou wilt requite them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 Give them hardness of heart, as your curse upon them;	65 Thou wilt give them dullness of heart; thy curse will be on them.
66 Pursue them in wrath and destroy them from under your heavens!	66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger and destroy them from under thy heavens, O LORD."