a 3:1 I am the man¹ who has experienced²

affliction from the disciplining rod³ of his wrath.
3:2 He has driven me into captivity,⁴
and made me walk⁵ in deep darkness.⁶
3:3 He repeatedly⁷ attacked me⁸
over and over, continually.⁹

b 3:4 He has caused my mortal skin¹⁰ to waste away;

he has broken my bones.
3:5 He has besieged¹¹ and surrounded¹² me
with bitter hardship.¹³
3:6 He has made me reside in intense darkness¹⁴
like those who died long ago.

g 3:7 He has walled me in¹⁵ so that I cannot escape;

he has weighed me down with heavy prison-chains.¹⁶
3:8 Even though I cry out desperately¹⁷ for help,¹⁸
he shuts his ears to my prayer.¹⁹
3:9 He has blocked²⁰ every road I take²¹ with hewn stones;
he has made every path upon which I flee²² impossible to traverse.²³

d 3:10 He is like a bear lying in wait for me,²⁴

like a hidden lion²⁵ stalking its prey.²⁶
3:11 He dragged me from the path²⁷ and tore me to pieces,
and mangled me beyond rescue.²⁸
3:12 He drew²⁹ his archery-bow
and made me³⁰ the target for his arrows.³¹

h 3:13 He shot³² his arrows³³

into my heart.³⁴
3:14 I have become the laughingstock of all people;³⁵
I am the subject of their mockery³⁶ continually.³⁷
3:15 He has made me eat bitter herbs,
and made me drink stagnant water.³⁸

w 3:16 He has broken³⁹ my teeth with gravel;

he has made me cower⁴⁰ in ashes.
3:17 I⁴¹ am deprived⁴² of peace;
I have forgotten what happiness is.
3:18 So I said, “My endurance has perished,
I have lost all hope of deliverance⁴³ from the LORD.”

z 3:19 Just thinking about⁴⁴ my impoverished and homeless condition⁴⁵

is bitter poison.⁴⁶
3:20 When I⁴⁷ continually think about⁴⁸ this,
I⁴⁹ become emotionally depressed.⁵⁰
3:21 But this I call⁵¹ to mind,⁵²
therefore I have hope:

j 3:22 The LORD’s many kindnesses never cease,⁵³

for his great compassion⁵⁴ never comes to an end.
3:23 They are renewed⁵⁵ every morning;
Your faithfulness is abundant!⁵⁶
3:24 I said to myself,⁵⁷ “The LORD is the portion of my inheritance;⁵⁸
therefore, I will put my hope in him.”

f 3:25 The LORD is good to those who trust⁵⁹ in him,

to the one⁶⁰ who seeks him.
3:26 It is good to wait patiently⁶¹
for deliverance to come⁶² from the LORD.⁶³
3:27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke⁶⁴
while he is young.⁶⁵

y 3:28 Let a person⁶⁶ sit alone in silence,

when the LORD⁶⁷ is disciplining⁶⁸ him.
3:29 Let him bury his face in the dust;⁶⁹
there may yet be hope.
3:30 Let him offer his cheek to the one who hits him,⁷⁰
let him have his fill of insults.

k 3:31 For the LORD⁷¹ will not

reject us forever.⁷²
3:32 Though he has caused us⁷³ grief, he will have compassion on us,⁷⁴
according to the abundance of his kindness.⁷⁵
3:33 For he does not enjoy bringing affliction⁷⁶
nor grieve mortal men.⁷⁷

l 3:34 To crush underfoot

all the prisoners in the land,⁷⁸
3:35 To deprive a man of his rights
in the presence of the Most High,
3:36 To subvert a man in his just cause—
the LORD⁷⁹ does not approve⁸⁰ of such things!

m 3:37 Whose command was ever fulfilled⁸¹

unless the LORD⁸² had decreed it?
3:38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that everything comes—
both calamity and blessings?⁸³
3:39 Why should any living man complain
when he is punished for his sins?⁸⁴

n 3:40 Let us carefully examine our ways,⁸⁵

and let us return to the LORD.
3:41 Let us lift up our hearts⁸⁶ and our hands
to God in heaven:
3:42 “We have sinned rebelliously;⁸⁷
you have not forgiven.”

s 3:43 You have clothed yourself with anger and pursued us;

you have slain us without pity.
3:44 You have hid⁸⁸ yourself in a cloud
so that no prayer can pass through.
3:45 You have made us like filthy excrement⁸⁹
in the estimation⁹⁰ of the nations.

p 3:46 All our enemies brashly proclaim threats⁹¹

against us.
3:47 Panic and pitfall⁹² have come upon us,
devastation and destruction.⁹³
3:48 Streams⁹⁴ of tears flow from my eyes⁹⁵
because my people⁹⁶ are destroyed.⁹⁷

u 3:49 Tears flow from my eyes⁹⁸ unceasingly;

they will not stop⁹⁹
3:50 until the LORD looks down
from heaven and sees what has happened.¹⁰⁰
3:51 What my eyes see¹⁰¹ causes grief to me¹⁰²
on account of¹⁰³ all the women in my city.

x 3:52 For no good reason,¹⁰⁴ my enemies

have hunted me down¹⁰⁵ like a bird.
3:53 They have tried to end my life in a pit,
by¹⁰⁶ throwing stones on me.
3:54 The waters closed over my head,
I thought¹⁰⁷ that I was about to die.¹⁰⁸

q 3:55 I called on your name, O LORD,

from the depths of the pit.¹⁰⁹
3:56 You heard my plea:¹¹⁰
“Do not close your ears to my cry for help!”¹¹¹
3:57 You came near when I called to you;
you said, “Do not fear!”

r 3:58 You championed my¹¹² cause, O LORD;¹¹³

you redeemed my life.
3:59 You have seen the wrong done to me, O LORD;
may you issue judgment on my behalf!¹¹⁴
3:60 You have seen all their vengeance,
all their plots against me.¹¹⁵

? 3:61 You have heard their taunts, O LORD,

all their plots against me.
3:62 My assailants revile and conspire¹¹⁶
against me all day long.
3:63 Look at them!¹¹⁷ From morning to evening¹¹⁸
I am the object of their mocking-songs.

t 3:64 Pay them back¹¹⁹ what they deserve,¹²⁰ O LORD,

according to what they¹²¹ have done.¹²²
3:65 Render their hearts hard;¹²³
may your curse be on them!
3:66 Pursue them¹²⁴ in anger and eradicate them
from under heaven, which belongs to you, O LORD¹²⁵