---
title: Joseph Smith Translation (1867 edition)
description: Lamentations from the Joseph Smith Translation (JST), 1867 edition.
authors:
  - Smith, Joseph, Jr.
collections:
  - joseph-smith
tags:
  - translation
published: "1867"
publisher: RLDS Publication Board
publisher_place: Plano, Illinois
publisher_note: "The title page reads: Published by the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints; Joseph Smith, I. L. Rogers, E. Robinson, Publishing Committee; 1867."
edition: First edition (Plano, 1867)
language: en
type: book
chapter: 3
verse_count: 66
reference: "Joseph Smith Jr., *Joseph Smith Translation*, first edition (Plano, IL: RLDS Publication Board, 1867), Lamentations, chap. 3, https://archive.org/details/holyscripturestr00smituoft."
source:
  url: https://archive.org/details/holyscripturestr00smituoft
  identifier: holyscripturestr00smituoft
  scan: University of Toronto / Trinity College Library copy, Internet Archive
  transcription: "OCR text of the 1867 scans (Toronto copy and a second copy, holyscriptures00smit), reconciled word by word; Romans was also checked against the page images. Method, per-chapter validation log and known limits: docs/jst-1867-import.md."
rights:
  status: public-domain
  basis: 1867 US publication
  source: https://archive.org/details/holyscripturestr00smituoft
  publication_year: 1867
---

# Lamentations 3

*Calamities bewailed God's justice and mercy Prayer for deliverance.*

**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. LAMENTATIONS.
**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 music.
**64** Render unto them a recompense, 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.