Lamentations 3

KING JAMES BIBLE	NEW AMERICAN BIBLE
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.	1 I am a man who knows affliction from the rod of his anger,
2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.	2 One whom he has led and forced to walk in darkness, not in the light;
3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.	3 Against me alone he brings back his hand again and again all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.	4 He has worn away my flesh and my skin, he has broken my bones;
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.	5 He has beset me round about with poverty and weariness;
6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.	6 He has left me to dwell in the dark like those long dead.
7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.	7 He has hemmed me in with no escape and weighed me down with chains;
8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.	8 Even when I cry out for help, he stops my prayer;
9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.	9 He has blocked my ways with fitted stones, and turned my paths aside.
10 He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.	10 A lurking bear he has been to me, a lion in ambush!
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.	11 He deranged my ways, set me astray, left me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.	12 He bent his bow, and set me up as the target for his arrow.
13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.	13 He pierces my sides with shafts from his quiver.
14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.	14 I have become a laughingstock for all nations, their taunt all the day long;
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.	15 He has sated me with bitter food, made me drink my fill of wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.	16 He has broken my teeth with gravel, pressed my face in the dust;
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.	17 My soul is deprived of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is;
18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:	18 I tell myself my future is lost, all that I hoped for from the LORD.
19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.	19 The thought of my homeless poverty is wormwood and gall;
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.	20 Remembering it over and over leaves my soul downcast within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.	21 But I will call this to mind, as my reason to have hope:
22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.	22 The favors of the LORD are not exhausted, his mercies are not spent;
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.	23 They are renewed each morning, so great is his faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.	24 My portion is the LORD, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.	25 Good is the LORD to one who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him;
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.	26 It is good to hope in silence for the saving help of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.	27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke from his youth.
28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.	28 Let him sit alone and in silence, when it is laid upon him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.	29 Let him put his mouth to the dust; there may yet be hope.
30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.	30 Let him offer his cheek to be struck, let him be filled with disgrace.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:	31 For the Lord's rejection does not last forever;
32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.	32 Though he punishes, he takes pity, in the abundance of his mercies;
33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.	33 He has no joy in afflicting or grieving the sons of men.
34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,	34 When anyone tramples underfoot all the prisoners in the land,
35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,	35 When he distorts men's rights in the very sight of the Most High,
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.	36 When he presses a crooked claim, the Lord does not look on unconcerned.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?	37 Who commands so that it comes to pass, except the Lord ordains it;
38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?	38 Except it proceeds from the mouth of the Most High, whether the thing be good or bad!
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?	39 Why should any living man complain, any mortal, in the face of his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.	40 Let us search and examine our ways that we may return to the LORD!
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.	41 Let us reach out our hearts toward God in heaven!
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.	42 We have sinned and rebelled; you have not forgiven us.
43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.	43 You veiled yourself in wrath and pursued us, you slew us and took no pity;
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.	44 You wrapped yourself in a cloud which prayer could not pierce.
45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.	45 You have made us offscourings and refuse among the nations.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.	46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us;
47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.	47 Terror and the pit have been our lot, desolation and destruction;
48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.	48 My eyes run with streams of water over the downfall of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,	49 My eyes flow without ceasing, there is no respite,
50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.	50 Till the LORD from heaven looks down and sees.
51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.	51 My eyes torment my soul at the sight of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.	52 Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me down like a bird;
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.	53 They struck me down alive in the pit, and sealed me in with a stone.
54 Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.	54 The waters flowed over my head, and I said, "I am lost!"
55 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.	55 I called upon your name, O LORD, from the bottom of the pit;
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.	56 You heard me call, "Let not your ear be deaf to my cry for help!"
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.	57 You came to my aid when I called to you; you said, "Have no fear!"
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.	58 You defended me in mortal danger, you redeemed my life.
59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.	59 You see, O LORD, how I am wronged; do me justice!
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.	60 You see all their vindictiveness, all their plots against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;	61 You hear their insults, O LORD, (all their plots against me),
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.	62 The whispered murmurings of my foes, against me all the day;
63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.	63 Whether they sit or stand, see, I am their taunt song.
64 Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.	64 Requite them as they deserve, O LORD, according to their deeds;
65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.	65 Give them hardness of heart, as your curse upon them;
66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.	66 Pursue them in wrath and destroy them from under your heavens!