English / ERV
Lamentations 3
Easy-to-Read Version, 2006
- 1I am a man who has seen much trouble. God beat us with a stick, and I saw it happen.
- 2He led and brought me into darkness, not light.
- 3He turned his hand against me. He did this again and again, all day.
- 4He wore out my flesh and skin. He broke my bones.
- 5He built up bitterness and trouble against me. He surrounded me with bitterness and trouble.
- 6He put me in the dark, like someone who died long ago.
- 7He shut me in, so I could not get out. He put heavy chains on me.
- 8Even when I cry out and ask for help, he does not listen to my prayer.
- 9He has blocked up my path with stones. He has made my path crooked.
- 10He is like a bear about to attack me, like a lion that is in a hiding place.
- 11He led me off my path. He tore me to pieces and ruined me.
- 12He made his bow ready. He made me the target for his arrows.
- 13He shot me in the stomach with his arrows.
- 14I have become a joke to all my people. All day long they sing songs about me and make fun of me.
- 15He gave me this poison to drink. He filled me with this bitter drink.
- 16He pushed my teeth into rocky ground. He pushed me into the dirt.
- 17I thought I would never have peace again. I forgot about good things.
- 18I said to myself, “I no longer have any hope that the LORD will help me.”
- 19Remember, I am very sad, and I have no home. Remember the bitter poison that you gave me.
- 20I remember well all my troubles, and I am very sad.
- 21But then I think about this, and I have hope:
- 22We are still alive because the LORD’s faithful love never ends.
- 23Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal!
- 24I say to myself, “The LORD is my God, and I trust him.”[1]
- 25The LORD is good to those who wait for him. He is good to those who look for him.
- 26It is good to wait quietly for the LORD to save them.
- 27It is good for a man to wear his yoke from the time he is young.
- 28He should sit alone and be quiet when the Lord puts his yoke on him.
- 29He should bow down to the Lord. Maybe there is still hope.
- 30He should turn his cheek to the one who hits him and let people insult him.
- 31He should remember that the Lord does not reject people forever.
- 32When he punishes, he also has mercy. He has mercy because of his great love and kindness.
- 33He does not enjoy causing people pain. He does not like to make anyone unhappy.
- 34He does not like any prisoner on earth to be trampled down.
- 35He does not like anyone to be unfair to another person. Some people will do such things right in front of God Most High.
- 36The Lord does not like anyone to cheat another person. He does not like any of these things.
- 37No one can say something and make it happen, unless the Lord orders it.
- 38God Most High commands both good and bad things to happen.
- 39No one alive can complain when he punishes them for their sins.
- 40Let us check and see what we have done. Then let us turn back to the LORD.
- 41Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to the God of heaven.
- 42Let us say to him, “We have sinned and have been stubborn. Because of this, you have not forgiven us.
- 43You wrapped yourself with anger. You chased us. You killed us without mercy!
- 44You wrapped yourself in a cloud so that no prayer could get through.
- 45You made us like garbage and dirt to the other nations.
- 46All of our enemies speak angrily against us.
- 47We have been frightened. We have fallen into a pit. We have been badly hurt. We have been broken.”
- 48My eyes flow with streams of tears. I cry because of the destruction of my people.
- 49My eyes will flow without stopping. I will keep on crying.
- 50I will continue to cry until you look down and see us, LORD! I will continue to cry until you see us from heaven.
- 51My eyes make me sad, when I see what happened to the young women in my city.
- 52For no reason, my enemies hunted me like a bird.
- 53They threw me alive into a pit and then threw stones at me.
- 54Water came up over my head. I said to myself, “I am finished.”
- 55LORD, I called your name from the bottom of the pit.
- 56You heard my voice. You didn’t close your ears. You didn’t refuse to rescue me.
- 57You came to me on the day that I called out to you. You said to me, “Don’t be afraid.”
- 58You defended me and brought me back to life.
- 59LORD, you have seen my trouble. Now judge my case for me.
- 60You have seen how my enemies have hurt me. You have seen all the evil plans that they made against me.
- 61You heard them insult me, LORD. You have heard all the evil plans that they made against me.
- 62The words and the thoughts of my enemies are against me all the time—
- 63when they sit down and when they stand up. Look how they make fun of me!
- 64Give them back what they deserve, LORD. Pay them back for what they have done.
- 65Make them stubborn and then curse them.
- 66Chase them in anger and destroy them. Wipe them off the face of the earth, LORD!