[1] I am a man that has seen much trouble. The Lord beat us with a stick. And I saw it happen!
[2] The Lord led and brought me into darkness, not light.
[3] The Lord turned his hand against me. He did this again and again, all day.
[4] He wore out my flesh and skin. He broke my bones.
[5] The Lord built up bitterness and trouble against me. He made bitterness and trouble come all around me.
[6] He made me sit in the dark. He made me like some person that has been dead a long time.
[7] The Lord shut me in, so I could not get out. He put heavy chains on me.
[8] Even when I cry out and ask for help, the Lord does not listen to my prayer.
[9] He has blocked up my path with stones. He has made my path crooked.
[10] The Lord is like a bear about to attack me. He is like a lion that is in a hiding place.
[11] The Lord led me off my path. He tore me to pieces. He ruined me.
[12] He made his bow ready. He made me the target for his arrows.
[13] He shot me in the stomach. He shot me with his arrows.
[14] I have become a joke to all of my people. All day long they sing songs about me and make fun of me.
[15] The Lord gave me this poison ˻(punishment)˼ to drink. He filled me with this bitter drink.
[16] The Lord pushed my teeth into rocky ground. He pushed me into the dirt.
[17] I thought I would never have peace again. I forgot about good things.
[18] I said to myself, ”I no longer have any hope that the Lord will help me.”
[19] Lord, remember, I am very sad. And I have no home. Remember the bitter poison ˻(punishment)˼ that you gave me.
[20] I remember well all my troubles. And I am very sad.
[21] But then I think of something else, then I have hope. What I think of is this:
[22] The Lord’s love and kindness never ends. His compassion never ends.
[23] Every morning he shows it in new ways! Lord, you are so very true and loyal!
[24] I say to myself, ”The Lord is my God, and I trust him.”
[25] The Lord is good to people that wait for him. The Lord is good to people that look for him.
[26] It is good for a person to wait quietly for the Lord to save him.
[27] It is good for a person to wear the yoke of the Lord. It is good for a person to wear that yoke from the time he is young.
[28] That person should sit alone and be quiet when the Lord puts his yoke on him.
[29] That person should bow to the Lord with his face to the ground. Maybe there is still hope.
[30] That person should turn his cheek to the one that hits him. That person should let people insult him.
[31] That person should remember that the Lord does not reject people forever.
[32] When the Lord punishes, he also has mercy. He has mercy because of his great love and kindness.
[33] The Lord does not want to punish people. He does not like to make people unhappy.
[34] The Lord does not like these things: He does not like for someone to crush all the prisoners of the earth under his feet.
[35] He does not like for someone to be unfair to another person. But some people do those bad things right in front of God Most High.
[36] The Lord does not like for a person to cheat another person. The Lord does not like any of these things.
[37] Nobody can say something and have it happen, unless the Lord orders it to happen.
[38] God Most High commands both good and bad things to happen.
[39] No person alive can complain when the Lord punishes him for his sins.
[40] Let us check and see what we have done. Then let us turn back to the Lord.
[41] Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to the God of heaven.
[42] Let us say to him, ”We have sinned and have been stubborn. Because of this, you haven’t forgiven us.
[43] You wrapped yourself with anger. You chased us. You killed us without mercy!
[44] You wrapped yourself in a cloud. You did that so that no prayer could get through.
[45] You made us like garbage and dirt to the other nations.
[46] All of our enemies speak angrily to us.
[47] We have been frightened. We have fallen into a pit. We have been hurt bad! We have been broken!”
[48] My eyes flow with streams of tears! I cry because of the destruction of my people!
[49] My eyes will flow without stopping! I will keep on crying!
[50] I will continue to cry until you look down and see us, Lord! I will continue to cry until you see us from heaven!
[51] My eyes make me sad, when I see what happened to the girls in my city.
[52] Those people were my enemies for no good reason, but they hunted me like a bird.
[53] They threw me into a pit while I was still alive. They threw stones at me.
[54] Water came up over my head. I said to myself, ”I am finished.”
[55] Lord, I called your name. I called out your name from the bottom of the pit.
[56] You heard my voice. You didn’t close your ears. You didn’t refuse to rescue me.
[57] You came to me on the day that I called out to you. You said to me, ”Don’t be afraid.”
[58] Lord, you defended me. You bought back my life for me.
[59] Lord, you have seen my trouble. Now judge my case for me.
[60] You have seen how my enemies have hurt me. You have seen all the evil plans that they made against me.
[61] You heard them insult me, Lord. You have heard all the evil plans that they made against me.
[62] The words and the thoughts of my enemies are against me all the time—
[63] when they sit down and when they stand up. Lord, look how they make fun of me!
[64] Give them back what they deserve, Lord! Pay them back for what they have done!
[65] Give them stubbornness of heart! Then put your curse on them!
[66] Chase them in anger! Destroy them! Destroy them from under the sky, Lord!