Lamentations 3

i am the man
who has seen 
affliction
under the rod of 
his wrath;
he has driven and 
brought me 
into 
d a r k n e s s
without 
any light;
surely against me 
he turns his 
hand
again and again 
the whole day 
long.
He has made my flesh 
and my skin 
waste away;
he has broken my 
bones;
he has besieged and enveloped me 
with bitterness and 
tribulation;
he has made me dwell 
in darkness 
like the dead of 
long ago.
He has walled me
about so that i 
cannot escape;
he has made my chains 
heavy;
though i call and cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer;
he has blocked my way 
with stones;
he has made my paths 
crooked.
He is a bear
lying in wait for me,
a lion in 
hiding;
he turned aside my steps
and tore me 
to pieces;
he has made me desolate;
he bent his bow and set me 
as a target for his arrow.
He drove into my 
kidneys
the arrows of his 
quiver;
i have become a laughingstock of 
all peoples,
the object of their taunts
all day long.
He has filled me with bitterness;
he has sated me with 
wormwood.
He has made my teeth
grind on the
gravel,
and made me cower 
in ashes;
my soul is bereft of 
peace;
i have forgotten what 
happiness is;
so i say,
"My endurance has 
perished;
so has my hope from the 
Lord."
Remember my affliction and 
my wanderings,
the wormwood and the gall!
My soul continually 
remembers it 
and is bowed down 
within me. 
But this i call to mind,
and therefore 
i have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord
never ceases;
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
The Lord is my portion, 
says my soul.
therefore i will hope in Him.
The Lord is good to 
those who wait 
for Him,
to the soul who 
seeks Him.
it is good that one 
should wait quietly 
for the salvation
of the Lord. 
it is good for a man 
that he bear 
the yoke in his youth. 
Let him sit alone 
in silence
when it is laid on him;
let him put his mouth 
in the dust-
there may yet be hope..

_______________________

my eyes flow with rivers 
of tears
because of the destruction
of the daughter of 
my people.
my eyes will flow without 
ceasing,
without respite,
until the Lord from heaven 
looks down and sees;
my eyes cause me grief
__________________________

i called your name , o Lord,
from the 
depths of the pit;
you heard my plea ,
do not close your ear
to my cry for help!
You came near when i called on you;
you said, 
do not fear!
You have taken up my cause
O Lord;
you have redeemed 
my life.