✧I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath. ✧2He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light. ✧3Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day. ✧4My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones. ✧5He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail. ✧6He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead. ✧7He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy. ✧8Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer. ✧9He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked. ✧10He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places. ✧11He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate. ✧12He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. ✧13He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins. ✧14I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day. ✧15He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood. ✧16He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes. ✧17And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity. ✧18And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah. ✧19Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. ✧20My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me. ✧21This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope. ✧22[It is of] Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. ✧23They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness. ✧24Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him. ✧25Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. ✧26It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah. ✧27It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth. ✧28Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him. ✧29Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope. ✧30Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach. ✧31For the Lord will not cast off for ever. ✧32For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses. ✧33For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men. ✧34To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth, ✧35To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High, ✧36To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not. ✧37Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not? ✧38Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good? ✧39Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins? ✧40Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah. ✧41Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. ✧42We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned. ✧43Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. ✧44Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through. ✧45Thou hast made us an offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples. ✧46All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us. ✧47Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction. ✧48Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people. ✧49Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission, ✧50Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven. ✧51Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city. ✧52They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause. ✧53They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me. ✧54Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off. ✧55I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon. ✧56Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry. ✧57Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not. ✧58O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. ✧59O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause. ✧60Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me. ✧61Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me, ✧62The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day. ✧63Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song. ✧64Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands. ✧65Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them. ✧66Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
American Standard Version (ASV). American Standard Version (1901). Public domain.