1 I have suffered muchbecause God was angry.
2 He chased me into a dark place,where no light could enter.
3 I am the only one he punishesover and over again,without ever stopping.
4 God caused my skin and fleshto waste away,and he crushed my bones.
5 He attacked and surrounded mewith hardships and trouble;
6 he forced me to sit in the darklike someone long dead.
7 God built a fence around methat I cannot climb over,and he chained me down.
8 Even when I shoutedand prayed for help,he refused to listen.
9 God put big rocks in my wayand made me followa crooked path.
10 God was like a bear or a lionwaiting in ambush for me;
11 he dragged me from the road,then tore me to shreds.
12 God took careful aimand shot his arrows
13 straight through my heart.
14 I am a joke to everyone—no one ever stopsmaking fun of me.
15 God has turned my life sour.
16 He made me eat graveland rubbed me in the earth.
17 I cannot find peaceor remember happiness.
18 I tell myself, “I am finished!I can't count on the Lordto do anything for me.”
19 Just thinking of my troublesand my lonely wanderingmakes me miserable.
20 That's all I ever think about,and I am depressed.
21 Then I remember somethingthat fills me with hope.
22 The Lord's kindness never fails!If he had not been merciful,we would have been destroyed.
23 The Lord can always be trustedto show mercy each morning.
24 Deep in my heart I say,“The Lord is all I need;I can depend on him!”
25 The Lord is kind to everyonewho trusts and obeys him.
26 It is good to wait patientlyfor the Lord to save us.
27 When we are young,it is good to struggle hard
28 and to sit silently alone,if this is whatthe Lord intends.
29 Being rubbed in the earthcan teach us a lesson;
30 we can also learn from insultsand hard knocks.
31 The Lord won't always reject us!
32 He causes a lot of suffering,but he also has pitybecause of his great love.
33 The Lord doesn't enjoysending grief or pain.
34 Don't trample prisonersunder your feet
35 or cheat anyone out ofwhat is rightfully theirs.God Most High sees everything,
36 and he knows when you refuseto give someone a fair trial.
37 No one can do anythingwithout the Lord's approval.
38 Good and bad each happenat the commandof God Most High.
39 We're still alive!We shouldn't complainwhen we are being punishedfor our sins.
40 Instead, we should thinkabout the way we are living,and turn back to the Lord.
41 When we lift our handsin prayer to God in heaven,we should offer him our heartsand say,
42 “We've sinned!We've rebelled against you,and you haven't forgiven us!
43 Anger is written all over you,as you pursue and slaughter uswithout showing pity.
44 You are behind a wall of cloudsthat blocks out our prayers.
45 You allowed nationsto treat us like rubbish;
46 our enemies curse us.
47 We are terrified and trapped,caught and crushed.”
48 My people are destroyed!Tears flood my eyes,
49 and they won't stop
50 until the Lord looks downfrom heaven and helps.
51 I am horrified when I seewhat enemies have doneto the young women of our city.
52 No one had reason to hate me,but I was hunted downlike a bird.
53 Then they tried to kill meby tossing me into a pitand throwing stones at me.
54 Water covered my head—I thought I was gone.
55 From the bottom of the pit,I prayed to you, Lord.
56 I begged you to listen.“Help!” I shouted. “Save me!”You answered my prayer
57 and came when I was in need.You told me, “Don't worry!”
58 You rescued meand saved my life.
59 You saw them abuse me, Lord,so make things right.
60 You know every plotthey have made against me.
61 Yes, you know their insultsand their evil plans.
62 All day long they attackwith words and whispers.
63 No matter what they are doing,they keep on mocking me.
64 Pay them back for everythingthey have done, Lord!
65 Put your curse on themand make them suffer.
66 Get angry and go after themuntil not a trace is leftunder the heavens.