Lamentations 3:59
What does Lamentations 3:59 mean?
A plain-English look at Lamentations 3:59 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Lamentations 3:59 means
He appeals: Jehovah has seen his wrong—what has been done against him—and he asks God to judge his cause. This is a plea for righteous adjudication, trusting that God’s seeing is not passive but leads to just action. The verse acknowledges that human courts may fail, but heaven’s court does not. The sufferer brings his case to the only Judge whose verdict is final, confident that justice matters to Him and that He will vindicate the right in His time.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
KJV
King James Version · 1611O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949O Lord, you have seen my wrong; be judge in my cause.
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862Thou hast seen, O Jehovah, my overthrow, Judge Thou my cause.
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752Res. Thou hast seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me: judge thou my judgment.
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
Context
Building on God’s past advocacy (v. 58), the speaker now prays for present justice. Verse 60 will affirm that God has seen the enemies’ vengeance and plots, and verse 61 will add that He has heard their reproach. This accumulation of divine awareness readies the imprecatory petitions for recompense that conclude the chapter.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Jeremiah 20:7
O Jehovah, thou hast persuaded me, and I was persuaded; thou art stronger than I, and hast prevailed: I am become a laughing-stock all the day, every one mocketh me.
- Psalms 9:4
For thou hast maintained my right and my cause; Thou sittest in the throne judging righteously.
- Jeremiah 11:19
But I was like a gentle lamb that is led to the slaughter; and I knew not that they had devised devices against me, saying, Let us destroy the tree with the fruit thereof, and let us cut him off from the land of the living, that his name may be no more remembered.
- Genesis 31:42
Except the God of my father, the God of Abraham, and the Fear of Isaac, had been with me, surely now hadst thou sent me away empty. God hath seen mine affliction and the labor of my hands, and rebuked thee yesternight.
- Psalms 35:1
Strive thou, O Jehovah, with them that strive with me: Fight thou against them that fight against me.
- Jeremiah 37:1
And Zedekiah the son of Josiah reigned as king, instead of Coniah the son of Jehoiakim, whom Nebuchadrezzar king of Babylon made king in the land of Judah.
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