Lamentations 3

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Lamentations 3:1-66 (KJV) 

1 I [am] the man [that] hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.  The rod works.  

Some parents think that God's instructions using the rod are too much or outdated.  When God uses His rod He meant for you to get an understanding.  Pain brings about change, it could be better life choices or death; either bring change.

When God uses the rod it hurts.  

 2 He hath led me, and brought [me into] darkness, but not [into] light.

God put the writer where He wanted him to be and brought darkness, He did not bring light.  Darkness was not present, but God told darkness to enter.

 3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand [against me] all the day. 

The writer states God is against him; the hand that he saw that handed him well,  he now states has turned for the worse and it seems to be turning more throughout all day.

4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

He looks at his body and he states it is old; he said God has broken his bones. 

This individual seems to be sharing how it feels to be under God's wrath as one person.

5 He hath builded against me and compassed [me] with gall and travail. 

God has surrounded me with pain.

6 He hath set me in dark places, as [they that be] dead of old.

There is no light to be found, I am like a person who is dead. Yet I am alive to experience all God is doing to me.

 7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. 

I am like a man locked up in jail and cannot get out and the chains on me are heavy.

8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. 

When I cry and shout, he does not listen.

9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. 

Stones are all around me, my paths are crooked.

10 He [was] unto me [as] a bear lying in wait, [and as] a lion in secret places. 

The writer feels like God may pounce on him at any time out of no where.

11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate. 

I cannot tell where I am, and I am pulled in pieces: I am all by myself.

12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

He points His arrow at me as a target with a bull's eye. 

13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. 

I have been struck by God.

14 I was a derision to all my people; [and] their song all the day. 

I was made fun of by people who knew me; I am made fun of all day.

15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. 

I have a bad attitude, and what I drink makes me sick.

16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. 

God knocked my teeth out with rocks, and I am wearing ashes as a covering.

17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. 

I have not seen peace in a long time: I even forgot what it is like to have nice things.

18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:

God is my strength and I do not have God so I have no strength.

 19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 

My thoughts are on my pain.

20 My soul hath [them] still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. 

When I think of what I am going through I am humbled.

21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. 

I am changing my attitude.  I am seeing God again.

22 [It is of] the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. 

Out of all of the low-down things we have done, it is a wonder we are not dead.  God is still in love with me.

23 [They are] new every morning: great [is] thy faithfulness.

Every morning He brings gifts: ahhhh great is the faithfulness of God.

 24 The LORD [is] my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 

My soul told me, The Lord is the missing part of me; since my soul told me that, I will trust God.

25 The LORD [is] good unto them that wait for him, to the soul [that] seeketh him.

God is good to all who change and allows Him to lead, God heard the voice of my soul.

 26 [It is] good that [a man] should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 

When times are hard, wait quietly for God to act.

27 [It is] good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. 

It is good to be punished by God in your youth.

28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne [it] upon him. 

Now the lesson has been learned; keep silence, because you got your own self in this predicament.

29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. 

If it means lying flat on your face, be silent; if I am quiet, it may work on my behalf.

30 He giveth [his] cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. 

If I am hit it is because made it so: what I have done made God furious.

31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 

One thing I know for sure, God does not stay angry.

32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 

Though He Will punishes me hard, He will love me because that is what He is made of.

33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

He only punishes when He has to and He does not abuse people.  Meaning God does not punish for sport.

 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. 

God does not approve of injustices.

To disregard a man who has been knocked down

To turn His head from doing good to someone in need

To make light of someone who is hurting.

These are not attributes of God.

37 Who [is] he [that] saith, and it cometh to pass, [when] the Lord commandeth [it] not? 

He has the audacity to say what God has caused when God has not spoken?

38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

Does God speak good and evil from His mouth?

 39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? 

If you are still alive, what are you complaining about because you are being punished for sin?

40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.

Examine what caused God to punish you.

 41 Let us lift up our heart with [our] hands unto God in the heavens.

Lift your hearts along with your hands to God.  Surrender knowing that God is just always.

 42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned. 

Admit you're wrong.

43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

Tell the truth about why God has allowed things to happen the way they happened.

 44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that [our] prayer should not pass through. 

You turned your back on God and that is why your prayer won't get through to God.

45 Thou hast made us [as] the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. 

What you have done to us and the way people see us is because we sinned.

46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. 

We are the word on the streets.

47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

What you told Jeremiah would happen, is happening.

 48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. 

Now I am crying and I know what I have done wrong.  I see destruction on my own people.

49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, 

My tears won't take a break,

50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven. 

I cried until God decided to see my tears.

51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city. 

I cry because of the hurt the people I know are suffering.

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

I am chased like a bird by my enemies without a cause.  I just mind my own business and live free and my enemies won't let me enjoy my peace.

53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. 

My enemies won't let me go.

54 Waters flowed over mine head; [then] I said, I am cut off. 

I said I am drowning and I am dead.

55 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. 

I was down but I found enough faith to look up!

56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.

Lord listen to me, Help!

 57 Thou drewest near in the day [that] I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not. 

Yep! You heard me and answered!!!!!

58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. 

You let me back in.  You forgave me.

59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

Sentence me, Lord.  Show me how to change my ways.

 60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance [and] all their imaginations against me. 

Lord, you saw how they treated me.

61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, [and] all their imaginations against me; 

The things they accused me of were created in their minds, and I am not guilty.  You heard the foolishness spoken against me.

62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. 

They tortured me all day with their words and the things they used to hurt me You already know.

63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I [am] their musick.

Look at all they do in treating my hurt as their joy.

 64 Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.

Don't let them get by with how they treated me.

 65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. 

Let them feel Your wrath.

66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.

Treat them the way You treated us.