1I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of His wrath. 2He has led me, and brought me into the gloom of perplexity, rather than light. 3Surely, He has turned His hand against me again and again, all day long. 4He has caused my flesh and skin to grow old, and has broken my bones. 5He has surrounded and besieged me with gall and hardship. 6He has caused me to dwell in darkness, like those long dead. 7He has hedged me in, so that I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with heavy chains. 8Even when I plead for help, He shuts out my prayer. 9He has barred my ways with blocks of stone, He has made my paths crooked. 10He has been to me like a bear lying in wait, or like a lion waiting to attack. 11He has turned aside my paths, and torn me apart; He has left me desolate. 12He has drawn and bent His bow, and made me the target for His arrow. 13He has pierced my heart with the arrows of His quiver. 14I have become the laughingstock of all my people; and they mock me with song all day long. 15He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood. 16He has also ground my teeth with gravel stones, He has covered me with ashes. 17He has denied me peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is. 18And so I said, “My strength and my hope in the LORD have perished”, 19I remember all too well my affliction, misery, bitterness, and the gall. 20My soul is downcast as I remember them; and it humbles me. 21Yet I do remember this, which gives me hope: 22That it is because of the LORD's abundant love and grace that we are not consumed - because His mercies never fail. 23They are renewed every morning. Great is Your faithfulness, O LORD! 24“The LORD is my lot, my inheritance,” says my soul; therefore, will I hope in Him. 25The LORD is good to those who wait upon and trust in Him - to the soul that seeks Him. 26It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. 27It is good for people to submit at an early age to the yoke of His discipline. 28Let him sit alone in silence, because He has laid His burden upon him. 29Let him lie face down in the dust; and yet there is still hope. 30Let him turn the other cheek to those that strike him; and let him be filled with disgrace. 31For the LORD will not abandon us forever; 32For though He brings grief, yet He will show great compassion according to the abundance of His mercies. 33For He does not enjoy hurting people unnecessarily, (for example) - 34Trampling underfoot (cruelly treating) prisoners of the land, 35Or to deprive a man the rights or justice due him, in the face of the Most High, Who observes such perversion of justice, 36The LORD does not approve of denying a man justice. 37Who can cause things to happen, unless the LORD permits it? 38Does the Most High not send both calamity and good (for His just purposes)?

39Why should we mere mortals complain when we are punished for our sins? 40Instead, let us examine our ways, and return again to the LORD. 41Let us lift our heart with our hands up God in the heavens, and say: 42“We have transgressed and have rebelled; You have not pardoned. 43You have immersed Yourself in anger, and pursued us; You have slain without pity. 44You have covered Yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through. 45You have made us like scum and refuse among the nations. 46All our enemies have spoken out against us. 47Fear and pitfalls have come upon us, along with desolation and destruction.” 48My eyes run down with streams of tears for the destruction of my people. 49My eyes will flow with tears without any intermission, 50Until the LORD looks down from heaven, and sees. 51What I see brings grief to my heart, because of all the women of my city.

52My enemies hunted me without cause, like a bird. 53They have tried to end my life, throwing me in a pit, and then throwing stones down on me. 54Waters rose over my head; then I said, “I am about to die.” 55I called upon Your name, O LORD, out of that deep pit. 56You have heard my plea: “Do not close Your ears to my call for help.” 57You drew near when I called upon You; You said, “Fear not.” 58O LORD, You have come to my defense; You have redeemed my life. 59O LORD, You have seen the wrong done to me. Be my judge and rescue me. 60You have seen all their vengeful plots and all their evil schemes against me. 61You have heard their insults, O LORD, and all that they plot against me; 62What my foes whisper and mutter against me all day long. 63Observe their sitting down, and their rising up; I am the object of their mocking songs. 64Repay them, O LORD, for what they do. 65Give them sorrow of heart; let Your curse fall upon them. 66Pursue and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.