0 SAB Lamentations 3

All that pass by clap their hands at thee; they hiss and wag their head. 2:15

Trivia: What type of bird did the author of Lamentations call cruel?

Lamentations

CHAPTER 3

He has broken my teeth
3:1-21

1 I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

God has punished me with the rod of his wrath.

2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.

He has led me into darkness, and not into light.

3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.

He's always against me.

4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

He's made my skin old, and has broken my bones.

5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.

He's worked against me, and made my life difficult.

6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.

He put me in dark places.

7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

He's made my chain heavy.

8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

He doesn't listen to my prayers. [1]

9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

He's made my paths crooked.

10He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

He's like a bear or lion waiting to attack.

11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

He's torn me in pieces.

12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

13He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

He's shot me in the kidneys (reins) with his bow and arrow.

14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

People laugh at me all day long.

15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.

He's made me drunk with wormwood.

16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

He's broken my teeth with gravel.

17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.

18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:

19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

God is the source of both good and evil
3:22-66

22 It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 The LORD is my portion, saith 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.

26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke of his youth.

28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.

30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.

31 For the LORD will not cast off for ever:

But God doesn't kill us, because he is so merciful.

32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

He causes us grief, but he is merciful.

33For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.

35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,

36 To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD approveth not.

He doesn't willingly hurt us. [2]

37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

No one does anything without God's permission.

38Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

God is the source of both good and evil. [3]

39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.

So don't complain when God punishes you.

43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

You have persecuted us in your anger.

You have killed us without pity. [4]

44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.

45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.

46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

You don't listen to our prayers. [5]

48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission.

50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.

51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.

I can't stop crying.

52 Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.

My enemies chase me around like I was a bird.

53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.

They've locked me in a dungeon,

and cast a stone on top of me.

54 Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.

I'm in over my head.

55 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.

I prayed to you in the dungeon.

56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.

57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.

58 O LORD, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.

59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.

61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;

62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.

63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.

64 Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.

You heard my voice.

Don't ignore me.

65Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.

Curse my enemies. [6]

66Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

Destroy them in your anger.

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