Jeremiah 8:15

8:15 We hoped for good fortune, but nothing good has come of it.

We hoped for a time of relief, but instead we experience terror. ¹ 

Jeremiah 14:19

14:19 Then I said,

“Lord, ²  have you completely rejected the nation of Judah?

Do you despise ³  the city of Zion?

Why have you struck us with such force

that we are beyond recovery? ⁴ 

We hope for peace, but nothing good has come of it.

We hope for a time of relief from our troubles, but experience terror. ⁵ 

Isaiah 59:9

Israel Confesses its Sin

59:9 For this reason deliverance ⁶  is far from us ⁷ 

and salvation does not reach us.

We wait for light, ⁸  but see only darkness; ⁹ 

we wait for ¹⁰  a bright light, ¹¹  but live ¹²  in deep darkness. ¹³ 

Lamentations 4:17

The People of Jerusalem Lament:

ע (Ayin)

4:17 Our eyes continually failed us

as we looked in vain for help. ¹⁴ 

From our watchtowers we watched

for a nation that could not rescue us.

¹ tn Heb “[We hoped] for a time of healing but behold terror.”

² tn The words, “Then I said, ‘Lord” are not in the Hebrew text. It is obvious from the context that the Lord is addressee. The question of the identity of the speaker is the same as that raised in vv. 7-9 and the arguments set forth there are applicable here as well. Jeremiah is here identifying with the people and doing what they refuse to do, i.e., confess their sins and express their trust in him.

³ tn Heb “does your soul despise.” Here as in many places the word “soul” stands as part for whole for the person himself emphasizing emotional and volitional aspects of the person. However, in contemporary English one does not regularly speak of the “soul” in contexts such as this but of the person.

⁴ tn Heb “Why have you struck us and there is no healing for us.” The statement involves poetic exaggeration (hyperbole) for rhetorical effect.

⁵ tn Heb “[We hope] for a time of healing but behold terror.”

⁶ tn מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat), which refers to “justice” in the earlier verses, here refers to “justice from God,” or “vindication.” Because the people are unjust, God refuses to vindicate them before their enemies. See v. 11.

⁷ sn The prophet speaks on behalf of the sinful nation and confesses its sins.

⁸ sn Light here symbolizes prosperity and blessing.

⁹ tn Heb “but, look, darkness”; NIV “but all is darkness.”

¹⁰ tn The words “we wait for” are supplied in the translation; the verb is understood by ellipsis (note the preceding line).

¹¹ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

¹² tn Or “walk about”; NCV “all we have is darkness.”

¹³ tn The plural noun form may indicate degree here.

¹⁴ tn Heb “Our eyes failed in vain for help.”