Lamentations 3: Great Is Your Faithfulness
A single sufferer descends into the depths of affliction, then turns his mind to recall the steadfast love and morning-fresh mercies of the Lord.
Lamentations 3 (WEB)
1 I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He has led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 Surely against me he turns his hand again and again all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin has he made old; he has broken my bones.
5 He has built against me, and surrounded me with gall and travail.
6 He has made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
7 He has walled me about, that I can’t go out; he has made my chain heavy.
8 Yes, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has walled up my ways with cut stone; he has made my paths crooked.
10 He is to me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
11 He has turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he has made me desolate.
12 He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.
14 I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
15 He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood.
16 He has also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he has covered me with ashes.
17 You have removed my soul far off from peace; I forgot prosperity.
18 I said, My strength is perished, and my expectation from Yahweh.
19 Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.
22 It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 Yahweh is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Yahweh.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him who strikes him; let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off forever.
32 For though he cause grief, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his loving kindnesses.
33 For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under foot 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 doesn’t approve.
37 Who is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?
38 Doesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?
39 Why does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled; you have not pardoned.
43 You have covered with anger and pursued us; you have killed, you have not pitied.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 You have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Fear and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.
48 My eye runs down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eye pours down, and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,
50 Until Yahweh look down, and see from heaven.
51 My eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone on me.
54 Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
55 I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 You heard my voice; don’t hide your ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 You drew near in the day that I called on you; you said, Don’t be afraid.
58 Lord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul; you have redeemed my life.
59 Yahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 You have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their devices against me,
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 You see their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
64 You will render to them a recompense, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.
66 You will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.
Lamentations 3 (KJV)
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
10 He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.
18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord:
19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
22 It is of the Lord’s mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
24 The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
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.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.
48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.
55 I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon.
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me;
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.
64 Render unto them a recompence, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.
65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord.
Lamentations 3 (ASV)
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
7 He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
8 Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.
10 He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.
18 And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah.
19 Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.
22 It is of Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
33 For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 To crush under foot 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.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.
43 Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Thou hast made us an offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
55 I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
64 Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
65 Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
Summary
The central poem moves from the city to a single voice: “I am the man that has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.” The sufferer piles up images of being driven into darkness, walled in, broken, made to dwell in dark places like the long dead, his very prayer shut out. His strength and his hope from Yahweh seem to have perished. Then, at the exact center of the book, everything turns. He says, “This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope,” and the great confession breaks through: it is because of Yahweh's loving kindnesses that the people are not consumed, because his compassion does not fail; they are new every morning, and great is his faithfulness. Yahweh is his portion, good to those who wait for him, and it is good to hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. From this hope the poem draws practical counsel: bear affliction patiently, for the Lord does not cast off forever and does not afflict from his heart. The sufferer then calls the people to search and test their ways and turn again to Yahweh, lifting their hearts and hands to God. The poem closes by remembering God's nearness—“You drew near in the day that I called on you; you said, Don't be afraid”—and entrusting the cause of justice to him.
Voices
- The grieving poet — Here a single afflicted man who voices the depths of suffering under God's rod, then turns to hope by recalling God's character and calls the people to repent.
- Yahweh (the LORD) — The God whose loving kindnesses never cease and whose compassions are new every morning, who does not afflict willingly and draws near to the one who calls on him.
- The people of God — Those summoned by the poet to search their ways, turn again to Yahweh, and lift their hearts and hands to God in the heavens.
Key Verse
Lamentations 3:23 (WEB)
They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
Lessons Learned
- Even when our strength and hope feel gone, we can deliberately call God's character to mind and find hope again.
- The Lord's steadfast love and compassions never run out; they are renewed for us every single day.
- God does not afflict from his heart; even his discipline is bounded by his mercy.
- Right response to God's faithfulness is to search our ways, return to him, and wait quietly for his salvation.
- Hope is a choice to remember. “This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope” (Lamentations 3:21, WEB). When feelings collapse, faith deliberately rehearses what is true of God.
- God's mercy is the reason we survive. “It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail” (Lamentations 3:22, WEB). We are spared not by our merit but by his covenant love.
- His mercies are daily and fresh. “They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness” (Lamentations 3:23, WEB). Each new day comes with a fresh supply of grace sufficient for it.
- God does not afflict from his heart. “For he does not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men” (Lamentations 3:33, WEB). Even his discipline flows from love, never from delight in our pain.
- Repentance is the path home. “Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Yahweh” (Lamentations 3:40, WEB). The hope of mercy moves the people to examine themselves and return.
- How does the poem describe the depths of the sufferer's affliction in the opening verses?
- Verse 21 marks a deliberate turn: “This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.” What does it teach us that hope here begins with remembering?
- What is the significance of God's mercies being “new every morning” (3:23) for people facing ongoing hardship?
- How does the truth that God “does not afflict willingly” (3:33) shape the way we understand his discipline?
- Think of a season when your hope felt gone. What truths about God might you deliberately recall, as the poet does, to steady your heart?
- The sufferer describes being driven into darkness, his bones broken, his prayer shut out, dwelling like the long dead, until he says his hope from Yahweh has perished (3:1-18). It is an unvarnished portrait of despair. Setting this dark backdrop first makes the turn to hope all the more powerful—this is no shallow optimism but hope forged in genuine suffering.
- Hope here is not a feeling that simply arrives; it is the fruit of a deliberate act of memory, calling God's character to mind (3:21-24). When our emotions tell us all is lost, faith answers by remembering who God is. Encourage the group to see that they can choose to rehearse God's faithfulness even when they do not feel it.
- Mercies that are new “every morning” are not a single past kindness but a fresh supply for each new day (3:22-23). For those in long trials, this means tomorrow's difficulty already has tomorrow's grace waiting. Help the group rest in a God whose compassion never runs dry, however long the night.
- If God does not afflict from his heart (3:33), then his discipline is never cruel or arbitrary; it is bounded by love and aimed at our good. This frees us to trust him even in hardship. Discuss how this differs from imagining a God who delights in our pain, and how it invites honest trust.
- This is a personal-application question. Invite members to name truths about God—his love, his faithfulness, his nearness—that they could deliberately recall in dark times, perhaps even memorizing verses 22-23. As leader, keep the focus on God's character as the anchor, and let the group share gently.