[1] I am the man who has seen trouble by the rod of his wrath. [2] By him I
have been made to go in the dark where there is no light. [3] Truly against
me his hand has been turned again and again all the day. [4] My flesh and
my skin have been used up by him and my bones broken. [5] He has put up a
wall against me, shutting me in with bitter sorrow. [6] He has kept me in
dark places, like those who have been long dead. [7] He has put a wall
round me, so that I am not able to go out; he has made great the weight of
my chain. [8] Even when I send up a cry for help, he keeps my prayer shut
out. [9] He has put up a wall of cut stones about my ways, he has made my
roads twisted. [10] He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret
places. [11] By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been
pulled in bits; he has made me waste. [12] With his bow bent, he has made
me the mark for his arrows. [13] He has let loose his arrows into the
inmost parts of my body. [14] I have become the sport of all the peoples; I
am their song all the day. [15] He has made my life nothing but pain, he
has given me the bitter root in full measure. [16] By him my teeth have
been broken with crushed stones, and I am bent low in the dust. [17] My
soul is sent far away from peace, I have no more memory of good. [18] And I
said, My strength is cut off, and my hope from the Lord. [19] Keep in mind
my trouble and my wandering, the bitter root and the poison. [20] My soul
still keeps the memory of them; and is bent down in me. [21] This I keep in
mind, and because of this I have hope. [22] It is through the Lord's love
that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.
[23] They are new every morning; great is your good faith. [24] I said to
myself, The Lord is my heritage; and because of this I will have hope in
him. [25] The Lord is good to those who are waiting for him, to the soul
which is looking for him. [26] It is good to go on hoping and quietly
waiting for the salvation of the Lord. [27] It is good for a man to undergo
the yoke when he is young. [28] Let him be seated by himself, saying
nothing, because he has put it on him. [29] Let him put his mouth in the
dust, if by chance there may be hope. [30] Let his face be turned to him
who gives him blows; let him be full of shame. [31] For the Lord does not
give a man up for ever. [32] For though he sends grief, still he will have
pity in the full measure of his love. [33] For he has no pleasure in
troubling and causing grief to the children of men. [34] In a man's
crushing under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, [35] In his turning
away the right of a man before the face of the Most High. [36] In his doing
wrong to a man in his cause, the Lord has no pleasure. [37] Who is able to
say a thing, and give effect to it, if it has not been ordered by the Lord?
[38] Do not evil and good come from the mouth of the Most High? [39] What
protest may a living man make, even a man about the punishment of his sin?
[40] Let us make search and put our ways to the test, turning again to the
Lord; [41] Lifting up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens. [42]
We have done wrong and gone against your law; we have not had your
forgiveness. [43] Covering yourself with wrath you have gone after us,
cutting us off without pity; [44] Covering yourself with a cloud, so that
prayer may not get through. [45] You have made us like waste and that for
which there is no use, among the peoples. [46] The mouths of all our haters
are open wide against us. [47] Fear and deep waters have come on us,
wasting and destruction. [48] Rivers of water are running down from my
eyes, for the destruction of the daughter of my people. [49] My eyes are
streaming without stopping, they have no rest, [50] Till the Lord's eye is
turned on me, till he sees my trouble from heaven. [51] The Lord is unkind
to my soul, more than all the daughters of my town. [52] They who are
against me without cause have gone hard after me as if I was a bird; [53]
They have put an end to my life in the prison, stoning me with stones. [54]
Waters were flowing over my head; I said, I am cut off. [55] I was making
prayer to your name, O Lord, out of the lowest prison. [56] My voice came
to you; let not your ear be shut to my breathing, to my cry. [57] You came
near in the day when I made my prayer to you: you said, Have no fear. [58]
O Lord, you have taken up the cause of my soul, you have made my life safe.
[59] O Lord, you have seen my wrong; be judge in my cause. [60] You have
seen all the evil rewards they have sent on me, and all their designs
against me. [61] Their bitter words have come to your ears, O Lord, and all
their designs against me; [62] The lips of those who came up against me,
and their thoughts against me all the day. [63] Take note of them when they
are seated, and when they get up; I am their song. [64] You will give them
their reward, O Lord, answering to the work of their hands. [65] You will
let their hearts be covered over with your curse on them. [66] You will go
after them in wrath, and put an end to them from under the heavens of the
Lord.