New Century Version NCV
Good News Translation GNT
1 I am a man who has seen the suffering that comes from the rod of the Lord's anger.
1
I am one who knows what it is to be punished by God.
2 He led me into darkness, not light.
2
He drove me deeper and deeper into darkness
3 He turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.
3
And beat me again and again with merciless blows.
4 He wore out my flesh and skin and broke my bones.
4
He has left my flesh open and raw, and has broken my bones.
5 He surrounded me with sadness and attacked me with grief.
5
He has shut me in a prison of misery and anguish.
6 He made me sit in the dark, like those who have been dead a long time.
6
He has forced me to live in the stagnant darkness of death.
7 He shut me in so I could not get out; he put heavy chains on me.
7
He has bound me in chains; I am a prisoner with no hope of escape.
8 I cry out and beg for help, but he ignores my prayer.
8
I cry aloud for help, but God refuses to listen;
9 He blocked my way with a stone wall and led me in the wrong direction.
9
I stagger as I walk; stone walls block me wherever I turn.
10 He is like a bear ready to attack me, like a lion in hiding.
10
He waited for me like a bear; he pounced on me like a lion.
11 He led me the wrong way and let me stray and left me without help.
11
He chased me off the road, tore me to pieces, and left me.
12 He prepared to shoot his bow and made me the target for his arrows.
12
He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows.
13 He shot me in the kidneys with the arrows from his bag.
13
He shot his arrows deep into my body.
14 I was a joke to all my people, who make fun of me with songs all day long.
14
People laugh at me all day long; I am a joke to them all.
15 The Lord filled me with misery; he made me drunk with suffering.
15
Bitter suffering is all he has given me for food and drink.
16 He broke my teeth with gravel and trampled me into the dirt.
16
He rubbed my face in the ground and broke my teeth on rocks.
17 I have no more peace. I have forgotten what happiness is.
17
I have forgotten what health and peace and happiness are.
18 I said, "My strength is gone, and I have no hope in the Lord."
18
I do not have much longer to live; my hope in the Lord is gone.
19 Lord, remember my suffering and my misery, my sorrow and trouble.
19
The thought of my pain, my homelessness, is bitter poison.
20 Please remember me and think about me.
20
I think of it constantly, and my spirit is depressed.
21 But I have hope when I think of this:
21
Yet hope returns when I remember this one thing:
22 The Lord's love never ends; his mercies never stop.
22
The Lord's unfailing love and mercy still continue,
23 They are new every morning; Lord, your loyalty is great.
23
Fresh as the morning, as sure as the sunrise.
24 I say to myself, "The Lord is mine, so I hope in him."
24
The Lord is all I have, and so in him I put my hope.
25 The Lord is good to those who hope in him, to those who seek him.
25
The Lord is good to everyone who trusts in him,
26 It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save.
26
So it is best for us to wait in patience - to wait for him to save us -
27 It is good for someone to work hard while he is young.
27
And it is best to learn this patience in our youth.
28 He should sit alone and be quiet; the Lord has given him hard work to do.
28
When we suffer, we should sit alone in silent patience;
29 He should bow down to the ground; maybe there is still hope.
29
We should bow in submission, for there may still be hope.
30 He should let anyone slap his cheek; he should be filled with shame.
30
Though beaten and insulted, we should accept it all.
31 The Lord will not reject his people forever.
31
The Lord is merciful and will not reject us forever.
32 Although he brings sorrow, he also has mercy and great love.
32
He may bring us sorrow, but his love for us is sure and strong.
33 He does not like to punish people or make them sad.
33
He takes no pleasure in causing us grief or pain.
34 He sees if any prisoner of the earth is crushed under his feet;
34
The Lord knows when our spirits are crushed in prison;
35 he sees if someone is treated unfairly before the Most High God;
35
He knows when we are denied the rights he gave us;
36 the Lord sees if someone is cheated in his case in court.
36
When justice is perverted in court, he knows.
37 Nobody can speak and have it happen unless the Lord commands it.
37
The will of the Lord alone is always carried out.
38 Both bad and good things come by the command of the Most High God.
38
Good and evil alike take place at his command.
39 No one should complain when he is punished for his sins.
39
Why should we ever complain when we are punished for our sin?
40 Let us examine and see what we have done and then return to the Lord.
40
Let us examine our ways and turn back to the Lord.
41 Let us lift up our hands and pray from our hearts to God in heaven:
41
Let us open our hearts to God in heaven and pray,
42 "We have sinned and turned against you, and you have not forgiven us.
42
"We have sinned and rebelled, and you, O Lord, have not forgiven us.
43 "You wrapped yourself in anger and chased us; you killed us without mercy.
43
"You pursued us and killed us; your mercy was hidden by your anger,
44 You wrapped yourself in a cloud, and no prayer could get through.
44
By a cloud of fury too thick for our prayers to get through.
45 You made us like scum and trash among the other nations.
45
You have made us the garbage dump of the world.
46 "All of our enemies open their mouths and speak against us.
46
"We are insulted and mocked by all our enemies.
47 We have been frightened and fearful, ruined and destroyed."
47
We have been through disaster and ruin; we live in danger and fear.
48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes, because my people are destroyed.
48
My eyes flow with rivers of tears at the destruction of my people.
49 My tears flow continually, without stopping,
49
"My tears will pour out in a ceaseless stream
50 until the Lord looks down and sees from heaven.
50
Until the Lord looks down from heaven and sees us.
51 I am sad when I see what has happened to all the women of my city.
51
My heart is grieved when I see what has happened to the women of the city.
52 Those who are my enemies for no reason hunted me like a bird.
52
"I was trapped like a bird by enemies who had no cause to hate me.
53 They tried to kill me in a pit; they threw stones at me.
53
They threw me alive into a pit and closed the opening with a stone.
54 Water came up over my head, and I said, "I am going to die."
54
Water began to close over me, and I thought death was near.
55 I called out to you, Lord, from the bottom of the pit.
55
"From the bottom of the pit, O Lord, I cried out to you,
56 You heard me calling, "Do not close your ears and ignore my gasps and shouts."
56
And when I begged you to listen to my cry, you heard.
57 You came near when I called to you; you said, "Don't be afraid."
57
You answered me and told me not to be afraid.
58 Lord, you have taken my case and given me back my life.
58
"You came to my rescue, Lord, and saved my life.
59 Lord, you have seen how I have been wronged. Now judge my case for me.
59
Judge in my favor; you know the wrongs done against me.
60 You have seen how my enemies took revenge on me and made evil plans against me.
60
You know how my enemies hate me and how they plot against me.
61 Lord, you have heard their insults and all their evil plans against me.
61
"You have heard them insult me, O Lord; you know all their plots.
62 The words and thoughts of my enemies are against me all the time.
62
All day long they talk about me and make their plans.
63 Look! In everything they do they make fun of me with songs.
63
From morning till night they make fun of me.
64 Pay them back, Lord, for what they have done.
64
"Punish them for what they have done, O Lord;
65 Make them stubborn, and put your curse on them.
65
Curse them and fill them with despair!
66 Chase them in anger, Lord, and destroy them from under your heavens.
66
Hunt them down and wipe them off the earth!"
Scripture taken from the New Century Version. Copyright © 1987, 1988, 1991 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the Good News Translation - Second Edition, Copyright 1992 by American Bible Society. Used by Permission.