3 aI am the man who has seen afflictionj
by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.k
2He has driven me away and made me walk
in darknessl rather than light;
3indeed, he has turned his hand against mem
again and again, all day long.
4He has made my skin and my flesh grow oldn
and has broken my bones.o
5He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitternessp and hardship.q
6He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.r
7He has walled me in so I cannot escape;s
he has weighed me down with chains.t
8Even when I call out or cry for help,u
he shuts out my prayer.v
9He has barredw my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.x
like a liony in hiding,z
11he dragged me from the path and mangleda me
and left me without help.
and made me the targetc for his arrows.d
with arrows from his quiver.f
14I became the laughingstockg of all my people;h
they mock me in songi all day long.
15He has filled me with bitter herbs
and given me gall to drink.j
16He has broken my teeth with gravel;k
he has trampled me in the dust.l
17I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”m
19I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitternessn and the gall.o
and my soul is downcastp within me.q
and therefore I have hope:
22Because of the Lord’s great lover we are not consumed,s
for his compassions never fail.t
great is your faithfulness.u
24I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;v
therefore I will wait for him.”
25The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;w
for the salvation of the Lord.y
27It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
28Let him sit alone in silence,z
for the Lord has laid it on him.
29Let him bury his face in the dusta—
there may yet be hope.b
30Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,c
and let him be filled with disgrace.d
by the Lord forever.e
32Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.f
33For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.g
all prisoners in the land,
before the Most High,h
would not the Lord see such things?i
37Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?j
38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?k
39Why should the living complain
when punished for their sins?l
40Let us examine our ways and test them,m
and let us return to the Lord.n
41Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven,o and say:
42“We have sinned and rebelledp
and you have not forgiven.q
43“You have covered yourself with anger and pursuedr us;
you have slain without pity.s
44You have covered yourself with a cloudt
so that no prayeru can get through.v
45You have made us scumw and refuse
among the nations.
46“All our enemies have opened their mouths
widex against us.y
47We have suffered terror and pitfalls,z
ruin and destruction.a”
48Streams of tearsb flow from my eyesc
because my people are destroyed.d
49My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,e
from heaven and sees.f
51What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.
52Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.g
53They tried to end my life in a pith
and threw stones at me;
54the waters closed over my head,i
and I thought I was about to perish.j
55I called on your name, Lord,
from the depthsk of the pit.l
56You heard my plea:m “Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.”
57You came nearn when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.”o
58You, Lord, took up my case;p
you redeemed my life.q
59Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.r
Uphold my cause!s
60You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
all their plots against me.t
61Lord, you have heard their insults,u
all their plots against me—
62what my enemies whisper and mutter
against me all day long.v
63Look at them! Sitting or standing,
they mock me in their songs.w
64Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
for what their hands have done.x
65Put a veil over their hearts,y
and may your curse be on them!
66Pursuez them in anger and destroy them
from under the heavens of the Lord.