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

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

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

He has led me and made me walk In darkness and not in light.

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

Surely He has turned His hand against me Time and time again throughout the day.

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

He has aged my flesh and my skin, And broken my bones.

5 H e has built against me, and surrounded me with gall and travail.

He has besieged me And surrounded me with bitterness and woe.

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

He has set me in dark places Like the dead of long ago.

7 H e has walled me about, that I can’t go out; he has made my chain heavy.

He has hedged me in so that I cannot get out; He has made my chain heavy.

8 Y es, when I cry, and call for help, he shuts out my prayer.

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

9 H e has walled up my ways with cut stone; he has made my paths crooked.

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

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

He has been to me a bear lying in wait, Like a lion in ambush.

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

He has turned aside my ways and torn me in pieces; He has made me desolate.

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

He has bent His bow And set me up as a target for the arrow.

13 H e has caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my kidneys.

He has caused the arrows of His quiver To pierce my loins.

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

I have become the ridicule of all my people— Their taunting song all the day.

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

He has filled me with bitterness, He has made me drink wormwood.

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

He has also broken my teeth with gravel, And covered me with ashes.

17 Y ou have removed my soul far off from peace; I forgot prosperity.

You have moved my soul far from peace; I have forgotten prosperity.

18 I said, My strength is perished, and my expectation from Yahweh.

And I said, “My strength and my hope Have perished from the Lord.”

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

Remember my affliction and roaming, The wormwood and the gall.

20 M y soul still remembers them, and is bowed down within me.

My soul still remembers And sinks within me.

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

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

22 I t is because of Yahweh’s loving kindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassion doesn’t fail.

Through the Lord ’s mercies we are not consumed, Because His compassions fail not.

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

They are new every morning; Great is Your faithfulness.

24 Y ahweh is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I hope in him.

“The Lord is my portion,” says my soul, “Therefore I hope in Him!”

25 Y ahweh is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, To the soul who seeks Him.

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

It is good that one should hope and wait quietly For the salvation 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 to bear The yoke in his youth.

28 L et him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid it on him.

Let him sit alone and keep silent, Because God has laid it on 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 who strikes him; let him be filled full with reproach.

Let him give his cheek to the one who strikes him, And be full of reproach.

31 F or the Lord will not cast off forever.

For the Lord will not cast off forever.

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

Though He causes grief, Yet He will show compassion According to the multitude of His mercies.

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

For He does not afflict willingly, Nor grieve the children of men.

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

To crush under one’s feet 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 the justice due a man Before the face of the Most High,

36 T o subvert a man in his cause, the Lord doesn’t approve.

Or subvert a man in his cause— The Lord does not approve.

37 W ho is he who says, and it comes to pass, when the Lord doesn’t command it?

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

38 D oesn’t evil and good come out of the mouth of the Most High?

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High That woe and well-being proceed?

39 W hy does a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?

Why should a living man complain, A man for the punishment of his sins?

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

Let us search out and examine our ways, And turn back to the Lord;

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

Let us lift our hearts and hands To God in heaven.

42 W e have transgressed and have rebelled; you have not pardoned.

We have transgressed and rebelled; You have not pardoned.

43 Y ou have covered with anger and pursued us; you have killed, you have not pitied.

You have covered Yourself with anger And pursued us; You have slain and not pitied.

44 Y ou have covered yourself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

You have covered Yourself with a cloud, That prayer should not pass through.

45 Y ou have made us an off-scouring and refuse in the middle of the peoples.

You have made us an offscouring and refuse In the midst of the peoples.

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

All our enemies Have opened their mouths against us.

47 F ear and the pit have come on us, devastation and destruction.

Fear and a snare have come upon us, Desolation and destruction.

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

My eyes overflow with rivers of water For the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49 M y eye pours down, and doesn’t cease, without any intermission,

My eyes flow and do not cease, Without interruption,

50 U ntil Yahweh look down, and see from heaven.

Till the Lord from heaven Looks down and sees.

51 M y eye affects my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

My eyes bring suffering to my soul Because of all the daughters of my city.

52 T hey have chased me relentlessly like a bird, those who are my enemies without cause.

My enemies without cause Hunted me down like a bird.

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

They silenced my life in the pit And threw stones at me.

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

The waters flowed over my head; I said, “I am cut off!”

55 I called on your name, Yahweh, out of the lowest dungeon.

I called on Your name, O Lord, From the lowest pit.

56 Y ou heard my voice; don’t hide your ear at my breathing, at my cry.

You have heard my voice: “Do not hide Your ear From my sighing, from my cry for help.”

57 Y ou came near in the day that I called on you; you said, Don’t be afraid.

You drew near on the day I called on You, And said, “Do not fear!”

58 L ord, you have pleaded the causes of my soul; you have redeemed my life.

O Lord, You have pleaded the case for my soul; You have redeemed my life.

59 Y ahweh, you have seen my wrong. Judge my cause.

O Lord, You have seen how I am wronged; Judge my case.

60 Y ou have seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.

You have seen all their vengeance, All their schemes against me.

61 Y ou have heard their reproach, Yahweh, and all their devices against me,

You have heard their reproach, O Lord, All their schemes against me,

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

The lips of my enemies And their whispering against me all the day.

63 Y ou see their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.

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

64 Y ou will render to them a recompense, Yahweh, according to the work of their hands.

Repay them, O Lord, According to the work of their hands.

65 Y ou will give them hardness of heart, your curse to them.

Give them a veiled heart; Your curse be upon them!

66 Y ou will pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Yahweh.

In Your anger, Pursue and destroy them From under the heavens of the Lord.