Read the Bible

¹ I am a man who has seen the suffering
    that comes from the rod of the Lord's anger.
² He led me
    into darkness, not light.
³ He turned his hand against me
    again and again, all day long.

⁴ He wore out my flesh and skin
    and broke my bones.
⁵ He surrounded me with sadness
    and attacked me with grief.
⁶ He made me sit in the dark,
    like those who have been dead a long time.

⁷ He shut me in so I could not get out;
    he put heavy chains on me.
⁸ I cry out and beg for help,
    but he ignores my prayer.
⁹ He blocked my way with a stone wall
    and led me in the wrong direction.

¹⁰ He is like a bear ready to attack me,
    like a lion in hiding.
¹¹ He led me the wrong way and let me stray
    and left me without help.
¹² He prepared to shoot his bow
    and made me the target for his arrows.

¹³ He shot me in the kidneys
    with the arrows from his bag.
¹⁴ I was a joke to all my people,
    who make fun of me with songs all day long.
¹⁵ The Lord filled me with misery;
    he made me drunk with suffering.

¹⁶ He broke my teeth with gravel
    and trampled me into the dirt.
¹⁷ I have no more peace.
    I have forgotten what happiness is.
¹⁸ I said, "My strength is gone,
    and I have no hope in the Lord."

¹⁹ Lord, remember my suffering and my misery,
    my sorrow and trouble.
²⁰ Please remember me
    and think about me.
²¹ But I have hope
    when I think of this:

²² The Lord's love never ends;
    his mercies never stop.
²³ They are new every morning;
    Lord, your loyalty is great.
²⁴ I say to myself, "The Lord is mine,
    so I hope in him."

²⁵ The Lord is good to those who hope in him,
    to those who seek him.
²⁶ It is good to wait quietly
    for the Lord to save.
²⁷ It is good for someone to work hard
    while he is young.

²⁸ He should sit alone and be quiet;
    the Lord has given him hard work to do.
²⁹ He should bow down to the ground;
    maybe there is still hope.
³⁰ He should let anyone slap his cheek;
    he should be filled with shame.

³¹ The Lord will not reject
    his people forever.
³² Although he brings sorrow,
    he also has mercy and great love.
³³ He does not like to punish people
    or make them sad.

³⁴ He sees if any prisoner of the earth
    is crushed under his feet;
³⁵ he sees if someone is treated unfairly
    before the Most High God;
³⁶ the Lord sees
    if someone is cheated in his case in court.

³⁷ Nobody can speak and have it happen
    unless the Lord commands it.
³⁸ Both bad and good things
    come by the command of the Most High God.
³⁹ No one should complain
    when he is punished for his sins.

⁴⁰ Let us examine and see what we have done
    and then return to the Lord.
⁴¹ Let us lift up our hands and pray from our hearts
    to God in heaven:
⁴² "We have sinned and turned against you,
    and you have not forgiven us.

⁴³ "You wrapped yourself in anger and chased us;
    you killed us without mercy.
⁴⁴ You wrapped yourself in a cloud,
    and no prayer could get through.
⁴⁵ You made us like scum and trash
    among the other nations.

⁴⁶ "All of our enemies
    open their mouths and speak against us.
⁴⁷ We have been frightened and fearful,
    ruined and destroyed."
⁴⁸ Streams of tears flow from my eyes,
    because my people are destroyed.

⁴⁹ My tears flow continually,
    without stopping,
⁵⁰ until the Lord looks down
    and sees from heaven.
⁵¹ I am sad when I see
    what has happened to all the women of my city.

⁵² Those who are my enemies for no reason
    hunted me like a bird.
⁵³ They tried to kill me in a pit;
    they threw stones at me.
⁵⁴ Water came up over my head,
    and I said, "I am going to die."
⁵⁵ I called out to you, Lord,
    from the bottom of the pit.
⁵⁶ You heard me calling, "Do not close your ears
    and ignore my gasps and shouts."
⁵⁷ You came near when I called to you;
    you said, "Don't be afraid."

⁵⁸ Lord, you have taken my case
    and given me back my life.
⁵⁹ Lord, you have seen how I have been wronged.
    Now judge my case for me.
⁶⁰ You have seen how my enemies took revenge on me
    and made evil plans against me.

⁶¹ Lord, you have heard their insults
    and all their evil plans against me.
⁶² The words and thoughts of my enemies
    are against me all the time.
⁶³ Look! In everything they do
    they make fun of me with songs.

⁶⁴ Pay them back, Lord,
    for what they have done.
⁶⁵ Make them stubborn,
    and put your curse on them.
⁶⁶ Chase them in anger, Lord,
    and destroy them from under your heavens.