Lamentations 3:25-66 ▼

25 Good is YHWH to those waiting for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.

26 And it is good to wait and be silent for the salvation of YHWH;

27 it is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth.

28 Let him sit alone and be silent when it is laid upon him.

29 Let him put in the dust his mouth; perhaps there is hope!

30 Let him give his cheek to the one striking him; let him be filled with reproach!

31 For the Lord will not reject us forever;

32 for though He may bring grief, He will show compassion according to the abundance of His loving devotion;

33 for he has not afflicted with His heart or grieved the sons of man.

34 To crush under one’s feet all the prisoners of the earth,

35 to stretch aside justice for a man before the face of the Most High,

36 to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.

37 Who is this having spoken, and it came to pass, if the Lord did not command it?

38 From the mouth of the Most High does not come forth the bad and the good?

39 Why should complain a living man, a man for his sins?

40 Let us search out our ways, and let us seek, and turn back to YHWH!

41 Let us lift our heart with our hands to God in the heavens:

42 “We have transgressed and we have rebelled; You have not forgiven.”

43 You have covered in anger and pursued us; You have killed; You have not pitied.

44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud, from passing through a prayer.

45 You have made us offscouring and refuse in the midst of the nations.

46 They have opened their mouths against us—all our enemies;

47 terror and pitfall have come upon us, desolation and destruction!

48 Streams of water run down my eyes over the destruction of the daughter of my people!

49 My eye pours forth, and it does not cease—without numbing—

50 until YHWH looks down and sees from the heavens!

51 My eye bring grief to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.

52 My enemies have hunted me relentlessly like a bird, without cause;

53 They have cut off my life in the pit, and they threw stones at me;

54 the waters flowed over my head; I said I have been cut off!

55 I called on Your name, O YHWH, out of the depths of the Pit,

56 You heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear from my sighing, from my cry!”

57 You drew near on the day I called you, you said, “Do not fear!”

58 You have pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul; You have redeemed my life!

59 You have seen, O YHWH, the wrong done to me; vindicate my cause!

60 You have seen all their vengeance, all their plots against me.

61 You have heard their taunt, O YHWH, all their plots against me,

62 the lips of my assailants and their murmuring against me all the day,

63 their sitting down, and their rising up—Look! I am their mocking song.

64 May You repay to them a recompense, O YHWH, according to the work of their hands!

65 May You give to them a covering for the heart—Your curse be upon them!

66 May You pursue them in Your anger and destroy them from under the heavens, O YHWH!