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¹ I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.² He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness and not in light.³ Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.⁴ My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.⁵ He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.⁶ He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.⁷ He hath fenced me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.⁸ Yea, when I cry and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.⁹ He hath fenced up my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.¹⁰ He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.¹¹ He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.¹² He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.¹³ He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.¹⁴ I am become a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.¹⁵ He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.¹⁶ He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.¹⁷ And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.¹⁸ And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.¹⁹ Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.²⁰ My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.

²¹ This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.²² It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.²³ They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.²⁴ The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.²⁵ The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.²⁶ It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.²⁷ It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.²⁸ Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.²⁹ Let him put his mouth in the dust; if so be there may he hope.³⁰ Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.³¹ For the Lord will not cast off for ever.³² For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.³³ For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.³⁴ To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,³⁵ To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,³⁶ To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.

³⁷ Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?³⁸ Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?³⁹ Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?⁴⁰ Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.⁴¹ Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

⁴² We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.⁴³ Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.⁴⁴ Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.⁴⁵ Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.⁴⁶ all our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.⁴⁷ Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.⁴⁸ Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.⁴⁹ Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,⁵⁰ Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.⁵¹ Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.⁵² They have chased me sore like a bird, that are mine enemies without cause.⁵³ They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.⁵⁴ Waters flowed over mine head; I said, I am cut off.

⁵⁵ I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the lowest dungeon.⁵⁶ Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.⁵⁷ Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.⁵⁸ O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.⁵⁹ O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.⁶⁰ Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.⁶¹ Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their devices against me;⁶² The lips of those that rose up against me, and their imagination against me all the day.⁶³ Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.⁶⁴ Thou wilt render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.⁶⁵ Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.⁶⁶ Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.