Lamentations 3:1-9

Hope in the midst of distress

1 I , the one who am writing this, am a man who has been afflicted/punished [MTY] by Yahweh

because he was angry.

2 It was as though he caused me to walk in a very dark place

without any light at all.

3 He has punished [IDM] me many times,

all day, every day.

4 He has caused my skin and my flesh to become old.

He has broken my bones.

5 He has surrounded me [DOU]

with bitterness and suffering.

6 It is as though he has buried me in a dark place

like [SIM] the graves of those who have been dead for a long time.

7 It is as though [MET] he has built a wall around me,

and fastened/tied me with heavy chains,

and I cannot escape.

8 Although I call out and cry out for him to help me,

he does not pay attention to my prayers.

9 It is as though he has blocked my path with a high stone wall

and has caused my path to become crooked.