² “I have heard many things like these;
    you are miserable comforters,^(A) all of you!^(B)
3 Will your long-winded speeches never end?^(C)
    What ails you that you keep on arguing?^(D)
4 I also could speak like you,
    if you were in my place;
I could make fine speeches against you
    and shake my head^(E) at you.
⁵ But my mouth would encourage you;
    comfort^(F) from my lips would bring you relief.^(G)

⁶ “Yet if I speak, my pain is not relieved;
    and if I refrain, it does not go away.^(H)
7 Surely, God, you have worn me out;^(I)
    you have devastated my entire household.^(J)
8 You have shriveled me up—and it has become a witness;
    my gauntness^(K) rises up and testifies against me.^(L)
9 God assails me and tears^(M) me in his anger^(N)
    and gnashes his teeth at me;^(O)
    my opponent fastens on me his piercing eyes.^(P)
10 People open their mouths^(Q) to jeer at me;^(R)
    they strike my cheek^(S) in scorn
    and unite together against me.^(T)
11 God has turned me over to the ungodly
    and thrown me into the clutches of the wicked.^(U)
12 All was well with me, but he shattered me;
    he seized me by the neck and crushed me.^(V)
He has made me his target;^(W)
13     his archers surround me.^(X)
Without pity, he pierces^(Y) my kidneys
    and spills my gall on the ground.
¹⁴ Again and again^(Z) he bursts upon me;
    he rushes at me like a warrior.^(AA)

¹⁵ “I have sewed sackcloth^(AB) over my skin
    and buried my brow in the dust.^(AC)
16 My face is red with weeping,^(AD)
    dark shadows ring my eyes;^(AE)
17 yet my hands have been free of violence^(AF)
    and my prayer is pure.^(AG)

¹⁸ “Earth, do not cover my blood;^(AH)
    may my cry^(AI) never be laid to rest!^(AJ)
19 Even now my witness^(AK) is in heaven;^(AL)
    my advocate is on high.^(AM)
20 My intercessor^(AN) is my friend^[a](AO)
    as my eyes pour out^(AP) tears^(AQ) to God;
²¹ on behalf of a man he pleads^(AR) with God
    as one pleads for a friend.

²² “Only a few years will pass
    before I take the path of no return.^(AS)

³ “Give me, O God, the pledge you demand.^(AY)
    Who else will put up security^(AZ) for me?^(BA)
4 You have closed their minds to understanding;^(BB)
    therefore you will not let them triumph.
⁵ If anyone denounces their friends for reward,^(BC)
    the eyes of their children will fail.^(BD)

⁶ “God has made me a byword^(BE) to everyone,^(BF)
    a man in whose face people spit.^(BG)
7 My eyes have grown dim with grief;^(BH)
    my whole frame is but a shadow.^(BI)
8 The upright are appalled at this;
    the innocent are aroused^(BJ) against the ungodly.
⁹ Nevertheless, the righteous^(BK) will hold to their ways,
    and those with clean hands^(BL) will grow stronger.^(BM)

¹⁰ “But come on, all of you, try again!
    I will not find a wise man among you.^(BN)
11 My days have passed,^(BO) my plans are shattered.
    Yet the desires of my heart^(BP)
12 turn night into day;^(BQ)
    in the face of the darkness light is near.^(BR)
13 If the only home I hope for is the grave,^(BS)
    if I spread out my bed^(BT) in the realm of darkness,^(BU)
14 if I say to corruption,^(BV) ‘You are my father,’
    and to the worm,^(BW) ‘My mother’ or ‘My sister,’
¹⁵ where then is my hope—^(BX)
    who can see any hope for me?^(BY)
16 Will it go down to the gates of death?^(BZ)
    Will we descend together into the dust?”^(CA)

May the Lord grant all your requests.^(N)

⁶ Now this I know:
    The Lord gives victory to his anointed.^(O)
He answers him from his heavenly sanctuary
    with the victorious power of his right hand.^(P)
7 Some trust in chariots^(Q) and some in horses,^(R)
    but we trust in the name of the Lord our God.^(S)
8 They are brought to their knees and fall,^(T)
    but we rise up^(U) and stand firm.^(V)
9 Lord, give victory to the king!
    Answer us^(W) when we call!

² You have granted him his heart’s desire^(Z)
    and have not withheld the request of his lips.^[d]
3 You came to greet him with rich blessings
    and placed a crown of pure gold^(AA) on his head.^(AB)
4 He asked you for life, and you gave it to him—
    length of days, for ever and ever.^(AC)
5 Through the victories^(AD) you gave, his glory is great;
    you have bestowed on him splendor and majesty.^(AE)
6 Surely you have granted him unending blessings
    and made him glad with the joy^(AF) of your presence.^(AG)
7 For the king trusts in the Lord;^(AH)
    through the unfailing love^(AI) of the Most High^(AJ)
    he will not be shaken.^(AK)

⁸ Your hand will lay hold^(AL) on all your enemies;
    your right hand will seize your foes.
⁹ When you appear for battle,
    you will burn them up as in a blazing furnace.
The Lord will swallow them up in his wrath,
    and his fire will consume them.^(AM)
10 You will destroy their descendants from the earth,
    their posterity from mankind.^(AN)
11 Though they plot evil^(AO) against you
    and devise wicked schemes,^(AP) they cannot succeed.
¹² You will make them turn their backs^(AQ)
    when you aim at them with drawn bow.

¹³ Be exalted^(AR) in your strength, Lord;^(AS)
    we will sing and praise your might.

³ Yet you are enthroned as the Holy One;^(AY)
    you are the one Israel praises.^[g](AZ)
4 In you our ancestors put their trust;
    they trusted and you delivered them.^(BA)
5 To you they cried out^(BB) and were saved;
    in you they trusted^(BC) and were not put to shame.^(BD)

⁶ But I am a worm^(BE) and not a man,
    scorned by everyone,^(BF) despised^(BG) by the people.
⁷ All who see me mock me;^(BH)
    they hurl insults,^(BI) shaking their heads.^(BJ)
8 “He trusts in the Lord,” they say,
    “let the Lord rescue him.^(BK)
Let him deliver him,^(BL)
    since he delights^(BM) in him.”

⁹ Yet you brought me out of the womb;^(BN)
    you made me trust^(BO) in you, even at my mother’s breast.
¹⁰ From birth^(BP) I was cast on you;
    from my mother’s womb you have been my God.

¹¹ Do not be far from me,^(BQ)
    for trouble is near^(BR)
    and there is no one to help.^(BS)

¹² Many bulls^(BT) surround me;^(BU)
    strong bulls of Bashan^(BV) encircle me.
¹³ Roaring lions^(BW) that tear their prey^(BX)
    open their mouths wide^(BY) against me.
¹⁴ I am poured out like water,
    and all my bones are out of joint.^(BZ)
My heart has turned to wax;^(CA)
    it has melted^(CB) within me.
¹⁵ My mouth^[h] is dried up like a potsherd,^(CC)
    and my tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth;^(CD)
    you lay me in the dust^(CE) of death.

¹⁶ Dogs^(CF) surround me,
    a pack of villains encircles me;
    they pierce^[i](CG) my hands and my feet.
¹⁷ All my bones are on display;
    people stare^(CH) and gloat over me.^(CI)
18 They divide my clothes among them
    and cast lots^(CJ) for my garment.^(CK)

¹⁹ But you, Lord, do not be far from me.^(CL)
    You are my strength;^(CM) come quickly^(CN) to help me.^(CO)
20 Deliver me from the sword,^(CP)
    my precious life^(CQ) from the power of the dogs.^(CR)
21 Rescue me from the mouth of the lions;^(CS)
    save me from the horns of the wild oxen.^(CT)

²² I will declare your name to my people;
    in the assembly^(CU) I will praise you.^(CV)
23 You who fear the Lord, praise him!^(CW)
    All you descendants of Jacob, honor him!^(CX)
    Revere him,^(CY) all you descendants of Israel!
²⁴ For he has not despised^(CZ) or scorned
    the suffering of the afflicted one;^(DA)
he has not hidden his face^(DB) from him
    but has listened to his cry for help.^(DC)

²⁵ From you comes the theme of my praise in the great assembly;^(DD)
    before those who fear you^[j] I will fulfill my vows.^(DE)
26 The poor will eat^(DF) and be satisfied;
    those who seek the Lord will praise him—^(DG)
    may your hearts live forever!

²⁷ All the ends of the earth^(DH)
    will remember and turn to the Lord,
and all the families of the nations
    will bow down before him,^(DI)
28 for dominion belongs to the Lord^(DJ)
    and he rules over the nations.

²⁹ All the rich^(DK) of the earth will feast and worship;^(DL)
    all who go down to the dust^(DM) will kneel before him—
    those who cannot keep themselves alive.^(DN)
30 Posterity^(DO) will serve him;
    future generations^(DP) will be told about the Lord.
³¹ They will proclaim his righteousness,^(DQ)
    declaring to a people yet unborn:^(DR)
    He has done it!^(DS)

⁵ You prepare a table^(ED) before me
    in the presence of my enemies.
You anoint my head with oil;^(EE)
    my cup^(EF) overflows.
⁶ Surely your goodness and love^(EG) will follow me
    all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
    forever.