1 | I AM the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. |
2 | He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, 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 skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. |
5 | He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. |
6 | He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old. |
7 | He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy. |
8 | Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer. |
9 | He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. |
10 | He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and 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 was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day. |
15 | He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood. |
16 | He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes. |
17 | And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity. |
18 | And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD: |
19 | Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. |
20 | My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me. |
21 | This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope. |
22 | It is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because 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 both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD. |
27 | It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. |
28 | He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him. |
29 | He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. |
30 | He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. |
31 | For the LORD will not cast off for ever: |
32 | But 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 his feet 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 man for the punishment of his sins? |
40 | Let us search and try our ways, and turn again 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 persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. |
44 | Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through. |
45 | Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people. |
46 | All our enemies have opened their mouths against us. |
47 | Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction. |
48 | Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people. |
49 | Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, |
50 | Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven. |
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 have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. |
54 | Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off. |
55 | I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. |
56 | Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, 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 imaginations against me. |
61 | Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me; |
62 | The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. |
63 | Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick. |
64 | Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. |
65 | Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them. |
66 | Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD. |