• 1. ¶ O MIGHTY God, see my affliction; I am chastised by the rod of his wrath.
  • 2. He has led me, but I walked in darkness and not in light.
  • 3. But surely is he turned against me, he turns his hand against me all the day.
  • 4. My flesh and my skin he has made old; he has broken my bones.
  • 5. He has built ramparts against me, and compassed me with bitterness and travail.
  • 6. He has made me to dwell in darkness, like a dead man for ever.
  • 7. He has hedged me about, that I cannot escape; he has made my chains heavy.
  • 8. Though I beseech and pray, he does not hearken to my prayer.
  • 9. He has enclosed my ways with thorns, he has made my paths crooked.
  • 10. He has been to me as a wolf lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
  • 11. He has made my ways crooked, and cut me to pieces; he has made me desolate.
  • 12. He has bent his bow, and set me up as a mark for the arrow.
  • 13. Behold, he has caused his arrows to enter into my reins.
  • 14. I have become the ridicule of all nations; and their scoffing song all the day.
  • 15. He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunken with wormwood.
  • 16. He has broken my teeth with a stone, he has covered me with ashes.
  • 17. My soul has gone astray from peace, I have forgotten prosperity.
  • 18. And I said, My fame and my hope are perished from the LORD.
  • 19. Remember my affliction and my chastisement, the bitterness and the sorrow.
  • 20. Remember and restore my life.
  • 21. ¶ This I recall to mind; therefore I have hope in God.
  • 22. Surely the kindness of the LORD never ceases and his mercies never fail.
  • 23. They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
  • 24. The LORD is my portion, says my soul; therefore I will hope in him.
  • 25. The LORD is good to him who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him.
  • 26. It is good for a man that he should hope for both the truth and the salvation of the LORD.
  • 27. It is good for a man that he bear thy yoke in his youth.
  • 28. Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he has laid thy yoke upon him.
  • 29. Let him humble himself, for there is hope.
  • 30. Let him turn his cheek to him that smites him; let him be filled with reproach.
  • 31. For the LORD will not forget for ever.
  • 32. But though he cause affliction, yet he will have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
  • 33. For he does not afflict willingly, but he afflicts the children of the mighty men,
  • 34. To subdue under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
  • 35. To turn aside the right of a man toward the face of the Most High.
  • 36. To subvert a man in his cause, the LORD does not approve.
  • 37. ¶ Who is he that says, and it comes to pass, when the LORD has not commanded it?
  • 38. Out of the mouth of the Most High evil and good do not come.
  • 39. Therefore, why should a living man question concerning punishment for his sins?
  • 40. Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
  • 41. Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to God in heaven.
  • 42. ¶ We have transgressed and rebelled; and thou hast not pardoned.
  • 43. Thou hast covered us with thy anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
  • 44. Thou hast covered thyself with thy cloud; thou hast let our prayer pass by.
  • 45. Thou hast made us uprooted and despised among the peoples.
  • 46. My eyes run down with tears and do not cease, because there is no comforter,
  • 47. Till the LORD look down and behold from heaven.
  • 48. My eyes are worn with tears because of the destruction of all the daughters of the cities of my people.
  • 49. All our enemies speak evil against us.
  • 50. Fear and trembling have come upon us, a snare and destruction.
  • 51. I wept vehemently over the destruction of the daughter of my people.
  • 52. My enemies have hunted me like a bird, without cause.
  • 53. They have cut off my life in a pit; they cast stones at me.
  • 54. Water flowed over my head; then I said, I am cast far off.
  • 55. ¶ I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the depths of the pit.
  • 56. Thou didst hear my voice; turn not thine ear to my cry; but relieve me and save me.
  • 57. Thou didst draw near in the day when I called upon thee; thou didst say, Fear not.
  • 58. O LORD, thou hast pleaded my cause; thou hast saved my life.
  • 59. O LORD, thou hast seen my affliction; thou hast judged my cause.
  • 60. Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
  • 61. Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and their devices against me,
  • 62. The lips of those who rose up against me and their devices against me all day long.
  • 63. Behold their conduct and their behavior I do understand, because of their devices.
  • 64. Render to them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
  • 65. Give them sorrow of heart; let thy affliction pursue them.
  • 66. Destroy them in thine anger from under thy heavens, O LORD.