| New Century Version (NCV) |
New International Version (NIV) |
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1 I am a man who has seen the suffering that comes from the rod of the Lord's anger.
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1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
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2 He led me into darkness, not light.
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2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light;
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3 He turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.
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3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.
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4 He wore out my flesh and skin and broke my bones.
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4 He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones.
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5 He surrounded me with sadness and attacked me with grief.
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5 He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
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6 He made me sit in the dark, like those who have been dead a long time.
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6 He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead.
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7 He shut me in so I could not get out; he put heavy chains on me.
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7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains.
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8 I cry out and beg for help, but he ignores my prayer.
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8 Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer.
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9 He blocked my way with a stone wall and led me in the wrong direction.
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9 He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked.
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10 He is like a bear ready to attack me, like a lion in hiding.
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10 Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding,
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11 He led me the wrong way and let me stray and left me without help.
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11 he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help.
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12 He prepared to shoot his bow and made me the target for his arrows.
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12 He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows.
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13 He shot me in the kidneys with the arrows from his bag.
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13 He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver.
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14 I was a joke to all my people, who make fun of me with songs all day long.
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14 I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
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15 The Lord filled me with misery; he made me drunk with suffering.
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15 He has filled me with bitter herbs and sated me with gall.
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16 He broke my teeth with gravel and trampled me into the dirt.
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16 He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust.
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17 I have no more peace. I have forgotten what happiness is.
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17 I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
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18 I said, "My strength is gone, and I have no hope in the Lord."
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18 So I say, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD."
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19 Lord, remember my suffering and my misery, my sorrow and trouble.
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19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
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20 Please remember me and think about me.
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20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
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21 But I have hope when I think of this:
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21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
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22 The Lord's love never ends; his mercies never stop.
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22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
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23 They are new every morning; Lord, your loyalty is great.
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23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
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24 I say to myself, "The Lord is mine, so I hope in him."
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24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
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25 The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to those who seek him.
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25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
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26 It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save.
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26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
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27 It is good for someone to work hard while he is young.
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27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.
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28 He should sit alone and be quiet; the Lord has given him hard work to do.
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28 Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.
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29 He should bow down to the ground; maybe there is still hope.
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29 Let him bury his face in the dust-- there may yet be hope.
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30 He should let anyone slap his cheek; he should be filled with shame.
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30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace.
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31 The Lord will not reject his people forever.
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31 For men are not cast off by the Lord forever.
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32 Although he brings sorrow, he also has mercy and great love.
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32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.
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33 He does not like to punish people or make them sad.
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33 For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to the children of men.
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34 He sees if any prisoner of the earth is crushed under his feet;
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34 To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land,
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35 he sees if someone is treated unfairly before the Most High God;
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35 to deny a man his rights before the Most High,
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36 the Lord sees if someone is cheated in his case in court.
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36 to deprive a man of justice-- would not the Lord see such things?
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37 Nobody can speak and have it happen unless the Lord commands it.
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37 Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
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38 Both bad and good things come by the command of the Most High God.
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38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
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39 No one should complain when he is punished for his sins.
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39 Why should any living man complain when punished for his sins?
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40 Let us examine and see what we have done and then return to the Lord.
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40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.
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41 Let us lift up our hands and pray from our hearts to God in heaven:
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41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say:
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42 "We have sinned and turned against you, and you have not forgiven us.
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42 "We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven.
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43 "You wrapped yourself in anger and chased us; you killed us without mercy.
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43 "You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity.
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44 You wrapped yourself in a cloud, and no prayer could get through.
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44 You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.
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45 You made us like scum and trash among the other nations.
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45 You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
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46 "All of our enemies open their mouths and speak against us.
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46 "All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us.
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47 We have been frightened and fearful, ruined and destroyed."
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47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction."
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48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, because my people are destroyed.
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48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed.
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49 My tears flow continually, without stopping,
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49 My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief,
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50 until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven.
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50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
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51 I am sad when I see what has happened to all the women of my city.
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51 What I see brings grief to my soul because of all the women of my city.
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52 Those who are my enemies for no reason hunted me like a bird.
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52 Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me like a bird.
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53 They tried to kill me in a pit; they threw stones at me.
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53 They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me;
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54 Water came up over my head, and I said, "I am going to die."
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54 the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to be cut off.
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55 I called out to you, Lord, from the bottom of the pit.
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55 I called on your name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit.
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56 You heard me calling, "Do not close your ears and ignore my gasps and shouts."
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56 You heard my plea: "Do not close your ears to my cry for relief."
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57 You came near when I called to you; you said, "Don't be afraid."
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57 You came near when I called you, and you said, "Do not fear."
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58 Lord, you have taken my case and given me back my life.
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58 O Lord, you took up my case; you redeemed my life.
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59 Lord, you have seen how I have been wronged. Now judge my case for me.
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59 You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me. Uphold my cause!
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60 You have seen how my enemies took revenge on me and made evil plans against me.
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60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against me.
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61 Lord, you have heard their insults and all their evil plans against me.
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61 O LORD, you have heard their insults, all their plots against me--
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62 The words and thoughts of my enemies are against me all the time.
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62 what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long.
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63 Look! In everything they do they make fun of me with songs.
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63 Look at them! Sitting or standing, they mock me in their songs.
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64 Pay them back, Lord, for what they have done.
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64 Pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, for what their hands have done.
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65 Make them stubborn, and put your curse on them.
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65 Put a veil over their hearts, and may your curse be on them!
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66 Chase them in anger, Lord, and destroy them from under your heavens.
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66 Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.
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| Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved. (New Century Version Online Bible) |
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide. (New International Version Bible Online) |
