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¹ I am a man who has seen misery,
under the rod of his wrath.
² He has driven me along, he brought
    darkness and not light.
³ Surely he has turned his hand against me,
    all day long.
⁴ He has worn out my flesh and skin,
    he has broken my bones.
⁵ He has besieged^[a] and engulfed me
    with bitterness and hardship.
⁶ In darkness he has let me dwell
    like the dead of long ago.
⁷ He has built a wall around me, I cannot go out;
    he has made my bronze fetters heavy.
⁸ Though I cry out for help,
    he shuts out my prayers.
⁹ He has blocked my ways with dressed stones;
    he has made my paths crooked.
¹⁰ To me he is like a bear lying in wait,
    a lion in hiding.
¹¹ He has forsaken my way and torn me to pieces;
    he has caused me desolation.
¹² He has bent his bow and set me
    as the target for the arrow.
¹³ He shot the arrows of his quiver^[b]
    into my kidneys.
¹⁴ I have become a laughingstock for all the people,
    their mocking song all day long.
¹⁵ He has filled me with bitterness,
    he has drenched me with wormwood.
¹⁶ He has broken my teeth on grit,
    he has trampled me down in ash.
¹⁷ My life has been removed from peace,
    I have forgotten goodness.
¹⁸ And I have said, "My glory is ruined,
    my expectation from Yahweh."
¹⁹ Remember my misery and bitterness,
    the wormwood^[c] and venom!
²⁰ Surely my soul remembers
    and bows down within me.
²¹ This I have reminded myself,^[d]
    therefore I will hope.
²² The loyal love of Yahweh does not cease;
    his compassions do not come to an end.
²³ They are new in the morning,
    great is your faithfulness.
²⁴ "Yahweh is my portion,"
    says my soul,
        "Thus I will hope on him."
²⁵ Yahweh is good to those who wait on him,
    to the person that seeks him.
²⁶ It is good to wait in silence
    for the salvation of Yahweh.
²⁷ It is good for a man who carries
    the yoke of his childhood.
²⁸ Let him sit alone and be silent
    when he^[e] has laid it on him.
²⁹ Let him put^[f] his mouth in the dust;
    perhaps there is hope.
³⁰ Let him give a cheek to his smiter,
    let him be filled with disgrace.
³¹ For the Lord will not reject
    forever.
³² For even though he causes grief he has compassion
    according to the greatness of his royal love.
³³ He does not afflict willingly,^[g]
    or grieve anyone.^[h]
34 To crush under his feet
    all the prisoners of the earth;
³⁵ to deprive one of justice^[i]
    before the face of the Most High;
³⁶ to subvert a person in a legal dispute
    —the Lord has not found delight in these things.
³⁷ Who can speak^[j] and it will happen
    if the Lord has not commanded it?
³⁸ Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
    that disaster and good will come?
³⁹ Why should any living person complain
    about his sin?
⁴⁰ Let us test and examine our ways;
    let us return to Yahweh.
⁴¹ Let us lift up our hearts with our hands
    to God in the heavens.
⁴² We ourselves have transgressed and rebelled,
    you have not forgiven.
⁴³ You have covered yourself in anger^[k] and pursued us,
    you have slain and not shown mercy.
⁴⁴ You have covered yourself in a cloud
    so that prayer cannot pass through.^[l]
45 You have made us scum and refuse
    in the midst of the nations.
⁴⁶ All our enemies
    have opened their mouth against us.
⁴⁷ Fear and a pit have come upon us,
    desolation and destruction.
⁴⁸ Channels of water run down my eyes
    because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
⁴⁹ My eyes have poured down unceasingly
    without respite,
⁵⁰ until Yahweh looks down
    and sees from heaven.
⁵¹ My eyes inflict my soul
    because of all the daughters of my city.
⁵² My enemies hunt me without cause,
    like a bird.
⁵³ They have silenced me in a pit,^[m]
    they have thrown a stone at me.
⁵⁴ Water has flown over my head,
    I said, "I am cut off."
⁵⁵ I have called your name, O Yahweh,
    from the depths of the pit.
⁵⁶ You have heard my cry, "Do not shut your ear
    to my cry for help, for my relief!"
⁵⁷ You came near on a day when I called you,
    you said, "Do not fear!"
⁵⁸ O Lord, you have pleaded for my cause,^[n]
    you have redeemed my life.
⁵⁹ You have seen my injustice, O Yahweh;
    judge my case.
⁶⁰ You have seen all their vengeance,
    all there plans against me.
⁶¹ You have heard their disgrace, O Yahweh,
    all their plans against me.
⁶² The lips and meditation of my assailants
    are against me all day long.
⁶³ Look at their sitting and their standing,
    I am their mocking song.
⁶⁴ Return to them what is deserved, O Yahweh,
    according to the work of their hands.
⁶⁵ Give them a stubborn heart;
    curse them!
⁶⁶ Pursue them in anger^[o] and destroy them
    from under the heavens of Yahweh.