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.’