1 2 3 4 5
3 <1> I am a man who has seen much trouble.
The Lord beat us with a stick,
and I saw it happen.
<2> He led and brought me
into darkness, not light.
<3> He 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> He built up bitterness
and trouble against me.
He surrounded me with bitterness and trouble.
<6> He put me in the dark,
like someone who died long ago.
<7> He 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,
he does not listen to my prayer.
<9> He has blocked up my path with stones.
He has made my path crooked.
<10> He is like a bear about to attack me,
like a lion that is in a hiding place.
<11> He led me off my path.
He tore me to pieces and ruined me.
<12> He made his bow ready.
He made me the target for his arrows.
<13> He shot me in the stomach
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 to drink.
He filled me with this bitter drink.
<16> He 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 that you gave me.
<20> I remember well all my troubles,
and I am very sad.
<21> But then I think about this,
and I have hope:
<22> We are still alive because
the Lord's faithful love 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."[20]
<25> The Lord is good to those who wait for him.
He is good to those who look for him.
<26> It is good to wait quietly
for the Lord to save them.
<27> It is good for a man to wear his yoke[21]
from the time he is young.
<28> He should sit alone and be quiet
when the Lord puts his yoke on him.
<29> He should bow down to the Lord.
Maybe there is still hope.
<30> He should turn his cheek to the one who hits him,
and let people insult him.
<31> He 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> He 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 such bad things
right in front of God Most High.
<36> He does not like for a person
to cheat another person.
He 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 one alive can complain
when the Lord punishes them for their 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 have not 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 against us.
<47> We have been frightened.
We have fallen into a pit.
We have been badly hurt.
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 young women in my city.
<52> For no reason, my enemies hunted me like a bird.
<53> They threw me alive into a pit
and then threw stones at me.
<54> Water came up over my head.
I said to myself, "I am finished."
<55> Lord, I called 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
and bought me back to life.
<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.
Look how they make fun of me!
<64> Give them back what they deserve, Lord.
Pay them back for what they have done.
<65> Make them stubborn
and then curse them.
<66> Chase them in anger and destroy them.
Wipe them off the face of the earth, Lord!
© Copyright 2004 World Bible Translation Center.