3:1 I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath;
3:1 I am one who has seen affliction under the rod of God's wrath;

3:2 he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light;
3:2 he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light;

3:3 surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long.
3:3 against me alone he turns his hand, again and again, all day long.

3:4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones;
3:4 He has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones;

3:5 he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation;
3:5 he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation;

3:6 he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago.
3:6 he has made me sit in darkness like the dead of long ago.

3:7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has put heavy chains on me;
3:7 He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has put heavy chains on me;

3:8 though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer;
3:8 though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer;

3:9 he has blocked my ways with hewn stones, he has made my paths crooked.
3:9 he has blocked my ways with hewn stones, he has made my paths crooked.

3:10 He is to me like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding;
3:10 He is a bear lying in wait for me, a lion in hiding;

3:11 he led me off my way and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate;
3:11 he led me off my way and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate;

3:12 he bent his bow and set me as a mark for his arrow.
3:12 he bent his bow and set me as a mark for his arrow.

3:13 He drove into my heart the arrows of his quiver;
3:13 He shot into my vitals the arrows of his quiver;

3:14 I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the burden of their songs all day long.
3:14 I have become the laughingstock of all my people, the object of their taunt-songs all day long.

3:15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood.
3:15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood.

3:16 He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes;
3:16 He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes;

3:17 my soul is bereft of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is;
3:17 my soul is bereft of peace; I have forgotten what happiness is;

3:18 so I say, "Gone is my glory, and my expectation from the LORD."
3:18 so I say, "Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the LORD."

3:19 Remember my affliction and my bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!
3:19 The thought of my affliction and my homelessness is wormwood and gall!

3:20 My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.
3:20 My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.

3:21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
3:21 But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:

3:22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;
3:22 The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;

3:23 they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
3:23 they are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.

3:24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
3:24 "The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."

3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
3:25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.

3:26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
3:26 It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.

3:27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
3:27 It is good for one to bear the yoke in youth,

3:28 Let him sit alone in silence when he has laid it on him;
3:28 to sit alone in silence when the Lord has imposed it,

3:29 let him put his mouth in the dust -- there may yet be hope;
3:29 to put one's mouth to the dust (there may yet be hope),

3:30 let him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults.
3:30 to give one's cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults.

3:31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever,
3:31 For the Lord will not reject forever.

3:32 but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
3:32 Although he causes grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;

3:33 for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
3:33 for he does not willingly afflict or grieve anyone.

3:34 To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
3:34 When all the prisoners of the land are crushed under foot,

3:35 to turn aside the right of a man in the presence of the Most High,
3:35 when human rights are perverted in the presence of the Most High,

3:36 to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.
3:36 when one's case is subverted--does the Lord not see it?

3:37 Who has commanded and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
3:37 Who can command and have it done, if the Lord has not ordained it?

3:38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come?
3:38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and bad come?

3:39 Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?
3:39 Why should any who draw breath complain about the punishment of their sins?

3:40 Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!
3:40 Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD.

3:41 Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
3:41 Let us lift up our hearts as well as our hands to God in heaven.

3:42 "We have transgressed and rebelled, and thou hast not forgiven.
3:42 We have transgressed and rebelled, and you have not forgiven.

3:43 "Thou hast wrapped thyself with anger and pursued us, slaying without pity;
3:43 You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us, killing without pity;

3:44 thou hast wrapped thyself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.
3:44 you have wrapped yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.

3:45 Thou hast made us offscouring and refuse among the peoples.
3:45 You have made us filth and rubbish among the peoples.

3:46 "All our enemies rail against us;
3:46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us;

3:47 panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction;
3:47 panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction.

3:48 my eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
3:48 My eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of my people.

3:49 "My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite,
3:49 My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite,

3:50 until the LORD from heaven looks down and sees;
3:50 until the LORD from heaven looks down and sees.

3:51 my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the maidens of my city.
3:51 My eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the young women in my city.

3:52 "I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies without cause;
3:52 Those who were my enemies without cause have hunted me like a bird;

3:53 they flung me alive into the pit and cast stones on me;
3:53 they flung me alive into a pit and hurled stones on me;

3:54 water closed over my head; I said, `I am lost.'
3:54 water closed over my head; I said, "I am lost."

3:55 "I called on thy name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit;
3:55 I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit;

3:56 thou didst hear my plea, `Do not close thine ear to my cry for help!'
3:56 you heard my plea, "Do not close your ear to my cry for help, but give me relief!"

3:57 Thou didst come near when I called on thee; thou didst say, `Do not fear!'
3:57 You came near when I called on you; you said, "Do not fear!"

3:58 "Thou hast taken up my cause, O Lord, thou hast redeemed my life.
3:58 You have taken up my cause, O Lord, you have redeemed my life.

3:59 Thou hast seen the wrong done to me, O LORD; judge thou my cause.
3:59 You have seen the wrong done to me, O LORD; judge my cause.

3:60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their devices against me.
3:60 You have seen all their malice, all their plots against me.

3:61 "Thou hast heard their taunts, O LORD, all their devices against me.
3:61 You have heard their taunts, O LORD, all their plots against me.

3:62 The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all the day long.
3:62 The whispers and murmurs of my assailants are against me all day long.

3:63 Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the burden of their songs.
3:63 Whether they sit or rise--see, I am the object of their taunt-songs.

3:64 "Thou wilt requite them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
3:64 Pay them back for their deeds, O LORD, according to the work of their hands!

3:65 Thou wilt give them dullness of heart; thy curse will be on them.
3:65 Give them anguish of heart; your curse be on them!

3:66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger and destroy them from under thy heavens, O LORD."
3:66 Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the LORD's heavens.