1 I the man hath seen affliction By the rod of His wrath.

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

2 M e He hath led, and causeth to go darkness, and without light.

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

3 S urely against me He turneth back, He turneth His hand all the day.

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

4 H e hath worn out my flesh and my skin. 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 built up against me, And setteth round poverty and weariness.

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

6 I n dark places He hath caused me to dwell, As the dead of old.

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

7 H e hath hedged me about, and I go not out, He hath made heavy my fetter.

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

8 A lso when I call and cry out, He hath shut out my prayer.

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

9 H e hath hedged my ways with hewn work, My paths He hath made crooked.

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

10 A bear lying in wait He to me, A lion in secret hiding-places.

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

11 M y ways He is turning aside, and He pulleth me in pieces, He hath made me a desolation.

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

12 H e hath trodden His bow, And setteth me up as a mark for an arrow.

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

13 H e hath caused to enter into my reins The sons of His quiver.

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

14 I have been a derision to all my people, 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 bitter things, He hath filled me wormwood.

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

16 A nd He breaketh with gravel my teeth, 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 castest off from peace my soul, I have forgotten 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 say, Perished hath my strength and my hope from Jehovah.

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

19 R emember my affliction and my mourning, Wormwood and gall!

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

20 R emember well, and bow down doth my soul in me.

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

21 T his I turn to my heart -- therefore I hope.

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

22 T he kindnesses of Jehovah! For we have not been consumed, For not ended have His mercies.

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

23 N ew every morning, abundant thy faithfulness.

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

24 M y portion Jehovah, hath my soul said, Therefore I hope for 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 G ood Jehovah to those waiting for Him, To the soul seeketh Him.

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

26 G ood! when one doth stay and stand still 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 G ood for a man that he beareth a yoke in his youth.

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

28 H e sitteth alone, and is silent, For He hath laid upon him.

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

29 H e putteth in the dust his mouth, if so be there is hope.

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

30 H e giveth to his smiter the cheek, He is filled with reproach.

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

31 F or the Lord doth not cast off to the age.

For the Lord will not cast off forever!

32 F or though He afflicted, yet He hath pitied, According to the abundance of His kindness.

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 hath not afflicted with His heart, Nor doth He grieve the sons of men.

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

34 T o bruise under one's feet any bound ones of earth,

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

35 T o turn aside the judgment of a man, Over-against 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 hath not approved.

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

37 W ho this -- he hath said, and it is, the Lord hath not commanded ?

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

38 F rom the mouth of the Most High Go not forth the evils and the good.

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

39 W hat -- sigh habitually doth a living man, A man for his sin?

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

40 W e search our ways, and investigate, And turn back unto Jehovah.

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

41 W e lift up our heart on the hands unto God in the heavens.

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

42 W e -- we have transgressed and rebelled, Thou -- Thou hast not forgiven.

We have transgressed and rebelled and You have not pardoned.

43 T hou hast covered Thyself with anger, And dost pursue 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 prayer doth not pass through.

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

45 O ffscouring and refuse Thou dost make us In the midst of the peoples.

You have made us offscouring and refuse among the nations.

46 O pened against us their mouth have all our enemies.

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

47 F ear and a snare hath been for us, Desolation and destruction.

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

48 R ivulets of water go down my eye, 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 is poured out, And doth not cease without intermission,

My eyes overflow continually and will not cease

50 T ill Jehovah looketh and seeth from the heavens,

Until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven.

51 M y 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 H unted me sore as a bird have my 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 in a pit my life, And they cast a stone against me.

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

54 F lowed have waters over my head, I have said, I have been cut off.

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

55 I called Thy name, O Jehovah, from the lower pit.

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

56 M y voice Thou hast heard, 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 hast drawn near in the day I call Thee, Thou hast said, Fear not.

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

58 T hou hast pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings 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 T hou hast seen, O Jehovah, my overthrow, Judge Thou my cause.

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

60 T hou hast seen all their vengeance, All their thoughts of me.

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

61 T hou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, All their thoughts against me,

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

62 T he lips of my withstanders, Even their meditation against me all the day.

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

63 T heir sitting down, and their rising up, Behold attentively, I their song.

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

64 T hou returnest to them the deed, 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 givest to them a covered heart, Thy curse to them.

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

66 T hou pursuest in anger, and destroyest them, From under the heavens of Jehovah!

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