Yēlìmǐāigē 3

1 Wǒ shì yīn Yēhéhuá fèn nù de zhàng , zāoyù kùnkǔ de rén .

2 Tā yǐndǎo wǒ , shǐ wǒ xíng zaì hēiàn zhōng , bù xíng zaì guāngmíng lǐ .

3 Tā zhēn shì zhōng rì zaì sān fǎn shǒu gōngjī wǒ .

4 Tā shǐ wǒde pí ròu kū gān . tā zhé duàn ( huò zuò yēshāng ) wǒde gútou .

5 Tā zhú lĕi gōngjī wǒ , yòng kǔchǔ ( yuánwén zuò kǔdǎn ) hé jiān nán wéi kùn wǒ .

6 Tā shǐ wǒ zhù zaì yōuàn zhī chù , xiàng sǐ le xǔjiǔ de rén yíyàng .

7 Tā yòng líba wéi zhù wǒ , shǐ wǒ bùnéng chū qù . tā shǐ wǒde tóng liàn chén zhòng .

8 Wǒ āi haó qiú jiù . tā shǐ wǒde dǎogào bùdé shàngdá .

9 Tā yòng zuò guō de shítou dǎng zhù wǒde dào . tā shǐ wǒde lù wānqū .

10 Tā xiàng wǒ rú xióng máifu , rú shīzi zaì yǐn mì chù .

11 Tā shǐ wǒ zhuǎn lí zhēng lù , jiāng wǒ sī suì , shǐ wǒ qī liáng .

12 Tā zhāng gōng jiāng wǒ dāng zuò jiàn bǎ zǐ .

13 Tā bǎ jiàn daì zhōng de jiàn shè rù wǒde feì fǔ .

14 Wǒ chéng le zhòng mín de xiàohua . tāmen zhōng rì yǐ wǒ wèi gē qǔ .

15 Tā yòng kǔchǔ chōngmǎn wǒ , shǐ wǒ bǎo yòng yīn.

16 Tā yòu yòng shā shí chĕn duàn wǒde yá , yòng huī chén jiāng wǒ méng bì .

17 Nǐ shǐ wǒ yuǎn lí píngān , wǒ wàngjì hǎochù .

18 Wǒ jiù shuō , wǒde lìliang shuāi baì . wǒ zaì Yēhéhuá nàli haó wú zhǐwang .

19 Yēhéhuá a , qiú nǐ jìniàn wǒ rú yīn hé kǔdǎn de kùnkǔ jiǒng pǎi .

20 Wǒ xīn xiǎngniàn zhèxie , jiù zaì lǐmiàn yōu mēn .

21 Wǒ xiǎngqǐ zhè shì , xīnli jiù yǒu zhǐwang .

22 Wǒmen bù zhì xiāomiè , shì chūyú Yēhéhuá zhū pán de cíaì . shì yīn tāde liánmǐn bù zhì duàn jué .

23 Mĕi zǎochen , zhè dōu shì xīn de . nǐde chéngshí jíqí guǎngdà .

24 Wǒ xīnli shuō , Yēhéhuá shì wǒde fēn , yīncǐ , wǒ yào yǎngwàng tā .

25 Fán dĕnghòu Yēhéhuá , xīnli xúnqiú tāde , Yēhéhuá bì shī ēn gĕi tā .

26 Rén yǎngwàng Yēhéhuá , jìngmò dĕnghòu tāde jiùēn , zhè yuán shì hǎo de .

27 Rén zaì yòunián fù è , zhè yuán shì hǎo de .

28 Tā dāng dú zuò wú yán , yīnwei zhè shì Yēhéhuá jiā zaì tā shēnshang de .

29 Tā dāng kǒu tiē chén āi , huòzhĕ yǒu zhǐwang .

30 Tā dāng yóu rén dá tāde sāi jiá , yào mǎn shòu língrǔ .

31 Yīnwei zhǔ bì bú yǒngyuǎn diūqì rén .

32 Zhǔ suī shǐ rén yōuchóu , hái yào zhào tā zhū pán de cíaì fā liánmǐn .

33 Yīn tā bìng bú gānxīn shǐ rén shòu kǔ , shǐ rén yōuchóu .

34 Rén jiāng shìshang beì qiú de chuaì ( yuánwén zuò yē ) zaì jiǎo xià ,

35 Huò zaì zhìgāo zhĕ miànqián qū wǎng rén ,

36 Huò zaì rén de sòng shì shang diāndǎo shìfēi , zhè dōu shì zhǔ kàn bú shang de .

37 Chúfēi zhǔ méngdéng , shuí néng shuō chéngjiù chéng ne .

38 Huò fú bú dōu chūyú zhìgāo zhĕ de kǒu ma .

39 Huó rén yīn zìjǐ de zuì shòu fá , wèihé fā yuànyán ne .

40 Wǒmen dāng shēn shēn kǎochá zìjǐ de xíngwéi , zaì guī xiàng Yēhéhuá .

41 Wǒmen dāng chéng xīn xiàng tiān shang de shén jǔ shǒu dǎogào .

42 Wǒmen fàn zuì bēi nì , nǐ bìng bù shèmiǎn .

43 Nǐ zì beì nùqì zhē bì , zhuīgǎn wǒmen . nǐ shīxíng shā lù , bìng bù gù xī .

44 Nǐ yǐ hēi yún zhē bì zìjǐ , yǐzhì dǎogào bùdé tòu rù .

45 Nǐ shǐ wǒmen zaì wàn mín zhōng chéngwéi wūhuì hé zhā zǐ .

46 Wǒmen de chóudí dōu xiàng wǒmen dàdà zhāng kǒu .

47 Kǒngjù hé xiàn kēng , cánhaì hé huǐmiè , dōu línjìn wǒmen .

48 Yīn wǒ zhòng mín zāo de huǐmiè , wǒ jiù yǎnleì xià liú rú hé .

49 Wǒde yǎn duō duō liú leì , zǒng bú zhǐxī ,

50 Zhí dĕng Yēhéhuá chuí gù , cóng tiān guānkàn .

51 Yīn wǒ bĕn chéng de zhòng mín , wǒde yǎn , shǐ wǒde xīn shāng tòng .

52 Wú gù yǔ wǒ wèi chóu de zhuībī wǒ , xiàng zhuī qiāo niǎo yíyàng .

53 Tāmen shǐ wǒde méng zaì laó yù zhōng duàn jué , bīng jiāng yī kuaì shítou pāo zaì wǒ shēnshang .

54 Zhòng shuǐ liú guo wǒ tóu , wǒ shuō , wǒ méng duàn jué le .

55 Yēhéhuá a , wǒ cóng shēn laó zhōng qiúgào nǐde míng .

56 Nǐ céng tīngjian wǒde shēngyīn . wǒ qiú nǐ jiĕ jiù , nǐ búyào yǎn ĕr bù tīng .

57 Wǒ qiúgào nǐde rìzi , nǐ línjìn wǒ , shuō , búyào jùpà .

58 Zhǔ a , nǐ shēn míng le wǒde yuān . nǐ jiùshú le wǒde méng .

59 Yēhéhuá a , nǐ jiàn le wǒ shòu de wĕi qū . qiú nǐ wèi wǒ shēnyuān .

60 Tāmen chóuhèn wǒ , móu haì wǒ , nǐ dōu kànjian le .

61 Yēhéhuá a , nǐ tīngjian tāmen rǔmà wǒde huà , zhīdào tāmen xiàng wǒ suǒ shè de jì ,

62 Bìng nàxiē qǐlai gōngjī wǒde rénkǒu zhōng suǒ shuō de huà , yǐjí zhōng rì xiàng wǒ suǒ shè de jì móu .

63 Qiú nǐ guānkàn , tāmen zuò xià , qǐlai , dōu yǐ wǒ wèi gē qǔ .

64 Yēhéhuá a , nǐ yào àn zhe tāmen shǒu suǒ zuò de xiàng tāmen shīxíng bàoyìng .

65 Nǐ yào shǐ tāmen xīnli gāng yìng , shǐ nǐde zhòuzǔ líndào tāmen .

66 Nǐ yào fānù zhuīgǎn tāmen , cóng Yēhéhuá de tiān xià chúmiĕ tāmen .

Yēlìmǐāigē 3 Commentary

Chapter 3

The faithful lament their calamities, and hope in God's mercies.

Verses 1-20 The prophet relates the more gloomy and discouraging part of his experience, and how he found support and relief. In the time of his trial the Lord had become terrible to him. It was an affliction that was misery itself; for sin makes the cup of affliction a bitter cup. The struggle between unbelief and faith is often very severe. But the weakest believer is wrong, if he thinks that his strength and hope are perished from the Lord.

Verses 21-36 Having stated his distress and temptation, the prophet shows how he was raised above it. Bad as things are, it is owing to the mercy of God that they are not worse. We should observe what makes for us, as well as what is against us. God's compassions fail not; of this we have fresh instances every morning. Portions on earth are perishing things, but God is a portion for ever. It is our duty, and will be our comfort and satisfaction, to hope and quietly to wait for the salvation of the Lord. Afflictions do and will work very much for good: many have found it good to bear this yoke in their youth; it has made many humble and serious, and has weaned them from the world, who otherwise would have been proud and unruly. If tribulation work patience, that patience will work experience, and that experience a hope that makes not ashamed. Due thoughts of the evil of sin, and of our own sinfulness, will convince us that it is of the Lord's mercies we are not consumed. If we cannot say with unwavering voice, The Lord is my portion; may we not say, I desire to have Him for my portion and salvation, and in his word do I hope? Happy shall we be, if we learn to receive affliction as laid upon us by the hand of God.

Verses 37-41 While there is life there is hope; and instead of complaining that things are bad, we should encourage ourselves with the hope they will be better. We are sinful men, and what we complain of, is far less than our sins deserve. We should complain to God, and not of him. We are apt, in times of calamity, to reflect on other people's ways, and blame them; but our duty is to search and try our own ways, that we may turn from evil to God. Our hearts must go with our prayers. If inward impressions do not answer to outward expressions, we mock God, and deceive ourselves.

Verses 42-54 The more the prophet looked on the desolations, the more he was grieved. Here is one word of comfort. While they continued weeping, they continued waiting; and neither did nor would expect relief and succour from any but the Lord.

Verses 55-66 Faith comes off conqueror, for in these verses the prophet concludes with some comfort. Prayer is the breath of the new man, drawing in the air of mercy in petitions, and returning it in praises; it proves and maintains the spiritual life. He silenced their fears, and quieted their spirits. Thou saidst, Fear not. This was the language of God's grace, by the witness of his Spirit with their spirits. And what are all our sorrows, compared with those of the Redeemer? He will deliver his people from every trouble, and revive his church from every persecution. He will save believers with everlasting salvation, while his enemies perish with everlasting destruction.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO LAMENTATIONS 3

This chapter is a complaint and lamentation like the former, and on the same subject, only the prophet mixes his own afflictions and distresses with the public calamities; or else he represents the church in her complaints; and some have thought him to be a type of Christ throughout the whole; to whom various things may be applied. It is indeed written in a different form from the other chapters, in another sort of metre; and though in an alphabetical manner as the rest, yet with this difference, that three verses together begin with the same letter; so that the alphabet is gone through three times in it. Here is first a complaint of the afflictions of the prophet, and of the people, expressed by a rod, by darkness, by wormwood and gall, and many other things; and especially by the Lord's appearing against them as an enemy, in a most severe and terrible manner; shutting out their prayer; being as a bear and lion to them; and giving them up to the cruelty and scorn of their enemies, La 3:1-21; then follows some comfort taken by them, from the mercy, faithfulness, and goodness of God; from the usefulness of patience in bearing afflictions; and from the end of God in laying them upon men; and from the providence of God, by which all things are ordered, La 3:22-38; wherefore, instead of complaining, it would be better, it is suggested, to attend to the duties of examination of their ways, and of repentance, and of prayer, La 3:39-41; and a particular prayer is directed to, in which confession of sin is made, and their miseries deplored, by reason of the hidings of God's face, and the insults of their enemies, La 3:42-47; and then the prophet expresses his sympathy with his people under affliction, and declares what he himself met with from his enemies, La 3:48-54; and relates bow he called upon the Lord, and he heard and delivered him, La 3:55-58; and concludes with a request that he would judge his cause, and avenge him on enemies, La 3:59-66.