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[1] ALEPH. I am the man that sees poverty, through the rod of his wrath upon me.
[2] He has taken me, and led me away into darkness, and not into light.
[3] Nay, against me has he turned his hand all the day.
[4] He has made old my flesh and my skin; he has broken my bones.
[5] BETH. He has built against me, and compassed my head, and brought travail upon me.
[6] He has set me in dark places, as them that have long been dead.
[7] He has builded against me, and I cannot come forth: he has made my brazen chain heavy.
[8] GIMEL. Yea, though I cry and shout, he shuts out my prayer.
[9] DALETH. He has built up my ways, he has hedged my paths;
[10] he has troubled me, as a she-bear lying in wait: he is to me as a lion in secret places.
[11] He pursued me after I departed, and brought me to a stand: he has utterly ruined me.
[12] HE. He has bent his bow, and set me as a mark for the arrow.
[13] He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my reins.
[14] I became a laughing-stock to all my people; and their song all the day.
[15] VAU. He has filled me with bitterness, he has drenched me with gall.
[16] And he has dashed out my teeth with gravel, he has fed me with ashes.
[17] He has also removed my soul from peace: I forgot prosperity.
[18] Therefore my success has perished, and my hope from the Lord.
[19] ZAIN. I remembered by reason of my poverty, and because of persecution my bitterness and gall shall be remembered;
[20] and my soul shall meditate with me.
[21] This will I lay up in my heart, therefore I will endure.
[22] HETH. It is the mercies of the Lord, that he has not failed me, because his compassions are not exhausted. Pity us, O Lord, early every month: for we are not brought to an end, because his compassions are not exhausted.
[23] They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness.
[24] The Lord is my portion, says my soul; therefore will I wait for him.
[25] TETH. The Lord is good to them that wait for him: the soul which shall seek him
[26] is good, and shall wait for, and quietly expect salvation of the Lord.
[27] TETH. It is good for a man when he bears a yoke in his youth.
[28] He will sit alone, and be silent, because he has borne it upon him.
[29] [No verse.]
[30] JOD. He will give his cheek to him that smites him: he will be filled full with reproaches.
[31] For the Lord will not reject for ever.
[32] CHAPH. For he that has brought down will pity, and that according to the abundance of his mercy.
[33] He has not answered in anger from his heart, though he has brought low the children of a man.
[34] LAMED. To bring down under his feet all the prisoners of the earth,
[35] to turn aside the judgment of a man before the face of the Most High,
[36] to condemn a man unjustly in his judgment, the Lord has not given commandment.
[37] Who has thus spoken, and it has come to pass? the Lord has not commanded it.
[38] Out of the mouth of the Most High there shall not come forth evil and good.
[39] MEM. Why should a living man complain, a man concerning his sin?
[40] NUN. Our way has been searched out and examined, and we will turn to the Lord.
[41] Let us lift up our hearts with our hand to the lofty One in heaven.
[42] We have sinned, we have transgressed; and thou hast not pardoned.
[43] SAMECH. Thou has visited us in wrath, and driven us away: thou has slain, thou has not pitied.
[44] Thou hast veiled thyself with a cloud because of prayer, that I might be blind,
[45] and be cast off. AIN. Thou hast set us alone in the midst of the nations.
[46] All our enemies have opened their mouth against us.
[47] Fear and wrath are come upon us, suspense and destruction.
[48] Mine eye shall pour down torrents of water, for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
[49] PHE. Mine eye is drowned with tears, and I will not be silent, so that there shall be no rest,
[50] until the Lord look down, and behold from heaven.
[51] Mine eye shall prey upon my soul, because of all the daughters of the city.
[52] TSADE. The fowlers chased me as a sparrow, all mine enemies destroyed my life in a pit without cause,
[53] and laid a stone upon me.
[54] Water flowed over my head: I said, I am cut off.
[55] KOPH. I called upon thy name, O Lord, out of the lowest dungeon.
[56] Thou heardest my voice: close not thine ears to my supplication.
[57] Thou drewest nigh to my help: in the day wherein I called upon thee thou saidst to me, Fear not.
[58] RECHS. O Lord, thou has pleaded the causes of my soul; thou has redeemed my life.
[59] Thou hast seen, O Lord, my troubles: thou hast judged my cause.
[60] Thou hast seen all their vengeance, thou hast looked on all their devices against me.
[61] CHSEN. Thou hast heard their reproach and all their devices against me;
[62] the lips of them that rose up against me, and their plots against me all the day;
[63] their sitting down and their rising up: look thou upon their eyes.
[64] Thou wilt render them a recompense, O Lord, according to the works of their hands.
[65] THAU. Thou wilt give them as a covering, the grief of my heart.
[66] Thou wilt persecute them in anger, and wilt consume them from under the heaven, O Lord.
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