1 Eu sou o homem que viu a aflição
pela vara do furor de Deus.
2 Ele me levou e me fez andar
em trevas e não na luz.
3 Deveras ele volveu contra mim a mão,
de contínuo, todo o dia.
4 Fez envelhecer a minha carne e a minha pele,
despedaçou os meus ossos.
5 Edificou contra mim
e me cercou de veneno e de dor.
6 Fez-me habitar em lugares tenebrosos,
como os que estão mortos para sempre.
7 Cercou-me de um muro, e já não posso sair;
agravou-me com grilhões de bronze.
8 Ainda quando clamo e grito,
ele não admite a minha oração.
9 Fechou os meus caminhos com pedras lavradas,
fez tortuosas as minhas veredas.
10 Fez-se-me como urso à espreita,
um leão de emboscada.
11 Desviou os meus caminhos e me fez em pedaços;
deixou-me assolado.
12 Entesou o seu arco
e me pôs como alvo à flecha.
13 Fez que me entrassem no coração
as flechas da sua aljava.
14 Fui feito objeto de escárnio para todo o meu povo
e a sua canção, todo o dia.
15 Fartou-me de amarguras,
saciou-me de absinto.
16 Fez-me quebrar com pedrinhas de areia os meus dentes,
cobriu-me de cinza.
17 Afastou a paz de minha alma;
esqueci-me do bem.
18 Então, disse eu: já pereceu a minha glória,
como também a minha esperança no Senhor.
19 Lembra-te da minha aflição e do meu pranto,
do absinto e do veneno.
20 Minha alma, continuamente, os recorda
e se abate dentro de mim.
21 Quero trazer à memória
o que me pode dar esperança.
22 As misericórdias do Senhor são a causa de não sermos consumidos,
porque as suas misericórdias não têm fim;
23 renovam-se cada manhã.
Grande é a tua fidelidade.
24 A minha porção é o Senhor, diz a minha alma;
portanto, esperarei nele.
25 Bom é o Senhor para os que esperam por ele,
para a alma que o busca.
26 Bom é aguardar a salvação do Senhor,
e isso, em silêncio.
27 Bom é para o homem
suportar o jugo na sua mocidade.
28 Assente-se solitário e fique em silêncio;
porquanto esse jugo Deus pôs sobre ele;
29 ponha a boca no pó;
talvez ainda haja esperança.
30 Dê a face ao que o fere;
farte-se de afronta.
31 O Senhor não rejeitará
para sempre;
32 pois, ainda que entristeça a alguém,
usará de compaixão segundo a grandeza das suas misericórdias;
33 porque não aflige, nem entristece de bom grado
os filhos dos homens.
34 Pisar debaixo dos pés
a todos os presos da terra,
35 perverter o direito do homem
perante o Altíssimo,
36 subverter ao homem no seu pleito,
não o veria o Senhor?
37 Quem é aquele que diz, e assim acontece,
quando o Senhor o não mande?
38 Acaso, não procede do Altíssimo
tanto o mal como o bem?
39 Por que, pois, se queixa o homem vivente?
Queixe-se cada um dos seus próprios pecados.
40 Esquadrinhemos os nossos caminhos,
provemo-los e voltemos para o Senhor.
41 Levantemos o coração,
juntamente com as mãos, para Deus nos céus, dizendo:
42 Nós prevaricamos e fomos rebeldes,
e tu não nos perdoaste.
43 Cobriste-nos de ira e nos perseguiste;
e sem piedade nos mataste.
44 De nuvens te encobriste
para que não passe a nossa oração.
45 Como cisco e refugo nos puseste
no meio dos povos.
46 Todos os nossos inimigos
abriram contra nós a boca.
47 Sobre nós vieram o temor e a cova,
a assolação e a ruína.
48 Dos meus olhos se derramam torrentes de águas,
por causa da destruição da filha do meu povo.
49 Os meus olhos choram,
não cessam, e não há descanso,
50 até que o Senhor atenda
e veja lá do céu.
51 Os meus olhos entristecem a minha alma,
por causa de todas as filhas da minha cidade.
52 Caçaram-me, como se eu fosse ave,
os que sem motivo são meus inimigos.
53 Para me destruírem, lançaram-me na cova
e atiraram pedras sobre mim.
54 Águas correram sobre a minha cabeça;
então, disse: estou perdido!
55 Da mais profunda cova, Senhor,
invoquei o teu nome.
56 Ouviste a minha voz;
não escondas o ouvido aos meus lamentos, ao meu clamor.
57 De mim te aproximaste no dia em que te invoquei;
disseste: Não temas.
58 Pleiteaste, Senhor, a causa da minha alma,
remiste a minha vida.
59 Viste, Senhor, a injustiça que me fizeram;
julga a minha causa.
60 Viste a sua vingança toda,
todos os seus pensamentos contra mim.
61 Ouviste as suas afrontas, Senhor,
todos os seus pensamentos contra mim;
62 as acusações dos meus adversários
e o seu murmurar contra mim, o dia todo.
63 Observa-os quando se assentam e quando se levantam;
eu sou objeto da sua canção.
64 Tu lhes darás a paga, Senhor,
segundo a obra das suas mãos.
65 Tu lhes darás cegueira de coração,
a tua maldição imporás sobre eles.
66 Na tua ira, os perseguirás,
e eles serão eliminados de debaixo dos céus do Senhor.
1 I am the man that hath seen affliction by the rod of his wrath.
2 He hath led me and caused me to walk in darkness, and not in light.
3 Surely against me he turneth his hand again and again all the day.
4 My flesh and my skin hath he made old; he hath broken my bones.
5 He hath builded against me, and compassed me with gall and travail.
6 He hath made me to dwell in dark places, as those that have been long dead.
7 He hath walled me about, that I cannot go forth; he hath made my chain heavy.
8 Yea, when I cry, and call for help, he shutteth out my prayer.
9 He hath walled up my ways with hewn stone; he hath made my paths crooked.
10 He is unto me as a bear lying in wait, as a lion in secret places.
11 He hath turned aside my ways, and pulled me in pieces; he hath made me desolate.
12 He hath bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He hath caused the shafts of his quiver to enter into my reins.
14 I am become a derision to all my people, and their song all the day.
15 He hath filled me with bitterness, he hath sated me with wormwood.
16 He hath also broken my teeth with gravel stones; he hath covered me with ashes.
17 And thou hast removed my soul far off from peace; I forgat prosperity.
18 And I said, My strength is perished, and mine expectation from Jehovah.
19 Remember mine affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall.
20 My soul hath them still in remembrance, and is bowed down within me.
21 This I recall to my mind; therefore have I hope.
22 It is of Jehovah’s lovingkindnesses that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not.
23 They are new every morning; great is thy faithfulness.
24 Jehovah is my portion, saith my soul; therefore will I hope in him.
25 Jehovah is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him.
26 It is good that a man should hope and quietly wait for the salvation of Jehovah.
27 It is good for a man that he bear the yoke in his youth.
28 Let him sit alone and keep silence, because he hath laid it upon him.
29 Let him put his mouth in the dust, if so be there may be hope.
30 Let him give his cheek to him that smiteth him; let him be filled full with reproach.
31 For the Lord will not cast off for ever.
32 For though he cause grief, yet will he have compassion according to the multitude of his lovingkindnesses.
33 For he doth not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.
34 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,
36 To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord approveth not.
37 Who is he that saith, and it cometh to pass, when the Lord commandeth it not?
38 Out of the mouth of the Most High cometh there not evil and good?
39 Wherefore doth a living man complain, a man for the punishment of his sins?
40 Let us search and try our ways, and turn again to Jehovah.
41 Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens.
42 We have transgressed and have rebelled; thou hast not pardoned.
43 Thou hast covered with anger and pursued us; thou hast slain, thou hast not pitied.
44 Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud, so that no prayer can pass through.
45 Thou hast made us an off-scouring and refuse in the midst of the peoples.
46 All our enemies have opened their mouth wide against us.
47 Fear and the pit are come upon us, devastation and destruction.
48 Mine eye runneth down with streams of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Mine eye poureth down, and ceaseth not, without any intermission,
50 Till Jehovah look down, and behold from heaven.
51 Mine eye affecteth my soul, because of all the daughters of my city.
52 They have chased me sore like a bird, they that are mine enemies without cause.
53 They have cut off my life in the dungeon, and have cast a stone upon me.
54 Waters flowed over my head; I said, I am cut off.
55 I called upon thy name, O Jehovah, out of the lowest dungeon.
56 Thou heardest my voice; hide not thine ear at my breathing, at my cry.
57 Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou saidst, Fear not.
58 O Lord, thou hast pleaded the causes of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life.
59 O Jehovah, thou hast seen my wrong; judge thou my cause.
60 Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their devices against me.
61 Thou hast heard their reproach, O Jehovah, and all their devices against me,
62 The lips of those that rose up against me, and their device against me all the day.
63 Behold thou their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their song.
64 Thou wilt render unto them a recompense, O Jehovah, according to the work of their hands.
65 Thou wilt give them hardness of heart, thy curse unto them.
66 Thou wilt pursue them in anger, and destroy them from under the heavens of Jehovah.
1 I am the man who has seen affliction by the rod of the LORD's wrath.
2 He has driven me away and made me walk in darkness rather than light;
3 indeed, he has turned his hand against me again and again, all day long.
4 He has made my skin and my flesh grow old and has broken my bones.
5 He has besieged me and surrounded me with bitterness and hardship.
6 He has made me dwell in darkness like those long dead.
7 He has walled me in so I cannot escape; he has weighed me down with chains.
8 Even when I call out or cry for help, he shuts out my prayer.
9 He has barred my way with blocks of stone; he has made my paths crooked.
10 Like a bear lying in wait, like a lion in hiding,
11 he dragged me from the path and mangled me and left me without help.
12 He drew his bow and made me the target for his arrows.
13 He pierced my heart with arrows from his quiver.
14 I became the laughingstock of all my people; they mock me in song all day long.
15 He has filled me with bitter herbs and given me gall to drink.
16 He has broken my teeth with gravel; he has trampled me in the dust.
17 I have been deprived of peace; I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18 So I say, "My splendor is gone and all that I had hoped from the LORD."
19 I remember my affliction and my wandering, the bitterness and the gall.
20 I well remember them, and my soul is downcast within me.
21 Yet this I call to mind and therefore I have hope:
22 Because of the LORD's great love we are not consumed, for his compassions never fail.
23 They are new every morning; great is your faithfulness.
24 I say to myself, "The LORD is my portion; therefore I will wait for him."
25 The LORD is good to those whose hope is in him, to the one who seeks him;
26 it is good to wait quietly for the salvation of the LORD.
27 It is good for a man to bear the yoke while he is young.
28 Let him sit alone in silence, for the LORD has laid it on him.
29 Let him bury his face in the dust — there may yet be hope.
30 Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him, and let him be filled with disgrace.
31 For no one is cast off by the Lord forever.
32 Though he brings grief, he will show compassion, so great is his unfailing love.
33 For he does not willingly bring affliction or grief to anyone.
34 To crush underfoot all prisoners in the land,
35 to deny people their rights before the Most High,
36 to deprive them of justice — would not the Lord see such things?
37 Who can speak and have it happen if the Lord has not decreed it?
38 Is it not from the mouth of the Most High that both calamities and good things come?
39 Why should the living complain when punished for their sins?
40 Let us examine our ways and test them, and let us return to the LORD.
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to God in heaven, and say:
42 "We have sinned and rebelled and you have not forgiven.
43 "You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us; you have slain without pity.
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud so that no prayer can get through.
45 You have made us scum and refuse among the nations.
46 "All our enemies have opened their mouths wide against us.
47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls, ruin and destruction."
48 Streams of tears flow from my eyes because my people are destroyed.
49 My eyes will flow unceasingly, without relief,
50 until the LORD looks down from heaven and sees.
51 What I see brings grief to my soul because of all the women of my city.
52 Those who were my enemies without cause hunted me like a bird.
53 They tried to end my life in a pit and threw stones at me;
54 the waters closed over my head, and I thought I was about to perish.
55 I called on your name, LORD, from the depths of the pit.
56 You heard my plea: "Do not close your ears to my cry for relief."
57 You came near when I called you, and you said, "Do not fear."
58 You, Lord, took up my case; you redeemed my life.
59 LORD, you have seen the wrong done to me. Uphold my cause!
60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance, all their plots against me.
61 LORD, you have heard their insults, all their plots against me —
62 what my enemies whisper and mutter against me all day long.
63 Look at them! Sitting or standing, they mock me in their songs.
64 Pay them back what they deserve, LORD, for what their hands have done.
65 Put a veil over their hearts, and may your curse be on them!
66 Pursue them in anger and destroy them from under the heavens of the LORD.