The Prophet’s Afflictions 1 Brenton Aleph. I am the man that sees poverty, through the rod of his wrath upon me. BSB BSB: I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of God’s wrath.
2 Brenton He has taken me, and led me away into darkness, and not into light. BSB BSB: He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness instead of light.
3 Brenton Nay, against me has he turned his hand all the day. BSB BSB: Indeed, He keeps turning His hand against me all day long.
4 Brenton He has made old my flesh and my skin; he has broken my bones. BSB BSB: He has worn away my flesh and skin; He has shattered my bones.
5 Brenton Beth. He has built against me, and compassed my head, and brought travail upon me . BSB BSB: He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 Brenton He has set me in dark places, as them that have long been dead. BSB BSB: He has made me dwell in darkness like those dead for ages.
7 Brenton He has builded against me, and I cannot come forth: he has made my brazen chain heavy. BSB BSB: He has walled me in so I cannot escape; He has weighed me down with chains.
8 Brenton Gimel. Yea, though I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer. BSB BSB: Even when I cry out and plead for help, He shuts out my prayer.
9 Brenton Daleth. He has built up my ways, he has hedged my paths; BSB BSB: He has barred my ways with cut stones; He has made my paths crooked.
10 Brenton he has troubled me, as a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me as a lion in secret places. BSB BSB: He is a bear lying in wait, a lion hiding in ambush.
11 Brenton He pursued me after I departed, and brought me to a stand: he has utterly ruined me. BSB BSB: He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; He left me without help.
12 Brenton He. He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow. BSB BSB: He bent His bow and set me as the target for His arrow.
13 Brenton He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins. BSB BSB: He pierced my kidneys with His arrows.
14 Brenton I became a laughing-stock to all my people; and their song all the day. BSB BSB: I am a laughingstock to all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
15 Brenton Vau. He has filled me with bitterness, he has drenched me with gall. BSB BSB: He has filled me with bitterness; He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
16 Brenton And he has dashed out my teeth with gravel, he has fed me with ashes. BSB BSB: He has ground my teeth with gravel and trampled me in the dust.
17 Brenton He has also removed my soul from peace: I forgot prosperity. BSB BSB: My soul has been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 Brenton Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord. BSB BSB: So I say, “My strength has perished, along with my hope from the LORD.”
The Prophet’s Hope 19 Brenton Zain. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered; BSB BSB: Remember my affliction and wandering, the wormwood and the gall.
20 Brenton and my soul shall meditate with me. BSB BSB: Surely my soul remembers and is humbled within me.
21 Brenton This will I lay up in my heart, therefore will I endure. BSB BSB: Yet I call this to mind, and therefore I have hope:
23 Brenton They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.BSB BSB: They are new every morning; great is Your faithfulness!
24 Brenton The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I wait for him. BSB BSB: “The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, “therefore I will hope in Him.”
25 Brenton Teth. The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him BSB BSB: The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, to the soul who seeks Him.
26 Brenton is good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.BSB BSB: It is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
27 Brenton Teth. It is good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth. BSB BSB: It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is still young.
28 Brenton He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne it upon him. BSB BSB: Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it upon him.
30 Brenton Jod. He will give his cheek to him that smites him: he will be filled full with reproaches. BSB BSB: Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; let him be filled with reproach.
31 Brenton For the Lord will not reject for ever. BSB BSB: For the Lord will not cast us off forever.
32 Brenton Chaph. For he that has brought down will pity, and that according to the abundance of his mercy. BSB BSB: Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion according to His abundant loving devotion.
33 Brenton He has not answered in anger from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man. BSB BSB: For He does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
34 Brenton Lamed. To bring down under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, BSB BSB: To crush underfoot all the prisoners of the land,
35 Brenton to turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the Most High, BSB BSB: to deny a man justice before the Most High,
36 Brenton to condemn a man unjustly in his judgment, the Lord has not given commandment. BSB BSB: to subvert a man in his lawsuit—of these the Lord does not approve.
God’s Justice 37 Brenton Who has thus spoken, and it has come to pass? the Lord has not commanded it. BSB BSB: Who has spoken and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
38 Brenton Out of the mouth of the Most High there shall not come forth evil and good. BSB BSB: Do not both adversity and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
39 Brenton Mem. Why should a living man complain, a man concerning his sin? BSB BSB: Why should any mortal man complain, in view of his sins?
40 Brenton Nun. Our way has been searched out and examined, and we will turn to the Lord. BSB BSB: Let us examine and test our ways, and turn back to the LORD.
41 Brenton Let us lift up our hearts with our hands to the lofty One in heaven. BSB BSB: Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
42 Brenton We have sinned, we have transgressed; and thou hast not pardoned. BSB BSB: “We have sinned and rebelled; You have not forgiven.”
43 Brenton Samech. Thou hast visited us in wrath, and driven us away: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied. BSB BSB: You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; You have killed without pity.
44 Brenton Thou hast veiled thyself with a cloud because of prayer, that I might be blind, BSB BSB: You have covered Yourself with a cloud that no prayer can pass through.
45 Brenton and be cast off. Ain. Thou hast set us alone in the midst of the nations. BSB BSB: You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
46 Brenton All our enemies have opened their mouth against us. BSB BSB: All our enemies open their mouths against us.
47 Brenton Fear and wrath are come upon us, suspense and destruction. BSB BSB: Panic and pitfall have come upon us—devastation and destruction.
48 Brenton Mine eye shall pour down torrents of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people. BSB BSB: Streams of tears flow from my eyes over the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Brenton Phe. Mine eye is drowned with tears , and I will not be silent, so that there shall be no rest, BSB BSB: My eyes overflow unceasingly, without relief,
50 Brenton until the Lord look down, and behold from heaven. BSB BSB: until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
51 Brenton Mine eye shall prey upon my soul, because of all the daughters of the city. BSB BSB: My eyes bring grief to my soul because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Brenton Tsade. The fowlers chased me as a sparrow, all mine enemies destroyed my life in a pit without cause, BSB BSB: Without cause my enemies hunted me like a bird.
53 Brenton and laid a stone upon me. BSB BSB: They dropped me alive into a pit and cast stones upon me.
54 Brenton Water flowed over my head: I said, I am cut off. BSB BSB: The waters flowed over my head, and I thought I was going to die.
55 Brenton Koph. I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon. BSB BSB: I called on Your name, O LORD, out of the depths of the Pit.
56 Brenton Thou heardest my voice: close not thine ears to my supplication. BSB BSB: You heard my plea: “Do not ignore my cry for relief.”
57 Brenton Thou drewest nigh to my help: in the day wherein I called upon thee thou saidst to me, Fear not. BSB BSB: You drew near when I called on You; You said, “Do not be afraid.”
58 Brenton Rechs. O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. BSB BSB: You defend my cause, O Lord; You redeem my life.
59 Brenton Thou hast seen, O Lord, my troubles: thou hast judged my cause. BSB BSB: You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me; vindicate my cause!
60 Brenton Thou hast seen all their vengeance, thou hast looked on all their devices against me. BSB BSB: You have seen all their malice, all their plots against me.
61 Brenton Chsen. Thou hast heard their reproach and all their devices against me; BSB BSB: O LORD, You have heard their insults, all their plots against me—
62 Brenton the lips of them that rose up against me, and their plots against me all the day; BSB BSB: the slander and murmuring of my assailants against me all day long.
63 Brenton their sitting down and their rising up: look thou upon their eyes. BSB BSB: When they sit and when they rise, see how they mock me in song.
64 Brenton Thou wilt render them a recompence, O Lord, according to the works of their hands. BSB BSB: You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 Brenton Thau. Thou wilt give them as a covering, the grief of my heart. BSB BSB: Put a veil of anguish over their hearts; may Your curse be upon them!
66 Brenton Thou wilt persecute them in anger, and wilt consume them from under the heaven, O Lord. BSB BSB: You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them from under Your heavens, O LORD.