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¹ I Am the man that hath seene affliction by the rod of his wrath. ² He hath led me and brought mee into darkenesse, but not into light. ³ Surely against me is he turned, he turneth his hand against me all the day. ⁴ My flesh and my skinne hath he made old, he hath broken my bones. ⁵ He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and trauel. ⁶ He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead of old. ⁷ He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: hee hath made my chaine heauie. ⁸ Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. ⁹ Hee hath inclosed my wayes with hewen stone: he hath made my pathes crooked. ¹⁰ He was vnto me as a Beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places. ¹¹ Hee hath turned aside my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: hee hath made me desolate. ¹² He hath bent his bow, and set me as a marke for the arrow. ¹³ Hee hath caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines. ¹⁴ I was a derision to all my people, and their song all the day. ¹⁵ Hee hath filled me with bitternesse, hee hath made me drunken with wormewood. ¹⁶ He hath also broken my teeth with grauell stones, hee hath couered me with ashes. ¹⁷ And thou hast remoued my soule farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie. ¹⁸ And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord: ¹⁹ Remembring mine affliction and my miserie, the wormewood & the gall. ²⁰ My soule hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

²¹ This I recall to my mind, therefore haue I hope. ²² It is of the Lords mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not. ²³ They are newe euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse. ²⁴ The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule, therefore will I hope in him. ²⁵ The Lord is good vnto them that waite for him, to the soule that seeketh him. ²⁶ It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the saluation of the Lord. ²⁷ It is good for a man that he beare the yoke in his youth. ²⁸ Hee sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because hee hath borne it vpon him. ²⁹ He putteth his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. ³⁰ Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him, hee is filled full with reproch. ³¹ For the Lord will not cast off for euer. ³² But though hee cause griefe, yet will hee haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. ³³ For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieue the children of men. ³⁴ To crush vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth, ³⁵ To turne aside the right of a man before the face of the most high, ³⁶ To subuert a man in his cause, the Lord approoueth not.

³⁷ Who is hee that sayth, and it commeth to passe, when the Lord commandeth it not? ³⁸ Out of the mouth of the most hie proceedeth not euill and good? ³⁹ Wherefore doeth a liuing man complaine, a man for the punishment of his sinnes? ⁴⁰ Let vs search and try our waies, and turne againe to the Lord. ⁴¹ Let vs lift vp our heart with our hands vnto God in the heauens.

⁴² We haue transgressed, and haue rebelled, thou hast not pardoned. ⁴³ Thou hast couered with anger, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine, thou hast not pitied. ⁴⁴ Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloud, that our prayer should not passe through. ⁴⁵ Thou hast made vs as the offscouring and refuse in the middest of the people. ⁴⁶ All our enemies haue opened their mouthes against vs. ⁴⁷ Feare and a snare is come vpon vs, desolation and destruction. ⁴⁸ Mine eye runneth downe with riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people. ⁴⁹ Mine eye trickleth downe and ceaseth not, without any intermission: ⁵⁰ Till the Lord looke downe, and behold from heauen. ⁵¹ Mine eye affecteth mine heart, because of all the daughters of my city. ⁵² Mine enemies chased me sore like a bird, without cause. ⁵³ They haue cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me. ⁵⁴ Waters flowed ouer mine head, then I sayd, I am cut off.

⁵⁵ I called vpon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon. ⁵⁶ Thou hast heard my voice, hide not thine eare at my breathing, at my crie. ⁵⁷ Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saidst, Feare not. ⁵⁸ O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soule, thou hast redeemed my life. ⁵⁹ O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause. ⁶⁰ Thou hast seene all their vengeance; and all their imaginations against me. ⁶¹ Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me: ⁶² The lippes of those that rose vp against me, and their deuice against me all the day. ⁶³ Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, I am their musicke. ⁶⁴ Render vnto them a recompense, O Lord, according to the worke of their hands. ⁶⁵ Giue them sorrow of heart, thy curse vnto them. ⁶⁶ Persecute and destroy them in anger, from vnder the heauens of the Lord.