1 ¶ I am the man who has suffered under the rod of God’s wrath.

2 He has driven me away, and made me walk in darkness, without a light.

3 Surely he has turned against me; he repeatedly turns his hand against me all day long.

4 He has worn away my flesh and my skin; and has broken my bones.

5 He has made a yoke for me, and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.

6 He has made me live in the dark, like those long dead.

7 He has fenced me in, so I cannot escape: he has made my chain heavy.

8 Also when I weep and plead for help, he shuts out my prayer.

9 He has walled my path with hewn stone, he has made my way crooked.

10 He is to me like a bear lying in wait, and like a lion in hiding.

11 He scatters thorns in my way, tears me in pieces: and makes me desolate.

12 He bends his bow, and makes me the target for his arrows.

13 He has sent the arrows from his quiver into my heart.

14 I am the laughingstock of all my people; mocked by their songs all day long.

15 He fills me with bitterness, he makes me drunken with misery.

16 He grinds my teeth with gravel, he has covered me with ashes.

17 You have deprived my soul of peace: I have forgotten what happiness is.

18 And I say, My strength has died as has my hope in the LORD:

19 O Lord remember my affliction and my misery, my bitter food and drink.

20 My soul is continually reminded of them, and is humbled in me.

21 ¶ But I recall one thing, and therefore have I hope.

22 Because of the LORD’S mercy we have not been destroyed, for his mercies never end.

23 They are new every morning: great is your faithfulness.

24 My soul said, the LORD is my portion; therefore I find hope in him.

25 The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.

26 It is good for a man to have hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.

27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.

28 He should sit alone and remain silent, because God has lain it upon him.

29 He should put his face in the dust; for there may be hope.

30 He should offer his cheek to him who strikes him: and be filled with reproach.

31 For the Lord will not reject him for ever:

32 But even if he causes grief, he will yet have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

33 For he does not want to hurt people or make them suffer.

34 The Lord does not approve, of crushing all the enslaved of the earth under foot,

35 Of denying a man justice before the face of the most High,

36 Of subverting a man’s case in court.

37 ¶ Who is there who speaks, and it happens, if the Lord has not ordained it?

38 Do not adversity and good both come from the mouth of the most High?

39 Why should any man alive, complain about the punishment for his sins?

40 Let us critically examine our behavior, and turn back to the LORD.

41 Let us raise our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens.

42 ¶ We have disobeyed and have rebelled: and you have not pardoned.

43 You have wrapped yourself with anger, and pursued us: you have slain, you have not pitied.

44 You have covered yourself with a cloud, so that our prayer should not pass through.

45 You have made us like filth and trash among the nations.

46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

47 Fear and a pit have come upon us, devastation and destruction.

48 My eye pours down streams of water because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 My eyes overflow continually, and do not cease,

50 Until the LORD looks down, and sees from heaven.

51 My eye brings pain to my heart because of all the daughters of my city.

52 My enemies hunted me down, like a bird, for no reason.

53 They pushed me alive into a pit, and threw stones at me.

54 Waters ran over my head; then I thought, I am gone.

55 ¶ I called upon your name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.

56 You have heard my voice: do not hide your ear from my prayer, from my cry.

57 You drew near on the day that I called on you: you said, Fear not.

58 O Lord, you have pleaded the case against my soul; you have redeemed my life.

59 O LORD, you have seen my wrong: judge my cause.

60 You have seen all their vengeance and all their scheming against me.

61 You have heard their insults, O LORD, and all their plotting against me;

62 The slander of those who rose up against me, and their continual muttering against me.

63 Behold whether they sit down, or get up; I am mocked by their songs.

64 Pay them back, O LORD, according to what they do.

65 You will grant them hardness of heart, your curse will be upon them.

66 Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under your heavens O LORD.