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¹ O MIGHTY God, see my affliction; I am chastised by the rod of his wrath.² He has led me, but I walked in darkness and not in light.³ But surely is he turned against me, he turns his hand against me all the day.⁴ My flesh and my skin he has made old; he has broken my bones.⁵ He has built ramparts against me, and compassed me with bitterness and travail.⁶ He has made me to dwell in darkness, like a dead man for ever.⁷ He has hedged me about, that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy.⁸ Though I beseech and pray, he does not hearken to my prayer.⁹ He has enclosed my ways with thorns, he has made my paths crooked.¹⁰ He has been to me as a wolf lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.¹¹ He has made my ways crooked, and cut me to pieces; he has made me desolate.¹² He has bent his bow, and set me up as a mark for the arrow.¹³ Behold, he has caused his arrows to enter into my reins.¹⁴ I have become the ridicule of all nations; and their scoffing song all the day.¹⁵ He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood.¹⁶ He has broken my teeth with a stone, he has covered me with ashes.¹⁷ My soul has gone astray from peace, I have forgotten prosperity.¹⁸ And I said, My fame and my hope are perished from the LORD.¹⁹ Remember my affliction and my chastisement, the bitterness and the sorrow.²⁰ Remember and restore my life.

²¹ This I recall to mind; therefore I have hope in God.²² Surely the kindness of the LORD never ceases and his mercies never fail.²³ They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.²⁴ The LORD is my portion, says my soul; therefore I will hope in him.²⁵ The LORD is good to him who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him.²⁶ It is good for a man that he should hope for both the truth and the salvation of the LORD.²⁷ It is good for a man that he bear thy yoke in his youth.²⁸ Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid thy yoke upon him.²⁹ Let him humble himself, for there is hope.³⁰ Let him turn his cheek to him that smites him; let him be filled with reproach.³¹ For the LORD will not forget for ever.³² But though he cause affliction, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.³³ For he does not afflict willingly, but he afflicts the children of the mighty men,³⁴ To subdue under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,³⁵ To turn aside the right of a man toward the face of the Most High.³⁶ To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD does not approve.

³⁷ Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when the LORD has not commanded it?³⁸ Out of the mouth of the Most High evil and good do not come.³⁹ Therefore, why should a living man question concerning punishment for his sins?⁴⁰ Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.⁴¹ Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in heaven.

⁴² We have transgressed and rebelled; and thou hast not pardoned.⁴³ Thou hast covered us with thy anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.⁴⁴ Thou hast covered thyself with thy cloud; thou hast let our prayer pass by.⁴⁵ Thou hast made us uprooted and despised among the peoples.⁴⁶ My eyes run down with tears and do not cease, because there is no comforter,⁴⁷ Till the LORD look down and behold from heaven.⁴⁸ My eyes are worn with tears because of the destruction of all the daughters of the cities of my people.⁴⁹ All our enemies speak evil against us.⁵⁰ Fear and trembling have come upon us, a snare and destruction.⁵¹ I wept vehemently over the destruction of the daughter of my people.⁵² My enemies have hunted me like a bird, without cause.⁵³ They have cut off my life in a pit; they cast stones at me.⁵⁴ Water flowed over my head; then I said, I am cast far off.

⁵⁵ I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the depths of the pit.⁵⁶ Thou didst hear my voice; turn not thine ear to my cry; but relieve me and save me.⁵⁷ Thou didst draw near in the day when I called upon thee; thou didst say, Fear not.⁵⁸ O LORD, thou hast pleaded my cause; thou hast saved my life.⁵⁹ O LORD, thou hast seen my affliction; thou hast judged my cause.⁶⁰ Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.⁶¹ Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and their devices against me,⁶² The lips of those who rose up against me and their devices against me all day long.⁶³ Behold their conduct and their behavior I do understand, because of their devices.⁶⁴ Render to them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.⁶⁵ Give them sorrow of heart; let thy affliction pursue them.⁶⁶ Destroy them in thine anger from under thy heavens, O LORD.