THE
LAMENTATIONS
OF
JEREMIAH
Lamentations 3 ©
The Prophet proceeds in lamenting the miserable state of the people of the Jews, v. 1, etc. And the scoffing of the enemies, 14. Then he comforts himself with the consideration of God’s mercy, justice and providence, 21, etc. He stirs up himself and all men to repentance, patience and prayer unto God, 40. With a repetition of their miseries, 43, etc. And comfort of God’s gracious hearing, 55, etc. Being confident that God would take vengeance on their enemies, 64, etc.
I1AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod 2of his wrath.3
He hath led me, and brought me 4into darkness, but not into light.
Surely against me is he turned; he 5turneth his 6hand against me all the day.
My flesh and my skin hath 7he made old; he hath broken my 8bones.
He 9hath builded against me, and compassed me with 10gall and travail.
11He hath set me in dark places, 12as they that be dead of old.
He hath hedged 13me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made 14my chain heavy.
Also when I cry and shout, he 15shutteth out my prayer.
16He hath inclosed my ways with 17hewn stone, he 18hath made my paths crooked.
19He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as 20a lion in secret places.
21He hath turned aside my ways, 22and pulled me 23in pieces: 24he hath made me desolate.
25He hath 26bent his bow, and 27set me as a mark for the arrow.
He hath caused the 28arrows of his quiver to enter 29into my reins.
I was a 30derision to 31all my people; and their 32song all the day.
He hath filled me 33with bitterness, 34he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
35He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, 36he hath covered me with ashes.
And thou hast removed 37my soul far off from peace: 38I forgat prosperity.
And I said, 39My strength and 40my hope is perished from the LORD:
41Remembering mine 42affliction and my misery, 43the wormwood and the gall.
My soul hath them still in 44remembrance, and 45is humbled in me.
46This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
¶ 47It is of thea LORD’S mercies that we are not consumed, 48because his compassions fail not.
49They areb new every morning: great is 50thy faithfulness.
51The LORD is my portion, 52saith my soul; thereforec will I hope in him.
The LORD is good unto them 53that wait for him, 54to the soul that seeketh him.
55It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait 56for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good 57for a man 58that he bear the yoke 59in his youth.
60He 61sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because 62he hath borne it upon him.
63He putteth his mouth in the dust; 64ifd so be there may be hope.
65He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: 66he is filled full with reproach.
67For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion 68according to the multitude of his mercies.
For he doth 69not afflict willingly nor grieve 70the children of men.
71To 72crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
To 73turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
To 74subvert a man in his 75cause, 76the 77Lord approveth not.
¶ 78Whoeis he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
Out of 79the mouth of the most High 80proceedethf not 81evil and good?
82Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his 83sins?
Let us search and try our 84ways, and 85turn again to the LORD.
Let us lift up our heart 86with our hands 87unto God in the heavens.
We have transgressed and have rebelled: 88thou hast not pardoned.
89Thou hast covered with anger, and 90persecuted us: thou hast slain, 91thou hast not pitied.
Thou hast covered thyself 92with a cloud, 93that our prayer should not pass through.
Thou hast made us 94as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the 95people.
All our enemies 96have opened their mouths against us.
97Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.98
Mine eye runneth down 99with 100rivers of water for the destruction 101of the daughter of my people.
Mine eye 102trickleth down, and ceaseth not, 103without any intermission,
104Till 105the LORD look down, and 106behold from heaven.
107Mine eye 108affectethg mine heart 109because of all the daughters of my city.
Mine enemies chased me 110sore, 111like a bird, 112without cause.
113They have cut off 114my life in the dungeon, and cast 115a stone 116upon me.
117Waters flowed over mine head; then 118I said, 119I am cut off.
¶I called upon thy name, O LORD, 120out of the low dungeon.
121Thou hast heard my voice: 122hide not thine ear 123at my breathing, at my cry.
Thou drewest 124near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
O Lord, 125thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; 126thou hast redeemed my life.
O LORD, thou hast seen my 127wrong: 128judge thou my cause.
Thou hast seen all 129their 130vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
Thou hast heard 131their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;
132The lips of those that rose up against me, and 133their device against me all the day.134
Behold 135their sitting down, and their rising up; I am 136their musick.
¶Render 137unto them a recompence, O LORD, 138according to the work of their hands.
Give them 139sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.
Persecute and destroy them in anger 140from under the heavens of the LORD.