1. I am the man who has seen afflictionby the rod of the Lord’s wrath.
2. He has driven me away and made me walkin darkness rather than light;
3. indeed, he has turned his hand against meagain and again, all day long.
4. He has made my skin and my flesh grow oldand has broken my bones.
5. He has besieged me and surrounded mewith bitterness and hardship.
6. He has made me dwell in darknesslike those long dead.
7. He has walled me in so that I cannot escape;he has weighed me down with chains.
8. Even when I call out or cry for help,he shuts out my prayer.
9. He has barred my way with blocks of stone;he has made my paths crooked.
10. Like a bear lying in wait,like a lion in hiding,
11. he dragged me from the path and mangled meand left me without help.
12. He drew his bowand made me the target for his arrows.
13. He pierced my heartwith arrows from his quiver.
14. I became the laughing-stock of all my people;they mock me in song all day long.
15. He has filled me with bitter herbsand given me gall to drink.
16. He has broken my teeth with gravel;he has trampled me in the dust.
17. I have been deprived of peace;I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18. So I say, ‘My splendour is goneand all that I had hoped from the Lord.’
19. I remember my affliction and my wandering,the bitterness and the gall.
20. I well remember them,and my soul is downcast within me.
21. Yet this I call to mindand therefore I have hope:
22. Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,for his compassions never fail.
23. They are new every morning;great is your faithfulness.
24. I say to myself, ‘The Lord is my portion;therefore I will wait for him.’
25. The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,to the one who seeks him;
26. it is good to wait quietlyfor the salvation of the Lord.
27. It is good for a man to bear the yokewhile he is young.
28. Let him sit alone in silence,for the Lord has laid it on him.
29. Let him bury his face in the dust –there may yet be hope.
30. Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,and let him be filled with disgrace.
31. For no one is cast offby the Lord for ever.
32. Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,so great is his unfailing love.
33. For he does not willingly bring afflictionor grief to anyone.
34. To crush underfootall prisoners in the land,
35. to deny people their rightsbefore the Most High,
36. to deprive them of justice –would not the Lord see such things?
37. Who can speak and have it happenif the Lord has not decreed it?
38. Is it not from the mouth of the Most Highthat both calamities and good things come?
39. Why should the living complainwhen punished for their sins?
40. Let us examine our ways and test them,and let us return to the Lord.
41. Let us lift up our hearts and our handsto God in heaven, and say:
42. ‘We have sinned and rebelledand you have not forgiven.
43. ‘You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;you have slain without pity.
44. You have covered yourself with a cloudso that no prayer can get through.
45. You have made us scum and refuseamong the nations.
46. ‘All our enemies have opened their mouthswide against us.
47. We have suffered terror and pitfalls,ruin and destruction.’
48. Streams of tears flow from my eyesbecause my people are destroyed.
49. My eyes will flow unceasingly,without relief,
50. until the Lord looks downfrom heaven and sees.
51. What I see brings grief to my soulbecause of all the women of my city.
52. Those who were my enemies without causehunted me like a bird.
53. They tried to end my life in a pitand threw stones at me;
54. the waters closed over my head,and I thought I was about to perish.
55. I called on your name, Lord,from the depths of the pit.
56. You heard my plea: ‘Do not close your earsto my cry for relief.’
57. You came near when I called you,and you said, ‘Do not fear.’
58. You, Lord, took up my case;you redeemed my life.
59. Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.Uphold my cause!
60. You have seen the depth of their vengeance,all their plots against me.
61. Lord, you have heard their insults,all their plots against me –
62. what my enemies whisper and mutteragainst me all day long.
63. Look at them! Sitting or standing,they mock me in their songs.
64. Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,for what their hands have done.
65. Put a veil over their hearts,and may your curse be on them!
66. Pursue them in anger and destroy themfrom under the heavens of the Lord.