A reading from the Book of Lamentations     3: 17-26

My soul is bereft of peace, 
I have forgotten what happiness is;
so I say, "Gone is my glory,
and all that I hoped for from the Lord." 
The thought of my affliction and my homelessness, is gall to me!
My soul continually thinks of it
and is bowed down within me.
But this I call to mind, 
and therefore I have hope:
The steadfast love of the Lord never ceases, 
his mercies never come to an end;
they are new every morning; 
great is your faithfulness.
"The Lord is my portion," says my soul, 
"therefore I will hope in him."
The Lord is good to those who wait for him, 
to the soul that seeks him.
It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the Lord.

This is the word of the Lord

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