« | Lamentations 3 | » |
1 I [am] the man [who] has seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.
2 He has led me and made [me] walk [In] darkness and not [in] light.
3 Surely He has turned His hand against me Time and time again throughout the day.
4 He has aged my flesh and my skin, And broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me And surrounded [me] with bitterness and woe.
6 He has set me in dark places Like the dead of long ago.
7 He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy.
8 Even when I cry and shout, He shuts out my prayer.
9 He has blocked my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked.
10 He [has been] to me a bear lying in wait, [Like] a lion in ambush.
11 He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces; He has made me desolate.
12 He has bent His bow And set me up as a target for the arrow.
13 He has caused the arrows of His quiver To pierce my loins.
14 I have become the ridicule of all my people -- Their taunting song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel, And covered me with ashes.
17 You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.
18 And I said, "My strength and my hope Have perished from the LORD."
19 Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul still remembers And sinks within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, Therefore I have hope.
22 [Through] the LORD's mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.
23 [They are] new every morning; Great [is] Your faithfulness.
24 "The LORD [is] my portion," says my soul, "Therefore I hope in Him!"
25 The LORD [is] good to those who wait for Him, To the soul [who] seeks Him.
26 [It is] good that [one] should hope and wait quietly For the salvation of the LORD.
27 [It is] good for a man to bear The yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because [God] has laid [it] on him;
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust -- There may yet be hope.
30 Let him give [his] cheek to the one who strikes him, [And] be full of reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.
33 For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under one's feet All the prisoners of the earth,
35 To turn aside the justice [due] a man Before the face of the Most High,
36 Or subvert a man in his cause -- The Lord does not approve.
37 Who [is] he [who] speaks and it comes to pass, [When] the Lord has not commanded [it?]
38 [Is it] not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed?
39 Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the LORD;
41 Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven.
42 We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned.
43 You have covered [Yourself] with anger And pursued us; You have slain [and] not pitied.
44 You have covered Yourself with a cloud, That prayer should not pass through.
45 You have made us an offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies Have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and a snare have come upon us, Desolation and destruction.
48 My eyes overflow with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes flow and do not cease, Without interruption,
50 Till the LORD from heaven Looks down and sees.
51 My eyes bring suffering to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city.
52 My enemies without cause Hunted me down like a bird.
53 They silenced my life in the pit And threw stones at me.
54 The waters flowed over my head; I said, "I am cut off!"
55 I called on Your name, O LORD, From the lowest pit.
56 You have heard my voice: "Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help."
57 You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, "Do not fear!"
58 O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.
59 O LORD, You have seen [how] I am wronged; Judge my case.
60 You have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, O LORD, All their schemes against me,
62 The lips of my enemies And their whispering against me all the day.
63 Look at their sitting down and their rising up; I [am] their taunting song.
64 Repay them, O LORD, According to the work of their hands.
65 Give them a veiled heart; Your curse [be] upon them!
66 In Your anger, Pursue and destroy them From under the heavens of the LORD.
The New King James Version (NKJV)
The New King James Version (NKJV) is a modern translation of the Bible that seeks to preserve the stylistic and literary beauty of the original King James Version (KJV) while making it more accessible to contemporary readers. The project to create the NKJV began in 1975, spearheaded by Arthur Farstad and a team of over 130 scholars, theologians, and pastors. They aimed to maintain the traditional language and rhythm of the KJV while updating archaic terms and expressions to be more understandable for modern audiences. The translation was completed and published in 1982, offering a blend of reverence for the past and clarity for the present.
One of the defining features of the NKJV is its commitment to the Textus Receptus, the same Greek text underlying the New Testament of the KJV. This ensures a high degree of continuity between the two versions, making the NKJV familiar to those who have long cherished the KJV. However, the NKJV also considers findings from more recent scholarship and textual criticism, incorporating insights from the latest manuscripts and research. This approach helps to balance respect for the historical text with a recognition of the advancements in biblical studies.
The NKJV has been praised for its readability and poetic qualities, which make it suitable for both private study and public worship. Its translators worked diligently to preserve the lyrical and memorable phrasing of the KJV, which has deeply influenced English literature and religious practice. By modernizing the language without compromising the text’s inherent dignity and solemnity, the NKJV has become a popular choice among those who value both accuracy and elegance in their Bible reading.
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