Lamentations 3:18
New International Version
So I say, “My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD.”

New Living Translation
I cry out, “My splendor is gone! Everything I had hoped for from the LORD is lost!”

English Standard Version
so I say, “My endurance has perished; so has my hope from the LORD.”

Berean Standard Bible
So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”

King James Bible
And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:

New King James Version
And I said, “My strength and my hope Have perished from the LORD.”

New American Standard Bible
So I say, “My strength has failed, And so has my hope from the LORD.”

NASB 1995
So I say, “My strength has perished, And so has my hope from the LORD.”

NASB 1977
So I say, “My strength has perished, And so has my hope from the LORD.”

Legacy Standard Bible
So I say, “My strength has perished, As well as my hopeful waiting which comes from Yahweh.”

Amplified Bible
So I say, “My strength has perished And so has my hope and expectation from the LORD.”

Christian Standard Bible
Then I thought, “My future is lost, as well as my hope from the LORD.”

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then I thought: My future is lost, as well as my hope from the LORD.

American Standard Version
And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah.

Contemporary English Version
I tell myself, "I am finished! I can't count on the LORD to do anything for me."

English Revised Version
And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I said, 'I've lost my strength [to live] and my hope in the LORD.'

Good News Translation
I do not have much longer to live; my hope in the LORD is gone.

International Standard Version
So I say, "My strength is gone as is my hope in the LORD."

Majority Standard Bible
So I say, ?My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.?

NET Bible
So I said, "My endurance has expired; I have lost all hope of deliverance from the LORD."

New Heart English Bible
And I said, "My strength and my hope has perished from the LORD."

Webster's Bible Translation
And I said, My strength and my hope hath perished from the LORD:

World English Bible
I said, “My strength has perished, along with my expectation from Yahweh.”
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
And I say, My strength and my hope have perished from YHWH.

Young's Literal Translation
And I say, Perished hath my strength and my hope from Jehovah.

Smith's Literal Translation
And saying, My glory perished, and my hope from Jehovah:
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Vau. And I said: My end and my hope is perished from the Lord.

Catholic Public Domain Version
VAU. And I said, “My end and my hope from the Lord has perished.”

New American Bible
My enduring hope, I said, has perished before the LORD.

New Revised Standard Version
so I say, “Gone is my glory, and all that I had hoped for from the LORD.”
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And I said, My fame and my hope are perished from the LORD.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And I said: "My victory and my hope are destroyed from LORD JEHOVAH!”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And I said: 'My strength is perished, And mine expectation from the LORD.'

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Jeremiah's Afflictions
17My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. 18So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”

Cross References
Psalm 31:22
In my alarm I said, “I am cut off from Your sight!” But You heard my plea for mercy when I called to You for help.

Job 17:15
where then is my hope? Who can see any hope for me?

Isaiah 38:10-11
I said, “In the prime of my life I must go through the gates of Sheol and be deprived of the remainder of my years.” / I said, “I will never again see the LORD, even the LORD, in the land of the living; I will no longer look on mankind with those who dwell in this world.

Psalm 88:3-5
For my soul is full of troubles, and my life draws near to Sheol. / I am counted among those descending to the Pit. I am like a man without strength. / I am forsaken among the dead, like the slain who lie in the grave, whom You remember no more, who are cut off from Your care.

Job 7:6-7
My days are swifter than a weaver’s shuttle; they come to an end without hope. / Remember that my life is but a breath. My eyes will never again see happiness.

Psalm 77:7-9
“Will the Lord spurn us forever and never show His favor again? / Is His loving devotion gone forever? Has His promise failed for all time? / Has God forgotten to be gracious? Has His anger shut off His compassion?” Selah

Isaiah 49:14
But Zion said, “The LORD has forsaken me; the Lord has forgotten me!”

Psalm 42:5
Why are you downcast, O my soul? Why the unease within me? Put your hope in God, for I will yet praise Him for the salvation of His presence.

Job 19:10
He tears me down on every side until I am gone; He uproots my hope like a tree.

Psalm 143:4
My spirit grows faint within me; my heart is dismayed inside me.

2 Corinthians 1:8-9
We do not want you to be unaware, brothers, of the hardships we encountered in the province of Asia. We were under a burden far beyond our ability to endure, so that we despaired even of life. / Indeed, we felt we were under the sentence of death, in order that we would not trust in ourselves, but in God, who raises the dead.

Romans 8:24-25
For in this hope we were saved; but hope that is seen is no hope at all. Who hopes for what he can already see? / But if we hope for what we do not yet see, we wait for it patiently.

2 Corinthians 4:8-9
We are hard pressed on all sides, but not crushed; perplexed, but not in despair; / persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed.

Hebrews 10:35-36
So do not throw away your confidence; it holds a great reward. / You need to persevere, so that after you have done the will of God, you will receive what He has promised.

1 Peter 1:6-7
In this you greatly rejoice, though now for a little while you may have had to suffer grief in various trials / so that the proven character of your faith—more precious than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory, and honor at the revelation of Jesus Christ.


Treasury of Scripture

And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:

1 Samuel 27:1
And David said in his heart, I shall now perish one day by the hand of Saul: there is nothing better for me than that I should speedily escape into the land of the Philistines; and Saul shall despair of me, to seek me any more in any coast of Israel: so shall I escape out of his hand.

Job 6:11
What is my strength, that I should hope? and what is mine end, that I should prolong my life?

Job 17:15
And where is now my hope? as for my hope, who shall see it?

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Cut Expectation Glory Hope Hoped Perished Splendor Strength
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Cut Expectation Glory Hope Hoped Perished Splendor Strength
Lamentations 3
1. The prophet bewails his own calamities
22. By the mercies of God, he nourishes his hope
37. He acknowledges God's justice
55. He prays for deliverance
64. And vengeance on his enemies














So I say
This phrase indicates a personal declaration or realization. The speaker, traditionally understood to be the prophet Jeremiah, is expressing a deep, personal lament. This reflects the intimate and personal nature of the book of Lamentations, which is a series of poetic laments for the destruction of Jerusalem. The use of "I say" emphasizes the personal experience of suffering and despair, which is a central theme throughout the book.

My strength has perished
The loss of strength here can be understood both physically and spiritually. In the context of the Babylonian siege and destruction of Jerusalem in 586 BC, the people of Judah experienced extreme physical deprivation and suffering. Spiritually, this phrase reflects a sense of complete exhaustion and inability to continue, a common theme in the laments of the Psalms (e.g., Psalm 22:15). Theologically, it underscores human frailty and the need for divine intervention.

along with my hope from the LORD
Hope in the LORD is a recurring theme in the Old Testament, often associated with trust in God's promises and faithfulness (e.g., Psalm 130:7). The loss of hope here is significant, as it suggests a crisis of faith. Historically, the destruction of Jerusalem and the temple was a devastating blow to the Israelites' understanding of their covenant relationship with God. This phrase captures the depth of despair felt by the people, as they grappled with the apparent absence of God's favor and protection. However, this lament also sets the stage for the eventual restoration and renewal of hope, as seen in later passages of Lamentations and the prophetic promises of a new covenant (e.g., Jeremiah 31:31-34).

Persons / Places / Events
1. Jeremiah
Traditionally attributed as the author of Lamentations, Jeremiah is known as the "weeping prophet." He laments the destruction of Jerusalem and the suffering of his people.

2. Jerusalem
The city that has been destroyed by the Babylonians, leading to the deep sorrow and lament expressed in the book.

3. Babylonian Exile
The event during which the Israelites were taken captive by the Babylonians, marking a period of great despair and loss for the Jewish people.
Teaching Points
Acknowledging Despair
Recognize that feelings of hopelessness are a part of the human experience, even for the faithful. Jeremiah's lament is a candid expression of his emotional state.

The Role of Lament
Lamentations teaches us the importance of bringing our sorrows and complaints before God. It is a form of prayer that acknowledges our dependence on Him.

Hope Beyond Circumstances
While Jeremiah feels his hope has perished, the broader context of Scripture encourages believers to find hope in God's promises, even when circumstances seem dire.

Strength in Weakness
In moments of weakness, believers are reminded that true strength comes from the Lord. This is a call to rely on God's power rather than our own.

Restoration and Renewal
The despair in Lamentations is not the end of the account. God's faithfulness and mercy are new every morning, offering a path to restoration and renewal.(18) I said, My strength.--The sorrow of the mourner comes to the very verge of despair. There was "no help for him from his God;" even that hope had left him. But, as the sequel shows, this despair was the beginning of a reaction. The very name of Jehovah (no longer Adonai) reminded him of the everlasting mercies.



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
So I say,
וָאֹמַר֙ (wā·’ō·mar)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Consecutive imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 559: To utter, say

“My strength
נִצְחִ֔י (niṣ·ḥî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 5331: Eminence, enduring, everlastingness, perpetuity

has perished
אָבַ֣ד (’ā·ḇaḏ)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 6: To wander away, lose oneself, to perish

along with my hope
וְתוֹחַלְתִּ֖י (wə·ṯō·w·ḥal·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 8431: Expectation

from the LORD.”
מֵיְהוָֽה׃ (Yah·weh)
Preposition-m | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel


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OT Prophets: Lamentations 3:18 I said My strength is perished (Lam. La Lm)
Lamentations 3:17
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