King James Version KJV
Revised Standard Version RSV
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
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I am the man who has seen affliction under the rod of his wrath;
2 He hath led me, and brought me into darkness, but not into light.
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he has driven and brought me into darkness without any light;
3 Surely against me is he turned; he turneth his hand against me all the day.
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surely against me he turns his hand again and again the whole day long.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
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He has made my flesh and my skin waste away, and broken my bones;
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
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he has besieged and enveloped me with bitterness and tribulation;
6 He hath set me in dark places, as they that be dead of old.
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he has made me dwell in darkness like the dead of long ago.
7 He hath hedged me about, that I cannot get out: he hath made my chain heavy.
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He has walled me about so that I cannot escape; he has put heavy chains on me;
8 Also when I cry and shout, he shutteth out my prayer.
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though I call and cry for help, he shuts out my prayer;
9 He hath inclosed my ways with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked.
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he has blocked my ways with hewn stones, he has made my paths crooked.
10 He was unto me as a bear lying in wait, and as a lion in secret places.
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He is to me like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding;
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces: he hath made me desolate.
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he led me off my way and tore me to pieces; he has made me desolate;
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
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he bent his bow and set me as a mark for his arrow.
13 He hath caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
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He drove into my heart the arrows of his quiver;
14 I was a derision to all my people; and their song all the day.
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I have become the laughingstock of all peoples, the burden of their songs all day long.
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath made me drunken with wormwood.
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He has filled me with bitterness, he has sated me with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones, he hath covered me with ashes.
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He has made my teeth grind on gravel, and made me cower in ashes;
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace: I forgat prosperity.
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my soul is bereft of peace, I have forgotten what happiness is;
18 And I said, My strength and my hope is perished from the LORD:
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so I say, "Gone is my glory, and my expectation from the LORD."
19 Remembering mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
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Remember my affliction and my bitterness, the wormwood and the gall!
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is humbled in me.
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My soul continually thinks of it and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind, therefore have I hope.
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But this I call to mind, and therefore I have hope:
22 It is of the LORD'S mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
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The steadfast love of the LORD never ceases, his mercies never come to an end;
23 They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
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they are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
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"The LORD is my portion," says my soul, "therefore I will hope in him."
25 The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
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The LORD is good to those who wait for him, to the soul that seeks him.
26 It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the LORD.
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It is good that one should wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
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It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 He sitteth alone and keepeth silence, because he hath borne it upon him.
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Let him sit alone in silence when he has laid it on him;
29 He putteth his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope.
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let him put his mouth in the dust--there may yet be hope;
30 He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach.
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let him give his cheek to the smiter, and be filled with insults.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever:
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For the Lord will not cast off for ever,
32 But though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies.
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but, though he cause grief, he will have compassion according to the abundance of his steadfast love;
33 For he doth not afflict willingly nor grieve the children of men.
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for he does not willingly afflict or grieve the sons of men.
34 To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
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To crush under foot all the prisoners of the earth,
35 To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High,
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to turn aside the right of a man in the presence of the Most High,
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.
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to subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
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Who has commanded and it came to pass, unless the Lord has ordained it?
38 Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?
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Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that good and evil come?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
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Why should a living man complain, a man, about the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to the LORD.
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Let us test and examine our ways, and return to the LORD!
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
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Let us lift up our hearts and hands to God in heaven:
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled: thou hast not pardoned.
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"We have transgressed and rebelled, and thou hast not forgiven.
43 Thou hast covered with anger, and persecuted us: thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
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"Thou hast wrapped thyself with anger and pursued us, slaying without pity;
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, that our prayer should not pass through.
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thou hast wrapped thyself with a cloud so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Thou hast made us as the offscouring and refuse in the midst of the people.
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Thou hast made us offscouring and refuse among the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.
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"All our enemies rail against us;
47 Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction.
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panic and pitfall have come upon us, devastation and destruction;
48 Mine eye runneth down with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
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my eyes flow with rivers of tears because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye trickleth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
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"My eyes will flow without ceasing, without respite,
50 Till the LORD look down, and behold from heaven.
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until the LORD from heaven looks down and sees;
51 Mine eye affecteth mine heart because of all the daughters of my city.
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my eyes cause me grief at the fate of all the maidens of my city.
52 Mine enemies chased me sore, like a bird, without cause.
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"I have been hunted like a bird by those who were my enemies without cause;
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me.
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they flung me alive into the pit and cast stones on me;
54 Waters flowed over mine head; then I said, I am cut off.
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water closed over my head; I said, 'I am lost.'
55 I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon.
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"I called on thy name, O LORD, from the depths of the pit;
56 Thou hast heard my voice: hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
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thou didst hear my plea, 'Do not close thine ear to my cry for help!'
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee: thou saidst, Fear not.
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Thou didst come near when I called on thee; thou didst say, 'Do not fear!'
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
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"Thou hast taken up my cause, O Lord, thou hast redeemed my life.
59 O LORD, thou hast seen my wrong: judge thou my cause.
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Thou hast seen the wrong done to me, O LORD; judge thou my cause.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
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Thou hast seen all their vengeance, all their devices against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me;
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"Thou hast heard their taunts, O LORD, all their devices against me.
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
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The lips and thoughts of my assailants are against me all the day long.
63 Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their musick.
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Behold their sitting and their rising; I am the burden of their songs.
64 Render unto them a recompence, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
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"Thou wilt requite them, O LORD, according to the work of their hands.
65 Give them sorrow of heart, thy curse unto them.
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Thou wilt give them dullness of heart; thy curse will be on them.
66 Persecute and destroy them in anger from under the heavens of the LORD.
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Thou wilt pursue them in anger and destroy them from under thy heavens, O LORD."
The King James Version is in the public domain.
Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright 1952 [2nd edition, 1971] by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved.