1  I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of His wrath.

1  ALEPH. I am the man that sees poverty, through the rod of his wrath upon me.

1  O MIGHTY God, see my affliction; I am chastised by the rod of his wrath.

2  He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness and not in light.

2  He has taken me, and led me away into darkness, and not into light.

3  Surely against me He turneth His hand again and again all the day.

3  Nay, against me has he turned his hand all the day.

3  But surely is he turned against me, he turns his hand against me all the day.

4  My flesh and my skin hath He worn out; He hath broken my bones.

4  He has made old my flesh and my skin; he has broken my bones.

4  BETH. My skin and my flesh, he has made old; he has crushed my bones.

5  He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.

5  BETH. He has built against me, and compassed my head, and brought travail upon me.

5  He has built ramparts against me, and compassed me with bitterness and travail.

6  He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.

6  BETH. He has gathered me into darkness, like those who are forever dead.

7  He hath hedged me about, that I cannot go forth; He hath made my chain heavy.

7  He has builded against me, and I cannot come forth: he has made my brazen chain heavy.

7  GHIMEL. He has built against me all around, so that I may not depart. He has increased the burden of my confinement.

8  Yea, when I cry and call for help, He shutteth out my prayer.

9  He hath enclosed my ways with hewn stone, He hath made my paths crooked.

9  DALETH. He has built up my ways, he has hedged my paths;

9  GHIMEL. He has enclosed my ways with square stones; he has subverted my paths.

10  He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.

10  he has troubled me, as a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me as a lion in secret places.

10  DALETH. He has become to me like a bear lying in ambush, like a lion in hiding.

11  He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; He hath made me desolate.

11  He pursued me after I departed, and brought me to a stand: he has utterly ruined me.

11  DALETH. He has subverted my paths, and he has broken me. He has placed me in desolation.

12  He hath bent His bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.

12  DALETH. He has bent his bow, and he has positioned me like a target for his arrows.

13  He hath caused the arrows of His quiver to enter into my reins.

13  HE. He has shot into my kidneys the daughters of his quiver.

13  Behold, he has caused his arrows to enter into my reins.

14  I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.

14  I became a laughing-stock to all my people; and their song all the day.

14  HE. I have become a derision to all my people, their song throughout the day.

15  He hath filled me with bitterness, He hath sated me with wormwood.

15  VAU. He has filled me with bitterness, he has drenched me with gall.

16  He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, He hath made me to wallow in ashes.

16  And he has dashed out my teeth with gravel, he has fed me with ashes.

16  VAU. And he has broken each one of my teeth; he has fed me with ashes.

17  And my soul is removed far off from peace, I forgot prosperity.

17  VAU. And my soul has been driven away from peace; I have forgotten what is good.

18  And I said: 'My strength is perished, and mine expectation from YHWH.'

18  Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.

18  VAU. And I said, “My end and my hope from the Lord has perished.”

19  Remember mine affliction and mine anguish, the wormwood and the gall.

19  ZAIN. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered;

19  ZAIN. Remember my poverty and my transgression, the wormwood and the gall.

20  My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.

20  Remember and restore my life.

21  This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.

21  This will I lay up in my heart, therefore I will endure.

21  ZAIN. These recollections are in my heart; therefore, I shall hope.

22  Surely YHWH'S mercies are not consumed, surely His compassions fail not.

22  HETH. It is the mercies of the Lord, that he has not failed me, because his compassions are not exhausted. Pity us, O Lord, early every month: for we are not brought to an end, because his compassions are not exhausted.

22  HETH. By the mercies of the Lord, we are not consumed. For his compassion has not passed away.

23  They are new every morning; great is Thy faithfulness.

23  HETH. I know it at first light; great is your faithfulness.

24  'YHWH is my portion', saith my soul; 'Therefore will I hope in Him.'

24  The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I wait for him.

24  HETH. “The Lord is my portion,” said my soul. Because of this, I will wait for him.

25  YHWH is good unto them that wait for Him, to the soul that seeketh Him.

25  TETH. The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him

25  The LORD is good to him who waits for him, to the soul that seeks him.

26  It is good that a man should quietly wait for the salvation of YHWH.

26  is good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.

27  It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.

27  TETH. It is good for a man, when he has carried the yoke from his youth.

28  Let him sit alone and keep silence, because He hath laid it upon him.

28  He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne it upon him.

28  JOD. He shall sit solitary and silent. For he has lifted it upon himself.

29  Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.

29  JOD. He shall place his mouth in the dirt, if perhaps there may be hope.

29  Let him humble himself, for there is hope.

30  Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him, let him be filled full with reproach.

30  JOD. He will give his cheek to him that smites him: he will be filled full with reproaches.

30  JOD. He shall give his cheek to those who strike him; he shall be saturated with reproaches.

31  For YHWH will not cast off for ever.

31  For the Lord will not reject for ever.

31  CAPH. For the Lord will not rebuke forever.

32  For though He cause grief, yet will He have compassion according to the multitude of His mercies.

32  CHAPH. For he that has brought down will pity, and that according to the abundance of his mercy.

32  CAPH. For, if he has cast down, he will also have compassion, according to the multitude of his mercies.

33  For He doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

33  He has not answered in anger from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man.

33  CAPH. For he has not humiliated from his heart, nor has he thrown aside the sons of men,

34  To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,

34  LAMED. To bring down under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,

35  To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the Most High,

35  LAMED. as if to turn aside the judgment of a man in the sight of the presence of the Most High,

36  To subvert a man in his cause, YHWH approveth not.

36  to condemn a man unjustly in his judgement, the Lord has not given commandment.

36  LAMED. as if to pervert a man in his judgment: the Lord does not do this.

37  Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when YHWH commandeth it not?

37  Who has thus spoken, and it has come to pass? the Lord has not commanded it.

37  MEM. Who is this, who said to do what the Lord did not command?

38  Out of the mouth of the Most High proceedeth not evil and good?

38  MEM. Does not both misfortune and good proceed from the mouth of the Most High?

39  Wherefore doth a living man complain, a strong man because of his sins?

39  MEM. Why should a living man complain, a man concerning his sin?

39  Therefore, why should a living man question concerning punishment for his sins?

40  Let us search and try our ways, and return to YHWH.

40  NUN. Our way has been searched out and examined, and we will turn to the Lord.

40  NUN. Let us examine our ways, and seek out, and return to the Lord.

41  Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.

41  NUN. Let us lift up our hearts, with our hands, toward the Lord in the heavens.

42  We have transgressed and have rebelled; Thou hast not pardoned.

42  NUN. We have acted sinfully, and we have provoked to wrath. About this, you are relentless.

43  Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; Thou hast slain unsparingly.

43  SAMECH. Thou has visited us in wrath, and driven us away: thou has slain, thou has not pitied.

43  SAMECH. You have covered us in your fury, and you have struck us. You have killed, and have not spared.

44  Thou hast covered Thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.

44  Thou hast veiled thyself with a cloud because of prayer, that I might be blind,

44  SAMECH. You have set a cloud opposite you, lest our prayer pass through.

45  Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.

45  and be cast off. AIN. Thou hast set us alone in the midst of the nations.

45  SAMECH. In the midst of the peoples, you have uprooted me and cast me out.

46  All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.

46  PHE. All our enemies have opened their mouths over us.

46  My eyes run down with tears and do not cease, because there is no comforter,

47  Terror and the pit are come upon us, desolation and destruction.

47  PHE. Prediction has become for us a dread, and a snare, and a grief.

47  Till the LORD look down and behold from heaven.

48  Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water, for the breach of the daughter of my people.

48  PHE. My eye has brought forth streams of water at the contrition of the daughter of my people.

48  My eyes are worn with tears because of the destruction of all the daughters of the cities of my people.

49  Mine eye is poured out, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,

49  AIN. My eye has been afflicted, and it has not been quieted, because there would be no rest

49  All our enemies speak evil against us.

50  Till YHWH look forth, and behold from heaven.

50  AIN. until the Lord looked down and saw from the heavens.

50  Fear and trembling have come upon us, a snare and destruction.

51  Mine eye affected my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.

51  AIN. My eye has exhausted my soul over every one of the daughters of my city.

51  I wept vehemently over the destruction of the daughter of my people.

52  They have chased me sore like a bird, that are mine enemies without cause.

52  TSADE. The fowlers chased me as a sparrow, all mine enemies destroyed my life in a pit without cause,

52  My enemies have hunted me like a bird, without cause.

53  They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast stones upon me.

53  and laid a stone upon me.

53  SADE. My life has fallen into a pit, and they have placed a stone over me.

54  Waters flowed over my head; I said: 'I am cut off.'

54  SADE. The waters have flooded over my head. I said, “I am lost.”

55  I called upon Thy name, O YHWH, Out of the lowest dungeon.

55  KOPH. I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon.

55  COPH. I called upon your name, O Lord, from the furthest pit.

56  Thou heardest my voice; hide not Thine ear at my sighing, at my cry.

56  COPH. You have heard my voice. Do not turn away your ear from my sobbing and my cries.

56  Thou didst hear my voice; turn not thine ear to my cry; but relieve me and save me.

57  Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon Thee; Thou saidst: 'Fear not.'

57  COPH. You drew near in the daytime, when I called upon you. You said, “Fear not.”

57  Thou didst draw near in the day when I called upon thee; thou didst say, Fear not.

58  O Lord, Thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; Thou hast redeemed my life.

58  RES. You have judged, O Lord, the case of my soul. You are the Redeemer of my life.

59  O YHWH, Thou hast seen my wrong; judge Thou my cause.

59  Thou hast seen, O Lord, my troubles: thou hast judged my cause.

59  RES. You have seen, O Lord, their iniquity against me. Judge my case.

60  Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.

60  RES. You have seen all their fury, every one of their thoughts is against me.

61  Thou hast heard their taunt, O YHWH, and all their devices against me;

61  CHSEN. Thou hast heard their reproach and all their devices against me;

61  SIN. You have heard their reproach, O Lord, all their thoughts are against me.

62  The lips of those that rose up against me, and their muttering against me all the day.

62  SIN. The lips of those who rise up against me, and their meditations, are against me all day long.

63  Behold Thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.

63  SIN. Watch their sitting down and their rising up: I am their psalm.

64  Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O YHWH, according to the work of their hands.

64  THAU. You shall pay a recompense to them, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.

64  Render to them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.

65  Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, Thy curse unto them.

65  THAU. You shall give them a heavy shield of the heart: your hardship.

66  Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of YHWH.

66  THAU. You shall pursue them in fury, and you shall destroy them under the heavens, O Lord.

66  Destroy them in thine anger from under thy heavens, O LORD.