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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 worn out; 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 hedged 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 enclosed 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 arrows 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 made me to wallow in ashes.¹⁷ And my soul is removed far off from peace, I forgot prosperity.¹⁸ And I said: 'My strength is perished, and mine expectation from the LORD.' ¹⁹ Remember mine affliction and mine anguish, 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 Surely the LORD'S mercies are not consumed, surely 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 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 be 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 proceedeth not evil and good?³⁹ Wherefore doth a living man complain, a strong man because of his sins? ⁴⁰ Let us search and try our ways, and return 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 unsparingly.⁴⁴ Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can 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 Terror and the pit are come upon us, desolation and destruction.⁴⁸ Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the breach of the daughter of my people. ⁴⁹ Mine eye is poured out, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,⁵⁰ Till the LORD look forth, and behold from heaven.⁵¹ Mine eye affected 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 stones upon me.⁵⁴ Waters flowed over my 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 sighing, 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 taunt, O LORD, and all their devices against me;⁶² The lips of those that rose up against me, and their muttering 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 recompense, 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.