1 Alef. Ek is die man wat ellende gesien het deur die roede van sy grimmigheid.
2 My het Hy gelei en laat wandel in duisternis sonder lig.
3 Ja, altyd weer draai Hy die hele dag sy hand teen my.
4 Bet. Hy het my vlees en my vel laat wegteer, my gebeente verbreek.
5 Hy het my met 'n bouwerk omsingel van gif en moeite.
6 Hy het my in donker plekke laat sit soos die wat lankal dood is.
7 Gimel. Hy het my toegemuur, sodat ek nie kan uitkom nie, my koperboeie swaar gemaak.
8 Al skreeu ek ook en al roep ek om hulp, Hy laat my gebed onverhoord.
9 Hy het my weë toegemuur met gekapte klip, my paaie onbegaanbaar gemaak.
10 Dalet. Hy is 'n beer wat my voorlê, 'n leeu in skuilplekke.
11 Hy het my weë laat wegdraai en my verskeur, my tot 'n woesteny gemaak.
12 Hy het sy boog gespan en my as 'n teiken vir die pyl opgestel.
13 He. Hy het die pyle uit sy pylkoker in my niere laat ingaan.
14 Ek het 'n belagging geword vir my hele volk, hulle spotlied die hele dag.
15 Hy het my met bitter kruie versadig, my genoeg wilde-als laat drink.
16 Wau. En Hy het my die tande op gruisklippertjies laat stukkend byt, my in die as neergedruk.
17 En U het my siel van die vrede verstoot, ek het die goeie vergeet.
18 Ja, ek het gesê: My roem het vergaan en my hoop op die HERE.
19 Sajin. Dink aan my ellende en my omswerwing, aan die wilde-als en die gif.
20 As my siel terdeë daaraan dink, buig hy hom neer in my.
21 Dit sal ek ter harte neem, daarom sal ek hoop:
22 Get. dit is die goedertierenhede van die HERE dat ons nie omgekom het nie, want sy barmhartighede het geen einde nie;
23 hulle is elke môre nuut; u trou is groot.
24 Die HERE is my deel, sê my siel, daarom sal ek op Hom hoop.
25 Tet. Goed is die HERE vir die wat op Hom hoop, vir die siel wat Hom soek.
26 Dit is goed om in stilheid te hoop op die hulp van die HERE.
27 Dit is goed vir 'n man dat hy die juk in sy jeug dra.
28 Jod. Laat hom eensaam sit en swyg, as Hy hom dit opgelê het.
29 Laat hy sy mond in die stof steek -- miskien is daar hoop!
30 Laat hy die wang gee vir die wat hom slaan, laat hy genoeg kry van smaad.
31 Kaf. Want die Here sal nie vir ewig verstoot nie.
32 Maar as Hy bedroef het, ontferm Hy Hom na die grootheid van sy goedertierenhede;
33 want nie van harte verdruk of bedroef Hy die mensekinders nie.
34 Lamed. Dat hulle al die gevangenes van die aarde onder hul voete vertrap,
35 dat hulle die reg van 'n man verdraai voor die aangesig van die Allerhoogste,
36 dat hulle 'n mens onregverdig behandel in sy regsaak -- het die HERE dit nie gesien nie?
37 Mem. Wie spreek daar, en dit gebeur? Het die Here dit nie beveel nie?
38 Gaan uit die mond van die Allerhoogste nie kwaad sowel as goed nie?
39 Wat klaag 'n mens in sy lewe? Laat elkeen klaag oor sy sondes.
40 Noen. Laat ons ons weë naspeur en deursoek en ons tot die HERE bekeer;
41 laat ons ons hart saam met die hande ophef tot God in die hemel en sê:
42 Ons het oortree en ons was wederstrewig -- U het nie vergewe nie.
43 Samek. U het U in toorn gehul en ons agtervolg, U het gedood sonder verskoning.
44 U het Uself in 'n wolk gehul, sodat daar geen gebed kon deurdring nie;
45 U het ons 'n uitvaagsel en 'n wegwerpsel onder die volke gemaak.
46 Pe. Al ons vyande het hulle mond teen ons oopgerek;
47 skrik en kuil het ons deel geword, ondergang en verbreking.
48 My oog loop af in waterstrome oor die verbreking van die dogter van my volk.
49 Ajin. My oog vloei rusteloos weg sonder ophou,
50 totdat die HERE uit die hemel neersien en aanskou.
51 My oog gee my pyn oor al die dogters van my stad.
52 Sade. Hulle het my soos 'n voël rondgejaag, die wat sonder oorsaak my vyande is;
53 hulle het my lewe in 'n kuil tot niet gemaak en klippe op my gegooi.
54 Water het oor my hoof gestroom, ek het gesê: Dit is klaar met my!
55 Kof. Ek roep u Naam aan, HERE, uit die onderste kuil.
56 U hoor my stem; verberg u oor nie vir my ontboeseming, vir my hulpgeroep nie.
57 U kom nader die dag as ek U aanroep, U sê: Wees nie bevrees nie!
58 Resj. U, Here, verdedig my regsaak, U verlos my lewe.
59 U sien, HERE, my verdrukking; verskaf my tog reg.
60 U sien al hulle wraaksug, al hulle planne teen my.
61 Sjin. U hoor hulle smaadrede, HERE, al hulle planne teen my,
62 die lippe van my teëstanders en hulle bedenksels die hele dag teen my.
63 Aanskou tog hulle sit en hulle opstaan, ek is hulle spotlied.
64 Tau. U sal hulle vergeld vir wat hulle gedoen het, HERE.
65 U sal hulle gee verblinding van hart, u vervloeking oor hulle.
66 U sal hulle in toorn vervolg en hulle verdelg van onder die hemel van die HERE uit.
1 I am the man who has seen trouble by the rod of his wrath.
2 By him I have been made to go in the dark where there is no light.
3 Truly against me his hand has been turned again and again all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin have been used up by him and my bones broken.
5 He has put up a wall against me, shutting me in with bitter sorrow.
6 He has kept me in dark places, like those who have been long dead.
7 He has put a wall round me, so that I am not able to go out; he has made great the weight of my chain.
8 Even when I send up a cry for help, he keeps my prayer shut out.
9 He has put up a wall of cut stones about my ways, he has made my roads twisted.
10 He is like a bear waiting for me, like a lion in secret places.
11 By him my ways have been turned on one side and I have been pulled in bits; he has made me waste.
12 With his bow bent, he has made me the mark for his arrows.
13 He has let loose his arrows into the inmost parts of my body.
14 I have become the sport of all the peoples; I am their song all the day.
15 He has made my life nothing but pain, he has given me the bitter root in full measure.
16 By him my teeth have been broken with crushed stones, and I am bent low in the dust.
17 My soul is sent far away from peace, I have no more memory of good.
18 And I said, My strength is cut off, and my hope from the Lord.
19 Keep in mind my trouble and my wandering, the bitter root and the poison.
20 My soul still keeps the memory of them; and is bent down in me.
21 This I keep in mind, and because of this I have hope.
22 It is through the Lord's love that we have not come to destruction, because his mercies have no limit.
23 They are new every morning; great is your good faith.
24 I said to myself, The Lord is my heritage; and because of this I will have hope in him.
25 The Lord is good to those who are waiting for him, to the soul which is looking for him.
26 It is good to go on hoping and quietly waiting for the salvation of the Lord.
27 It is good for a man to undergo the yoke when he is young.
28 Let him be seated by himself, saying nothing, because he has put it on him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if by chance there may be hope.
30 Let his face be turned to him who gives him blows; let him be full of shame.
31 For the Lord does not give a man up for ever.
32 For though he sends grief, still he will have pity in the full measure of his love.
33 For he has no pleasure in troubling and causing grief to the children of men.
34 In a man's crushing under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
35 In his turning away the right of a man before the face of the Most High.
36 In his doing wrong to a man in his cause, the Lord has no pleasure.
37 Who is able to say a thing, and give effect to it, if it has not been ordered by the Lord?
38 Do not evil and good come from the mouth of the Most High?
39 What protest may a living man make, even a man about the punishment of his sin?
40 Let us make search and put our ways to the test, turning again to the Lord;
41 Lifting up our hearts with our hands to God in the heavens.
42 We have done wrong and gone against your law; we have not had your forgiveness.
43 Covering yourself with wrath you have gone after us, cutting us off without pity;
44 Covering yourself with a cloud, so that prayer may not get through.
45 You have made us like waste and that for which there is no use, among the peoples.
46 The mouths of all our haters are open wide against us.
47 Fear and deep waters have come on us, wasting and destruction.
48 Rivers of water are running down from my eyes, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 My eyes are streaming without stopping, they have no rest,
50 Till the Lord's eye is turned on me, till he sees my trouble from heaven.
51 The Lord is unkind to my soul, more than all the daughters of my town.
52 They who are against me without cause have gone hard after me as if I was a bird;
53 They have put an end to my life in the prison, stoning me with stones.
54 Waters were flowing over my head; I said, I am cut off.
55 I was making prayer to your name, O Lord, out of the lowest prison.
56 My voice came to you; let not your ear be shut to my breathing, to my cry.
57 You came near in the day when I made my prayer to you: you said, Have no fear.
58 O Lord, you have taken up the cause of my soul, you have made my life safe.
59 O Lord, you have seen my wrong; be judge in my cause.
60 You have seen all the evil rewards they have sent on me, and all their designs against me.
61 Their bitter words have come to your ears, O Lord, and all their designs against me;
62 The lips of those who came up against me, and their thoughts against me all the day.
63 Take note of them when they are seated, and when they get up; I am their song.
64 You will give them their reward, O Lord, answering to the work of their hands.
65 You will let their hearts be covered over with your curse on them.
66 You will go after them in wrath, and put an end to them from under the heavens of the Lord.