1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.

I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of His wrath.

2 H e hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.

He has led me and brought me into darkness and not light.

3 S urely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.

Surely He has turned away from me; His hand is against me all the day.

4 M y flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

My flesh and my skin has He worn out and made old; He has shattered my bones.

5 H e hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.

He has built up against me and surrounded me with bitterness, tribulation, and anguish.

6 H e hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

He has caused me to dwell in dark places like those long dead.

7 H e hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.

He walled me in so that I cannot get out; He has weighted down my chain.

8 Y ea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.

Even when I cry and shout for help, He shuts out my prayer.

9 H e hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.

He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone; He has made my paths crooked.

10 H e is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

He is to me like a bear lying in wait, and like a lion in secret places.

11 H e hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.

He has turned me off my ways and pulled me in pieces; He has made me desolate.

12 H e hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

He has bent His bow and set me as a mark for the arrow.

13 H e hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.

He has caused the arrows of His quiver to enter into my heart.

14 I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.

I have become a derision to all my people, and their singsong all the day.

15 H e hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.

He has filled me with bitterness; He has made me drink to excess and until drunken with wormwood.

16 H e hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes.

He has also broken my teeth with gravel (stones); He has covered me with ashes.

17 A nd thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.

And You have bereaved my soul and cast it off far from peace; I have forgotten what good and happiness are.

18 A nd I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah.

And I say, Perished is my strength and my expectation from the Lord.

19 R emember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

remember my affliction and my misery, my wandering and my outcast state, the wormwood and the gall.

20 M y soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.

My soul has them continually in remembrance and is bowed down within me.

21 T his I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.

But this I recall and therefore have I hope and expectation:

22 I t is of Jehovah's lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

It is because of the Lord’s mercy and loving-kindness that we are not consumed, because His compassions fail not.

23 T hey are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.

They are new every morning; great and abundant is Your stability and faithfulness.

24 J ehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

The Lord is my portion or share, says my living being (my inner self); therefore will I hope in Him and wait expectantly for Him.

25 J ehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

The Lord is good to those who wait hopefully and expectantly for Him, to those who seek Him.

26 I t is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.

It is good that one should hope in and wait quietly for the salvation (the safety and ease) of the Lord.

27 I t is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

It is good for a man that he should bear the yoke in his youth.

28 L et him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.

Let him sit alone uncomplaining and keeping silent, because has laid upon him.

29 L et him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.

Let him put his mouth in the dust —there may yet be hope.

30 L et him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.

Let him give his cheek to the One Who smites him; let him be filled with reproach.

31 F or the Lord will not cast off for ever.

For the Lord will not cast off forever!

32 F or though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.

But though He causes grief, yet will He be moved to compassion according to the multitude of His loving-kindness and tender mercy.

33 F or he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

For He does not willingly and from His heart afflict or grieve the children of men.

34 T o crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

To trample and crush underfoot all the prisoners of the earth,

35 T o turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

To turn aside and deprive a man of his rights before the face of the Most High or a superior,

36 T o subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.

To subvert a man in his cause— the Lord does not approve.

37 W ho is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?

Who is he who speaks and it comes to pass, if the Lord has not authorized and commanded it?

38 O ut of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?

Is it not out of the mouth of the Most High that evil and good both proceed ?

39 W herefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

Why does a living man sigh ? a man complain for the punishment of his sins?

40 L et us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.

Let us test and examine our ways, and let us return to the Lord!

41 L et us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven:

42 W e have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.

We have transgressed and rebelled and You have not pardoned.

43 T hou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

You have covered Yourself with wrath and pursued and afflicted us; You have slain without pity.

44 T hou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

You have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.

45 T hou hast made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.

You have made us offscouring and refuse among the nations.

46 A ll our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

All our enemies have gaped at us and railed against us.

47 F ear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.

Fear and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction.

48 M ine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

My eyes overflow with streams of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 M ine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

My eyes overflow continually and will not cease

50 T ill Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.

Until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven.

51 M ine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

My eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the maidens of my city.

52 T hey have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause.

I have been hunted down like a bird by those who were my enemies without cause.

53 T hey have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.

They destroyed my life in the dungeon (pit) and cast a stone above me.

54 W aters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.

The waters ran down on my head; I said, I am gone.

55 I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.

I called upon Your name, O Lord, out of the depths of the dungeon.

56 T hou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.

You heard my voice: hide not Your ear at my prayer for relief.

57 T hou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.

You drew near on the day I called to You; You said, Fear not.

58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.

O Lord, You have pleaded the causes of my soul; You have rescued and redeemed my life!

59 O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.

O Lord, You have seen my wrong; judge and maintain my cause.

60 T hou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.

You have seen all their vengeance, all their devices against me.

61 T hou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,

You have heard their reproach and revilings, O Lord, and all their devices against me—

62 T he lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.

The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all day long.

63 B ehold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.

Look at their sitting down and their rising up; I am their singsong.

64 T hou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.

Render to them a recompense, O Lord, according to the work of their hands.

65 T hou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.

You will give them hardness and blindness of heart; Your curse will be upon them.

66 T hou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.

You will pursue and afflict them in anger and destroy them from under Your heavens, O Lord.