Lamentations 3 – read and compare multiple versions of the Bible

World English Bible

Lamentations 3 (WEBP)

[1] I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
[2] He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
[3] Surely he turns his hand against me again and again all day long.
[4] He has made my flesh and my skin old. He has broken my bones.
[5] He has built against me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
[6] He has made me dwell in dark places, as those who have been long dead.
[7] He has walled me about, so that I can’t go out. He has made my chain heavy.
[8] Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
[9] He has walled up my ways with cut stone. He has made my paths crooked.
[10] He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in hiding.
[11] He has turned away my path, and pulled me in pieces. He has made me desolate.
[12] He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
[13] He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
[14] I have become a derision to all my people, and their song all day long.
[15] He has filled me with bitterness. He has stuffed me with wormwood.
[16] He has also broken my teeth with gravel. He has covered me with ashes.
[17] You have removed my soul far away from peace. I forgot prosperity.
[18] I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”
[19] Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the bitterness.
[20] My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
[21] This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope.
[22] It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his mercies don’t fail.
[23] They are new every morning. Great is your faithfulness.
[24] “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.”
[25] Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him.
[26] It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh.
[27] It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
[28] Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
[29] Let him put his mouth in the dust, if it is so that there may be hope.
[30] Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him. Let him be filled full of reproach.
[31] For the Lord will not cast off forever.
[32] For though he causes grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
[33] For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
[34] To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
[35] to turn away the right of a man before the face of the Most High,
[36] to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.
[37] Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?
[38] Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
[39] Why should a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
[40] Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh.
[41] Let’s lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
[42] “We have transgressed and have rebelled. You have not pardoned.
[43] “You have covered us with anger and pursued us. You have killed. You have not pitied.
[44] You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
[45] You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.
[46] “All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
[47] Terror and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.”
[48] My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
[49] My eye pours down and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,
[50] until Yahweh looks down, and sees from heaven.
[51] My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
[52] They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
[53] They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
[54] Waters flowed over my head. I said, “I am cut off.”
[55] I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.
[56] You heard my voice: “Don’t hide your ear from my sighing, and my cry.”
[57] You came near in the day that I called on you. You said, “Don’t be afraid.”
[58] Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul. You have redeemed my life.
[59] Yahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
[60] You have seen all their vengeance and all their plans against me.
[61] You have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their plans against me,
[62] the lips of those that rose up against me, and their plots against me all day long.
[63] You see their sitting down and their rising up. I am their song.
[64] You will pay them back, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.
[65] You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
[66] You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.

Lamentations 3:41 The Hebrew word rendered “God” is “אֱלֹהִ֑ים” (Elohim).

Scripture quotations are taken from The World English Bible™ of eBible.org, 2020 stable text edition. It is in the public domain.

King James w/Strong’s #s

Lamentations 3 (KJVS)

[1] I am the man that hath seen () affliction By the rod of his wrath.
[2] He hath led () me, and brought () me Into darkness, but not into light.
[3] Surely against me is he turned; () he turneth () his hand Against me all the day.
[4] My flesh and my skin hath he made old; () He hath broken () my bones.
[5] He hath builded against () me, And compassed () me with gall and travail.
[6] He hath set () me in dark places, As they that be dead () of old.
[7] He hath hedged () me about, that I cannot get out: () He hath made my chain heavy. ()
[8] Also when I cry () and shout, () He shutteth out () my prayer.
[9] He hath inclosed () my ways with hewn stone, He hath made my paths crooked. ()
[10] He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, () And as a lion in secret places.
[11] He hath turned aside () my ways, and pulled me in pieces: () He hath made () me desolate. ()
[12] He hath bent () his bow, and set () me As a mark for the arrow.
[13] He hath caused the arrows of his quiver To enter () into my reins.
[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 drunken () with wormwood.
[16] He hath also broken () my teeth with gravel stones, He hath covered () me with ashes.
[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. ()
[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 in 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:
[32] But though he cause grief, () yet will he have compassion () According to the multitude of his mercies.
[33] For 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.
[37] Who is he that saith, () and it cometh to pass, When the Lord commandeth () it not?
[38] Out of the mouth of the Most High Proceedeth () not evil and good?
[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. ()
[43] Thou hast covered () with anger, and persecuted () us: Thou hast slain, () thou hast not pitied. ()
[44] Thou 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.
[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.
[52] Mine enemies () chased () me sore, () like a bird, Without cause.
[53] They have cut off () my life in the dungeon, And cast () a stone upon me.
[54] Waters flowed over () mine head; Then I said, () I am cut off. ()
[55] I called () upon thy name, O Lord, Out of the low 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.
[65] Give () them sorrow of heart, Thy curse unto them.
[66] Persecute () and destroy () them in anger From under the heavens of the Lord.

Lamentations 3:13 Heb. sons
Lamentations 3:15 Heb. bitternesses
Lamentations 3:16 Or, rolled me in the ashes
Lamentations 3:17 Heb. good
Lamentations 3:19 Or, remember
Lamentations 3:20 Heb. bowed
Lamentations 3:21 Heb. make to return to my heart
Lamentations 3:33 Heb. from his heart
Lamentations 3:35 Or, a superior
Lamentations 3:36 Or, seeth not
Lamentations 3:39 Or, murmur
Lamentations 3:51a Heb. my soul
Lamentations 3:51b Or, more then all

Scripture quotations from The Authorized King James Version of the Holy Bible, using the standardized text of 1769. It is in the public domain.

Greek Bible (LXX/BYZ)

Lamentations 3 (BYZ)

[1] Ἐγὼ () ἀνὴρ () ὁ () βλέπων () πτωχείαν () ἐν () ῥάβδῳ () θυμοῦ () αὐτοῦ () ἐπ’ () ἐμέ· ()
[2] παρέλαβέν () με () καὶ () ἀπήγαγεν () εἰς () σκότος () καὶ () οὐ () φῶς, ()
[3] πλὴν () ἐν () ἐμοὶ () ἐπέστρεψεν () χεῖρα () αὐτοῦ () ὅλην () τὴν () ἡμέραν. ()
[4] Ἐπαλαίωσεν () σάρκας () μου () καὶ () δέρμα () μου, () ὀστέα μου () συνέτριψεν· ()
[5] ἀνῳκοδόμησεν () κατ’ () ἐμοῦ () καὶ () ἐκύκλωσεν () κεφαλήν () μου () καὶ () ἐμόχθησεν,
[6] ἐν () σκοτεινοῖς () ἐκάθισέν () με () ὡς () νεκροὺς () αἰῶνος. ()
[7] Ἀνῳκοδόμησεν () κατ’ () ἐμοῦ, () καὶ () οὐκ () ἐξελεύσομαι, () ἐβάρυνεν χαλκόν () μου· ()
[8] καί () γε () κεκράξομαι () καὶ () βοήσω, () ἀπέφραξεν προσευχήν () μου· ()
[9] ἀνῳκοδόμησεν () ὁδούς () μου, () ἐνέφραξεν τρίβους () μου, () ἐτάραξεν. ()
[10] Ἄρκος ἐνεδρεύουσα () αὐτός () μοι, () λέων () ἐν () κρυφαίοις·
[11] κατεδίωξεν () ἀφεστηκότα () καὶ () κατέπαυσέν () με, () ἔθετό () με () ἠφανισμένην· ()
[12] ἐνέτεινεν τόξον () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἐστήλωσέν με () ὡς () σκοπὸν () εἰς () βέλος. ()
[13] Εἰσήγαγεν () τοῖς () νεφροῖς () μου () ἰοὺς () φαρέτρας αὐτοῦ· ()
[14] ἐγενήθην () γέλως () παντὶ () λαῷ () μου, () ψαλμὸς () αὐτῶν () ὅλην () τὴν () ἡμέραν· ()
[15] ἐχόρτασέν () με () πικρίας, () ἐμέθυσέν () με () χολῆς. ()
[16] Καὶ () ἐξέβαλεν () ψήφῳ () ὀδόντας () μου, () ἐψώμισέν () με () σποδόν· ()
[17] καὶ () ἀπώσατο () ἐξ () εἰρήνης () ψυχήν () μου, () ἐπελαθόμην () ἀγαθὰ ()
[18] καὶ () εἶπα Ἀπώλετο () νεῖκός μου () καὶ () ἡ () ἐλπίς () μου () ἀπὸ () κυρίου. ()
[19] Ἐμνήσθην () ἀπὸ () πτωχείας () μου () καὶ () ἐκ () διωγμοῦ () μου () πικρίας () καὶ () χολῆς () μου· ()
[20] μνησθήσεται καὶ () καταδολεσχήσει ἐπ’ () ἐμὲ () ἡ () ψυχή () μου· ()
[21] ταύτην () τάξω () εἰς () τὴν () καρδίαν () μου, () διὰ () τοῦτο () ὑπομενῶ. () …
[25] Ἀγαθὸς () κύριος () τοῖς () ὑπομένουσιν () αὐτόν, () ψυχῇ () ἣ () ζητήσει () αὐτὸν () ἀγαθὸν ()
[26] καὶ () ὑπομενεῖ () καὶ () ἡσυχάσει () εἰς () τὸ () σωτήριον () κυρίου. ()
[27] Ἀγαθὸν () ἀνδρὶ () ὅταν () ἄρῃ () ζυγὸν () ἐν () νεότητι () αὐτοῦ. ()
[28] Καθήσεται () κατὰ () μόνας () καὶ () σιωπήσεται, () ὅτι () ἦρεν () ἐφ’ () ἑαυτῷ· () …
[30] δώσει () τῷ () παίοντι () αὐτὸν () σιαγόνα, () χορτασθήσεται () ὀνειδισμῶν. ()
[31] Ὅτι () οὐκ () εἰς () τὸν () αἰῶνα () ἀπώσεται κύριος· ()
[32] ὅτι () ὁ () ταπεινώσας () οἰκτιρήσει () κατὰ () τὸ () πλῆθος () τοῦ () ἐλέους () αὐτοῦ· ()
[33] ὅτι () οὐκ () ἀπεκρίθη () ἀπὸ () καρδίας () αὐτοῦ () καὶ () ἐταπείνωσεν () υἱοὺς () ἀνδρός. ()
[34] Τοῦ () ταπεινῶσαι () ὑπὸ () τοὺς () πόδας () αὐτοῦ () πάντας () δεσμίους () γῆς, ()
[35] τοῦ () ἐκκλῖναι () κρίσιν () ἀνδρὸς () κατέναντι () προσώπου () ὑψίστου, ()
[36] καταδικάσαι () ἄνθρωπον () ἐν () τῷ () κρίνεσθαι () αὐτὸν () κύριος () οὐκ () εἶπεν.
[37] Τίς () οὕτως () εἶπεν, καὶ () ἐγενήθη; () Κύριος () οὐκ () ἐνετείλατο, ()
[38] ἐκ () στόματος () ὑψίστου () οὐκ () ἐξελεύσεται () τὰ () κακὰ () καὶ () τὸ () ἀγαθόν; ()
[39] Τί () γογγύσει () ἄνθρωπος () ζῶν, () ἀνὴρ () περὶ () τῆς () ἁμαρτίας () αὐτοῦ; ()
[40] Ἐξηρευνήθη () ἡ () ὁδὸς () ἡμῶν () καὶ () ἠτάσθη, καὶ () ἐπιστρέψωμεν () ἕως () κυρίου· ()
[41] ἀναλάβωμεν () καρδίας () ἡμῶν () ἐπὶ () χειρῶν () πρὸς () ὑψηλὸν () ἐν () οὐρανῷ ()
[42] Ἡμαρτήσαμεν, () ἠσεβήσαμεν, () καὶ () οὐχ () ἱλάσθης. ()
[43] Ἐπεσκέπασας ἐν () θυμῷ () καὶ () ἀπεδίωξας ἡμᾶς· () ἀπέκτεινας, () οὐκ () ἐφείσω. ()
[44] Ἐπεσκέπασας νεφέλην () σεαυτῷ () εἵνεκεν () προσευχῆς, ()
[45] καμμύσαι () με () καὶ () ἀπωσθῆναι ἔθηκας () ἡμᾶς () ἐν () μέσῳ () τῶν () λαῶν. ()
[46] Διήνοιξαν () ἐφ’ () ἡμᾶς () τὸ () στόμα () αὐτῶν () πάντες () οἱ () ἐχθροὶ () ἡμῶν· ()
[47] φόβος () καὶ () θυμὸς () ἐγενήθη () ἡμῖν, () ἔπαρσις καὶ () συντριβή·
[48] ἀφέσεις () ὑδάτων () κατάξει () ὁ () ὀφθαλμός () μου () ἐπὶ () τὸ () σύντριμμα () τῆς () θυγατρὸς () τοῦ () λαοῦ () μου. ()
[49] Ὁ () ὀφθαλμός () μου () κατεπόθη, () καὶ () οὐ () σιγήσομαι () τοῦ () μὴ () εἶναι () ἔκνηψιν,
[50] ἕως () οὗ () διακύψῃ καὶ () ἴδῃ () κύριος () ἐξ () οὐρανοῦ· ()
[51] ὁ () ὀφθαλμός () μου () ἐπιφυλλιεῖ ἐπὶ () τὴν () ψυχήν () μου () παρὰ () πάσας () θυγατέρας () πόλεως. ()
[52] Θηρεύοντες () ἐθήρευσάν () με () ὡς () στρουθίον () οἱ () ἐχθροί () μου () δωρεάν, ()
[53] ἐθανάτωσαν () ἐν () λάκκῳ ζωήν () μου () καὶ () ἐπέθηκαν () λίθον () ἐπ’ () ἐμοί, ()
[54] ὑπερεχύθη ὕδωρ () ἐπὶ () κεφαλήν () μου· () εἶπα Ἀπῶσμαι.
[55] Ἐπεκαλεσάμην τὸ () ὄνομά () σου, () κύριε, () ἐκ () λάκκου κατωτάτου·
[56] φωνήν () μου () ἤκουσας () Μὴ () κρύψῃς () τὰ () ὦτά () σου () εἰς () τὴν () δέησίν () μου. ()
[57] Εἰς () τὴν () βοήθειάν () μου () ἤγγισας () ἐν () ᾗ () σε () ἡμέρᾳ () ἐπεκαλεσάμην· εἶπάς () μοι () Μὴ () φοβοῦ.
[58] Ἐδίκασας, κύριε, () τὰς () δίκας () τῆς () ψυχῆς () μου, () ἐλυτρώσω τὴν () ζωήν () μου· ()
[59] εἶδες, () κύριε, () τὰς () ταραχάς () μου, () ἔκρινας () τὴν () κρίσιν () μου· ()
[60] εἶδες () πᾶσαν () τὴν () ἐκδίκησιν () αὐτῶν () εἰς () πάντας () διαλογισμοὺς () αὐτῶν () ἐν () ἐμοί. ()
[61] Ἤκουσας () τὸν () ὀνειδισμὸν () αὐτῶν, () πάντας () τοὺς () διαλογισμοὺς () αὐτῶν () κατ’ () ἐμοῦ, ()
[62] χείλη () ἐπανιστανομένων () μοι () καὶ () μελέτας αὐτῶν () κατ’ () ἐμοῦ () ὅλην () τὴν () ἡμέραν, ()
[63] καθέδραν () αὐτῶν () καὶ () ἀνάστασιν () αὐτῶν· () ἐπίβλεψον () ἐπὶ () τοὺς () ὀφθαλμοὺς () αὐτῶν. ()
[64] Ἀποδώσεις () αὐτοῖς () ἀνταπόδομα, () κύριε, () κατὰ () τὰ () ἔργα () τῶν () χειρῶν () αὐτῶν, ()
[65] ἀποδώσεις () αὐτοῖς () ὑπερασπισμὸν καρδίας, () μόχθον () σου () αὐτοῖς, ()
[66] καταδιώξεις () ἐν () ὀργῇ () καὶ () ἐξαναλώσεις αὐτοὺς () ὑποκάτω () τοῦ () οὐρανοῦ, () κύριε. ()

Old Testament scripture quotations and versification from Septuaginta, edited by Alfred Rahlfs (Stuttgart: Württembergische Bibelanstalt, 1935). New Testament quotations are from the Byzantine Text (Guardian Press, Inc., Robinson-Pierpont Byzantine Textform, 2026). Both are in the public domain.