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

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

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 into light.

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

For sure He has turned His hand against me again and again all day long.

4 H e hath worn out my flesh and my skin. He hath broken my bones.

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

5 H e hath built up against me, And setteth round poverty and weariness.

He has shut me in with trouble and suffering.

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

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

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

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

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

Even when I cry and call 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 stopped me with blocks of stone. He has made my paths no longer straight.

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

He is like a bear lying in wait, like a lion hiding 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 from the path and torn me to pieces. He has destroyed me.

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

He used His bow, and set me as a mark for His arrow.

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

He has taken out His arrows and sent them into my heart.

14 I have been a derision to all my people, Their song all the day.

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

15 H e hath filled me with bitter things, He hath filled me wormwood.

He has filled me with bitter feelings. He has made me drunk with wormwood.

16 A nd He breaketh with gravel my teeth, He hath covered me with ashes.

He has broken my teeth with rocks, and has covered me with dust.

17 A nd Thou castest off from peace my soul, I have forgotten prosperity.

Peace has left my soul. I have forgotten what it is like to be happy.

18 A nd I say, Perished hath my strength and my hope from Jehovah.

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

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

Remember my trouble and my traveling from place to place, the wormwood and bitter feelings.

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

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

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

But this I remember, and so I have hope.

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 loving-kindness that we are not destroyed for His loving-pity never ends.

23 N ew every morning, abundant thy faithfulness.

It is new every morning. He is so very faithful.

24 M y portion Jehovah, hath my soul said, Therefore I hope for Him.

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

25 G ood Jehovah to those waiting for Him, To the soul seeketh Him.

The Lord is good to those who wait for Him, to the one who looks for Him.

26 G ood! when one doth stay and stand still For the salvation of Jehovah.

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

27 G ood for a man that he beareth a yoke in his youth.

It is good for a man to carry the load while he is young.

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

Let him sit alone and be quiet when God has laid the load on 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 be hope yet.

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

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

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

For the Lord will not turn away from a man forever.

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

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

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

He does not want to cause trouble or sorrow for the children of men.

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

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

35 T o turn aside the judgment of a man, Over-against the face of the Most High,

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

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

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

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

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

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

Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both good and bad come?

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

Why should any living man complain about the punishment of his sins?

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

Let us test and look over our ways, and return to the Lord.

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

Let us lift up our heart and hands to God in heaven, saying,

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

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

43 T hou hast covered Thyself with anger, And dost pursue us; Thou hast slain -- Thou hast not pitied.

You have covered Yourself with anger and have followed us, killing 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 get through.

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

You have made us a waste and something that is not wanted among the nations.

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

All those who hate us have spoken against us.

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

Fear and a trap have come upon us. We are laid waste and destroyed.

48 R ivulets of water go down my eye, For the destruction of the daughter of my people.

My eyes flow with rivers of tears because my people are destroyed.

49 M ine eye is poured out, And doth not cease without intermission,

Tears flow from my eyes all the time without stopping,

50 T ill Jehovah looketh and seeth from the heavens,

until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees.

51 M y eye affecteth my soul, Because of all the daughters of my city.

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

52 H unted me sore as a bird have my enemies without cause.

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

53 T hey have cut off in a pit my life, And they cast a stone against me.

They threw me alive into the deep hole and have put a stone on me.

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

Water flowed over my head, and I said, “I am cut off!”

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

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

56 M y voice Thou hast heard, Hide not Thine ear at my breathing -- at my cry.

You have heard my voice. Do not close Your ears to my cry for help.

57 T hou hast drawn near in the day I call Thee, Thou hast said, Fear not.

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

58 T hou hast pleaded, O Lord, the pleadings of my soul, Thou hast redeemed my life.

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

59 T hou hast seen, O Jehovah, my overthrow, Judge Thou my cause.

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

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

You have seen how much they hate me and plan against me.

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

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

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

The lips and thoughts of those who hurt me are against me all day long.

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

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

64 T hou returnest to them the deed, O Jehovah, According to the work of their hands.

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

65 T hou givest to them a covered heart, Thy curse to them.

You will give them hard hearts, and curse them.

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

Go after them in anger and destroy them from under Your heavens, O Lord.