1I am the man who has seen trouble by the rod of his fury. 2By him I have been made to go in the dark and not in the light. 3Truly against me his hand has been turned again and again all day long. 4My flesh and my skin have been used up by him and my bones broken. 5He built a wall against me, shutting me in with hardship and bitter sorrow. 6He kept me in dark places, like those who have been dead a long time. 7He built a wall around me so that I am unable to go out. He made a heavy chain for me. 8Even when I send up a cry for help, he shuts out my prayer. 9He blocked my way with cut stones. He twisted my roadways. 10He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places. 11He has turned me on one side. I have been pulled to bits and lay desolate. 12With his bow bent, he made me the target for his arrows. 13He has let fly his arrows into the inmost parts of my body. 14I have become the laughingstock of all the peoples. I am their mocking song all the day. 15He has made my life nothing but pain. He gives me bitterness in full measure. 16He broke my teeth with crushed stones. I am bent low in the dust. 17Peace has been removed far away from me. I do not remember what good is. 18I said: »My strength is cut off, and my hope from Jehovah.« 19Remember my trouble and my wandering, the bitterroot and the poison. 20Remember and bow bendcome down to my level down deep within me. 21I remember this and I have hope. 22We have not come to destruction because of Jehovah’s loving kindness. His mercies are without end. 23They are new every morning. Your faithfulness is abundant. 24I said to myself, »Jehovah is my heritage. For this reason I will hope in him.« 25Jehovah is good to those who are waiting for him, to the person seeking him. 26It is good to go on hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of Jehovah. 27It is good for a man to carry the yoke when he is young. 28Let him sit by himself and keep silent because he has laid it on him. 29Let him put his mouth in the dust for perhaps there exists hope. 30Let his face be turned to him who gives him blows; let him be full of shame. 31Jehovah does not give a man up for a very long time. 32For though he sends grief, still he will have pity in the full measure of his love. 33He takes no pleasure in troubling and causing grief to the children of men, it is not within his heart. 34A man crushes under his feet all the prisoners of the earth. 35He turns away the judgment of a man before the face of the Most High. 36Jehovah would not seek to deprive a man of justice. 37Who is able to say something should occur if Jehovah has not ordered it. 38Do not calamities and good things come from the mouth of the Most High? 39What protest may a living man make? Can a man protest about the punishment for his sin? 40Let us search and put our ways to the test. Let us turn again to Jehovah. 41Let us lift up our hearts along with our hands to God in heaven. 42For we have done wrong. We have rebelled against your law. We have not received your forgiveness. 43You blocked our approach to you with anger. You have slain us without compassion. 44You covered yourself with a cloud, so that prayer may not pass through. 45You made us like waste and that for which there is no use, among the peoples. 46The mouths of all our enemies are open wide against us. 47Fear and deep waters have come on us with devastation and destruction. 48Rivers of water run down from my eyes because pf the destruction of the daughter of my people. 49My eyes stream without stopping. They have no rest. 50Jehovah looks down and sees from heaven. 51My eyes bring me pain because of all the daughters of my town. 52My enemies hunt for me just as if I was a bird. 53They sentence my life to prison and keep hurling stones at me. 54Waters were flowing over my head; I said: »I am cut off.« 55I called out your name in prayer, O Jehovah, out of the lowest prison. 56My voice came to you, »Do not shut your ear to my relief, to my cry!« 57You came near in the day when I offered my prayer to you. You said: »Have no fear.« 58O Jehovah, you have taken up my cause. You made my life safe. 59O Jehovah, you saw the wrong done to me. Do conduct the judgment for me! 60You saw all the evil they did to me and all their designs against me. 61Their bitter words have come to your ears, O Jehovah, and all their designs against me. 62You saw the lips of those who came up against me, and their thoughts against me all the day. 63Take note of them when they are seated and when they get up. I am their mockery of song. 64You will give them their reward, O Jehovah. Answer the work of their hands. 65You will cover their hearts with your curse on them. 66You will go after them in anger and annihilate them from under the heavens of Jehovah.