Lamentações 3

¹ I [am] the man [that] hath seenThe prophet complains of the punishments and afflictions that he endured by the false prophets and hypocrites when he declared the destruction of Jerusalem, as in (Jer_20:1-2).affliction by the rod of his wrath.

² He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.

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

⁴ My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.

⁵ He hathHe speaks this as one that felt God's heavy judgment, which he greatly feared, and therefore sets them out with this diversity of words.built against me, and surrounded [me] with gall and labour.

⁶ He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.

⁷ He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.

⁸ Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out myThis is a great temptation for the godly when they do not see the fruit of their prayers and causes them to think that they are not heard, which thing God uses so that they might pray more earnestly and often.prayer.

⁹ He hathAnd keeps me in hold as a prisoner.inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

¹⁰ He has no pity on me.He [was] to me [as] a bear lying in wait, [and as] a lion in secret places.

¹¹ He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

¹² He hath bent his bow & made me a marke for the arrow.

¹³ Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.

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

¹⁵ He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunk withWith great anguish and sorrow he has made me lose my sense.wormwood.

¹⁶ He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.

¹⁷ Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,

¹⁸ And I said, My strength and myThus with pain he was driven to and fro between hope and despair, as the godly often are, yet in the end the spirit gets the victory.hope hath perished from the LORD:

¹⁹ Remembring mine affliction, & my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.

²⁰ My soul hath [them] still in remembrance, and is humbledHe shows that God thus uses to exercise his, to the intent that by this they may know themselves, and feel his mercies.in me.

²¹ I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.

²² [It is of] the LORD'SConsidering the wickedness of man it is a marvel that any remains alive: but only that God for his own mercies sake and for his promise will ever have his Church remain, though they are never so few in number, (Isa_1:9).mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

²³ [They are] newWe feel your benefits daily.every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness.

²⁴ The LORD [is] myThe godly put their whole confidence in God, and therefore look for no other inheritance, as (Psa_16:5).portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

²⁵ The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.

²⁶ It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.

²⁷ [It is] good for a man that he should bear the yoke in hisHe shows that we can never begin too soon to be exercised under the cross, that when the afflictions grow greater, our patience also by experience may be stronger.youth.

²⁸ He sitteth aloneHe murmurs not against God, but is patient.and keepeth silence, because he hath borne [it] upon him.

²⁹ He putteth hisHe humbles himself as they who fall down with their face to the ground, and so with patience waits for comfort.mouth in the dust; if there may be hope.

³⁰ Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.

³¹ For the Lord will not forsake for euer.

³² But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

³³ For he doth notHe takes no pleasure in it, but does it of necessity for our amendment, when he permits the wicked to oppress the poor.afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

³⁴ In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,

³⁵ In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,

³⁶ To subvert a man in his cause, the LordHe does not delight in it.approveth not.

³⁷ Who [is] he [that] saith, and it cometh to pass, [when] the LordHe shows that nothing is done without God's providence.commandeth [it] not?

³⁸ Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth notThat is, adversity and prosperity, (Amo_3:6).evil and good?

³⁹ Why doth a livingWhen God afflicts him.man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

⁴⁰ Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.

⁴¹ Let us lift upThat is, both hearts and hands: for else to lift up the hands is but hypocrisy.our heart with [our] hands to God in the heavens.

⁴² We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.

⁴³ Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.

⁴⁴ Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.

⁴⁵ Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.

⁴⁶ All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.

⁴⁷ Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.

⁴⁸ Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

⁴⁹ Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,

⁵⁰ Till the Lorde looke downe, and beholde from heauen.

⁵¹ My eyeI am overcome with sore weeping for all my people.affecteth my heart because of all the daughters of my city.

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

⁵³ They have cut off my lifeRead (Jer_37:16) how he was in the miry dungeon.in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.

⁵⁴ Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.

⁵⁵ I called vpon thy Name, O Lorde, out of the lowe dungeon.

⁵⁶ Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.

⁵⁷ Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.

⁵⁸ O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of myMeaning, the reason his life was in danger.soul; thou hast redeemed my life.

⁵⁹ O Lorde, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.

⁶⁰ Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.

⁶¹ Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:

⁶² The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.

⁶³ Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.

⁶⁴ Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.

⁶⁵ Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.

⁶⁶ Persecute with wrath & destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.