1 I am the man who has been suffering because of the power of God’s anger.

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

2 H e has led me and brought me into darkness and not into light.

He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.

3 F or sure He has turned His hand against me again and again all day long.

Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.

4 H e has made my flesh and my skin waste away. He has broken my bones.

My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.

5 H e has shut me in with trouble and suffering.

He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.

6 H e has made me live in dark places, like those who have been dead a long time.

He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.

7 H e has put a wall around me so that I cannot go out. He has put heavy chains on me.

He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.

8 E ven when I cry and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.

Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.

9 H e has stopped me with blocks of stone. He has made my paths no longer straight.

He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.

10 H e is like a bear lying in wait, like a lion hiding in secret places.

He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.

11 H e has turned me from the path and torn me to pieces. He has destroyed me.

He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

12 H e used His bow, and set me as a mark for His arrow.

He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

13 H e has taken out His arrows and sent them into my heart.

He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.

14 A ll my people laugh at me. They sing songs that make fun of me all day long.

I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.

15 H e has filled me with bitter feelings. He has made me drunk with wormwood.

He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.

16 H e has broken my teeth with rocks, and has covered me with dust.

He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.

17 P eace has left my soul. I have forgotten what it is like to be happy.

And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.

18 S o I say, “My strength is gone, and so has my hope from the Lord.”

And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the Lord:

19 R emember my trouble and my traveling from place to place, the wormwood and bitter feelings.

Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.

20 I remember it always, and my soul bows down within me.

My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

21 B ut this I remember, and so I have hope.

This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

22 I t is because of the Lord’s loving-kindness that we are not destroyed for His loving-pity never ends.

It is of the Lord 's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.

23 I t is new every morning. He is so very faithful.

They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.

24 “ The Lord is my share.” says my soul, “so I have hope in Him.”

The Lord is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

25 T he Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the one who looks for Him.

The Lord is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.

26 I t is good that one should be quiet and wait for the saving power of the Lord.

It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord.

27 I t is good for a man to carry the load while he is young.

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

28 L et him sit alone and be quiet when God has laid the load on him.

He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.

29 L et him put his mouth in the dust. There may be hope yet.

He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.

30 L et him give his face to the one who hits him, and be filled with shame.

He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.

31 F or the Lord will not turn away from a man forever.

For the Lord will not cast off for ever:

32 F or if He causes sorrow, He will have loving-pity because of His great loving-kindness.

But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

33 H e does not want to cause trouble or sorrow for the children of men.

For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.

34 H e is not pleased when all those on earth who are in prison are crushed under foot.

To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth.

35 T he Most High is not pleased when the rights are kept away from a man who is before Him,

To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,

36 a nd when wrong is done to him in his cause. The Lord is not pleased with these things.

To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.

37 W ho has said that something would happen and then it did happen, unless the Lord has said that it should be?

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

38 I s it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and bad come?

Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?

39 W hy should any living man complain about the punishment of his sins?

Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

40 L et us test and look over our ways, and return to the Lord.

Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the Lord.

41 L et us lift up our heart and hands to God in heaven, saying,

Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

42 “ We have sinned and would not obey You, and You have not forgiven us.

We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.

43 Y ou have covered Yourself with anger and have followed us, killing without pity.

Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.

44 Y ou have covered Yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.

Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.

45 Y ou have made us a waste and something that is not wanted among the nations.

Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.

46 A ll those who hate us have spoken against us.

All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

47 F ear and a trap have come upon us. We are laid waste and destroyed.

Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.

48 M y eyes flow with rivers of tears because my people are destroyed.

Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 T ears flow from my eyes all the time without stopping,

Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission.

50 u ntil the Lord looks down from heaven and sees.

Till the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.

51 M y eyes bring me suffering because of what is happening to all the women of my city.

Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.

52 I have been hunted like a bird by those who hate me for no reason.

Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.

53 T hey threw me alive into the deep hole and have put a stone on me.

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

54 W ater flowed over my head, and I said, “I am cut off!”

Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.

55 I called on Your name, O Lord, out of the deep hole.

I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the low dungeon.

56 Y ou have heard my voice. Do not close Your ears to my cry for help.

Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.

57 Y ou came near when I called You, and You said, “Do not be afraid!”

Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.

58 Y ou have helped me in my cause, O Lord. You have saved my life.

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

59 O Lord, You have seen the wrong done to me. Judge in my favor.

O Lord, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.

60 Y ou have seen how much they hate me and plan against me.

Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.

61 O Lord, You have heard how they put me to shame and how they work against me.

Thou hast heard their reproach, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me;

62 T he lips and thoughts of those who hurt me are against me all day long.

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

63 W atch their sitting down and standing up. I am their song as they make fun of me.

Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.

64 O Lord, You will punish them for what they have done.

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

65 Y ou will give them hard hearts, and curse them.

Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.

66 G o after them in anger and destroy them from under Your heavens, O Lord.

Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the Lord.