RETURN TO THE LORD

Passage: Lamentations 3:40-66

Key verse: 40

NIV

40 Let us examine our ways and test them,(A)
    and let us return to the Lord.(B)
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
    to God in heaven,(C) and say:
42 “We have sinned and rebelled(D)
    and you have not forgiven.(E)

43 “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued(F) us;
    you have slain without pity.(G)
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud(H)
    so that no prayer(I) can get through.(J)
45 You have made us scum(K) and refuse
    among the nations.

46 “All our enemies have opened their mouths
    wide(L) against us.(M)
47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,(N)
    ruin and destruction.(O)”
48 Streams of tears(P) flow from my eyes(Q)
    because my people are destroyed.(R)

49 My eyes will flow unceasingly,
    without relief,(S)
50 until the Lord looks down
    from heaven and sees.(T)
51 What I see brings grief to my soul
    because of all the women of my city.

52 Those who were my enemies without cause
    hunted me like a bird.(U)
53 They tried to end my life in a pit(V)
    and threw stones at me;
54 the waters closed over my head,(W)
    and I thought I was about to perish.(X)

55 I called on your name, Lord,
    from the depths(Y) of the pit.(Z)
56 You heard my plea:(AA) “Do not close your ears
    to my cry for relief.”
57 You came near(AB) when I called you,
    and you said, “Do not fear.”(AC)

58 You, Lord, took up my case;(AD)
    you redeemed my life.(AE)
59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.(AF)
    Uphold my cause!(AG)
60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
    all their plots against me.(AH)

61 Lord, you have heard their insults,(AI)
    all their plots against me—
62 what my enemies whisper and mutter
    against me all day long.(AJ)
63 Look at them! Sitting or standing,
    they mock me in their songs.(AK)

64 Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
    for what their hands have done.(AL)
65 Put a veil over their hearts,(AM)
    and may your curse be on them!
66 Pursue(AN) them in anger and destroy them
    from under the heavens of the Lord.

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Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

40 Let us test and examine our ways,
    (A)and return to the Lord!
41 (B)Let us lift up our hearts and hands
    to God in heaven:
42 (C)“We have transgressed and (D)rebelled,
    and you have not forgiven.

43 “You have wrapped yourself with anger and pursued us,
    (E)killing without pity;
44 (F)you have wrapped yourself with a cloud
    so that no prayer can pass through.
45 (G)You have made us scum and garbage
    among the peoples.

46 (H)“All our enemies
    open their mouths against us;
47 (I)panic and pitfall have come upon us,
    devastation and (J)destruction;
48 (K)my eyes flow with rivers of tears
    because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 (L)“My eyes will flow without ceasing,
    without respite,
50 (M)until the Lord from heaven
    looks down and sees;
51 my eyes cause me grief
    at the fate of all the daughters of my city.

52 (N)“I have been hunted (O)like a bird
    by those who were my enemies (P)without cause;
53 (Q)they flung me alive into the pit
    (R)and cast stones on me;
54 (S)water closed over my head;
    I said, (T)‘I am lost.’

55 (U)“I called on your name, O Lord,
    from the depths of the pit;
56 (V)you heard my plea, ‘Do not close
    your ear to my cry for help!’
57 (W)You came near when I called on you;
    you said, (X)‘Do not fear!’

58 “You have (Y)taken up my cause, (Z)O Lord;
    you have (AA)redeemed my life.
59 You have seen the wrong done to me, (AB)O Lord;
    judge my cause.
60 You have seen all their vengeance,
    all (AC)their plots against me.

61 (AD)“You have heard their taunts, O Lord,
    all (AE)their plots against me.
62 The lips and thoughts (AF)of my assailants
    are against me all the day long.
63 (AG)Behold their sitting and their rising;
    (AH)I am the object of their taunts.

64 (AI)“You will repay them,[a] O Lord,
    (AJ)according to the work of their hands.
65 You will give them[b] dullness of heart;
    your curse will be[c] on them.
66 You will pursue them[d] in anger and (AK)destroy them
    from under (AL)your heavens, O Lord.”[e]

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Footnotes
  1. Lamentations 3:64 Or Repay them
  2. Lamentations 3:65 Or Give them
  3. Lamentations 3:65 Or place your curse
  4. Lamentations 3:66 Or Pursue them
  5. Lamentations 3:66 Syriac (compare Septuagint, Vulgate); Hebrew the heavens of the Lord
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

When we recognize our sin and repent of it, and return to the Lord, he will forgive us. That doesn’t mean he will not judge us. That is what the author discovered. He urges his listeners to lift up their hands to God and say, “We have sinned and rebelled, but you have not forgiven.” Judah had to go through a period of judgment because of their sin. The Lord covered himself in wrath and took no pity on them. Many were slain. They suffered ruin and destruction. But the author urges his people to turn to God and confess their sin and rebellion. The author felt like a hunted bird. Would God relent?

When all seemed at its worst, the author called on God again. Then the Lord heard his plea. The Lord came near and said to him, “Do not fear.” The Lord took up his case and redeemed him from his sin. His confidence in the Lord was restored, even to the point where he could ask the Lord to pay back their enemies, to pursue them and destroy them. The Lord is a just judge. He redeems the repentant and punishes the wicked.

Prayer: Father, you are the righteous judge. We have sinned against you. But you redeem those who repent. Help us examine our ways and return to you.

One Word: Examine our ways and return to the Lord!