¹ I am the man, that hath seene affliction in the rod of his indignation.

² He hath ledde mee, and brought me into darkenes, but not to light.

³ Surely he is turned against me: he turneth his hand against me all the day.

⁴ My flesh and my skinne hath he caused to waxe olde, and he hath broken my bones.

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

⁶ He hath set me in darke places, as they that be dead for euer.

⁷ He hath hedged about mee, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chaines heauy.

⁸ Also when I cry and showte, hee shutteth out my prayer.

⁹ He hath stopped vp my wayes with hewen stone, and turned away my paths.

¹⁰ He was vnto me as a beare lying in waite, and as a Lion in secret places.

¹¹ He hath stopped my wayes, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.

¹² He hath bent his bow and made me a marke for the arrow.

¹³ Hee caused the arrowes of his quiuer to enter into my reines.

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

¹⁵ He hath filled me with bitternes, and made me drunken with wormewood.

¹⁶ He hath also broken my teeth with stones, and hath couered me with ashes.

¹⁷ Thus my soule was farre off from peace: I forgate prosperitie,

¹⁸ And I saide, My strength and mine hope is perished from the Lord,

¹⁹ Remembring mine affliction, and my mourning, the wormewood and the gall.

²⁰ My soule hath them in remembrance, and is humbled in me.

²¹ I consider this in mine heart: therefore haue I hope.

²² It is the Lordes mercies that wee are not consumed, because his compassions faile not.

²³ They are renued euery morning: great is thy faithfulnesse.

²⁴ The Lord is my portion, sayth my soule: therefore wil I hope in him.

²⁵ The Lord is good vnto them, that trust in him, and to the soule that seeketh him.

²⁶ It is good both to trust, and to waite for the saluation of the Lord.

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

²⁸ He sitteth alone, and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it vpon him.

²⁹ He putteth his mouth in the dust, if there may be hope.

³⁰ Hee giueth his cheeke to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproches.

³¹ For the Lord will not forsake for euer.

³² But though he sende affliction, yet will he haue compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.

³³ For he doeth not punish willingly, nor afflict the children of men,

³⁴ In stamping vnder his feete all the prisoners of the earth,

³⁵ In ouerthrowing the right of a man before the face of the most high,

³⁶ In subuerting a man in his cause: the Lord seeth it not.

³⁷ Who is he then that sayth, and it commeth to passe, and the Lord commandeth it not?

³⁸ Out of the mouth of the most high proceedeth not euill and good?

³⁹ Wherefore then is the liuing man sorowfull? man suffreth for his sinne.

⁴⁰ Let vs search and try our wayes, and turne againe to the Lord.

⁴¹ Let vs lift vp our hearts with our handes vnto God in the heauens.

⁴² We haue sinned, and haue rebelled, therefore thou hast not spared.

⁴³ Thou hast couered vs with wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slaine and not spared.

⁴⁴ Thou hast couered thy selfe with a cloude, that our prayer should not passe through.

⁴⁵ Thou hast made vs as the ofscouring and refuse in the middes of the people.

⁴⁶ All our enemies haue opened their mouth against vs.

⁴⁷ Feare, and a snare is come vpon vs with desolation and destruction.

⁴⁸ Mine eye casteth out riuers of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.

⁴⁹ Mine eye droppeth without stay and ceaseth not,

⁵⁰ Till the Lord looke downe, and beholde from heauen.

⁵¹ Mine eye breaketh mine heart because of all the daughters of my citie.

⁵² Mine enemies chased me sore like a birde, without cause.

⁵³ They haue shut vp my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone vpon me.

⁵⁴ Waters flowed ouer mine head, then thought I, I am destroyed.

⁵⁵ I called vpon thy Name, O Lord, out of the lowe dungeon.

⁵⁶ Thou hast heard my voyce: stoppe not thine eare from my sigh and from my cry.

⁵⁷ Thou drewest neere in the day that I called vpon thee: thou saydest, Feare not.

⁵⁸ O Lord, thou hast maintained the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my life.

⁵⁹ O Lord, thou hast seene my wrong, iudge thou my cause.

⁶⁰ Thou hast seene all their vengeance, and all their deuises against me.

⁶¹ Thou hast heard their reproch, O Lord, and all their imaginations against me:

⁶² The lippes also of those that rose against me, and their whispering against me continually.

⁶³ Behold, their sitting downe and their rising vp, how I am their song.

⁶⁴ Giue them a recompence, O Lord, according to the worke of their handes.

⁶⁵ Giue them sorow of heart, euen thy curse to them.

⁶⁶ Persecute with wrath and destroy them from vnder the heauen, O Lord.