Passage

Lamentations 3.23

Immediate context (±2 verses)

ASV (ASV)

"21. This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope. 22. It is of Jehovah's lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."

"23. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness."

"24. Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25. Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." (Lamentations 3:21-25, ASV)

WEB (WEB)

"21. This I recall to my mind; therefore I have hope. 22. It is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail."

"23. They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness."

"24. “Yahweh is my portion,” says my soul. “Therefore I will hope in him.” 25. Yahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul who seeks him." (Lamentations 3:21-25, WEB)

KJV (KJV)

"21. This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. ^{recall: Heb. make to return to my heart} 22. It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not."

"23. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness."

"24. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. 25. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him." (Lamentations 3:21-25, KJV)

YLT (YLT)

"21. This I turn to my heart, therefore I hope. 22. The kindnesses of Jehovah! For we have not been consumed, For not ended have His mercies."

"23. New every morning, abundant [is] thy faithfulness."

"24. My portion [is] Jehovah, hath my soul said, Therefore I hope for Him. 25. Good [is] Jehovah to those waiting for Him, To the soul [that] seeketh Him." (Lamentations 3:21-25, YLT)

Setting

Speaker: traditionally Jeremiah (the anonymous narrator of Lamentations)
Audience: the survivors of the Babylonian destruction of Jerusalem
Location: Jerusalem in ruins (586 BC)
Time period: immediately after the Babylonian conquest, c. 586-585 BC

Theological reading

Lamentations 3:23 is one of the OT's most theologically striking emunah verses, set in the midst of the deepest lament in Scripture. Lamentations 3 is the central acrostic of the book, and verses 19-39 form the theological crux: in the rubble of Jerusalem, the speaker turns from the abyss of his suffering to the inexhaustible hesed and emunah of YHWH. The verse's pastoral force depends on its context, great is thy faithfulness is not a sunshine doxology but a hard-won confession of trust in the aftermath of national catastrophe. The verse generates the modern hymn Great Is Thy Faithfulness (Thomas Chisholm, 1923), which has become the most-sung emunah hymn in English Protestant tradition. Together with Deuteronomy 32.4 and Psalms 89.1-2, Lam 3:23 forms the OT triad of foundational emunah texts.

Key words

H0530 - emunah, emunah, "great is thy faithfulness"
H2617 - hesed, hesed (v. 22)

Quoted in

Why these four translations

ris3n chose ASV, WEB, KJV, and YLT for two reasons together. They are the most literal English translations available (formal-equivalence: word-for-word renderings that preserve the Hebrew and Greek grammar rather than smoothing it into modern dynamic-equivalence idiom). And they are in the public domain in the United States, which means fair-use quotation at any length requires no publisher license. Modern licensed translations (NASB95, ESV, NIV) restrict volume of quotation under their copyright terms, so they are not used at stub-level coverage here. NASB95 appears only on hand-curated rich passage hubs under Lockman Foundation's fair-use allowance.

The four:

ASV (American Standard Version, 1901). The basis of the modern critical-text English tradition.
WEB (World English Bible, contemporary). Public-domain revision in the ASV line, in current English.
KJV (King James Version, 1611). Reformation-era, Textus Receptus base.
YLT (Young's Literal Translation, Robert Young, 1862). Hyper-literal preservation of Hebrew and Greek grammar; useful for word-study work even where English reads stiff.

See Bibles for the full per-translation history, translators, textual basis, strengths, and weaknesses.