1 Aleph I am a man that sees affliction in the rod of his wrath. 2 Aleph He has led me and brought me into darkness, but not into light. 3 Aleph Surely he is turned against me; he turns his hand against me all the day.
4 Beth My flesh and my skin he has made old; he has broken my bones. 5 Beth He has built against me and compassed me with gall and travail. 6 Beth He has set me in dark places as those that are dead for ever.
7 Gimel He has hedged me about that I cannot get out; he has made my chain heavy. 8 Gimel Even when I cried and shouted, he shut out my prayer. 9 Gimel He has enclosed my ways with hewn stone; he has made my paths crooked.
10 Daleth He was unto me as a bear lying in wait and as a lion in secret places. 11 Daleth He has made my ways crooked and pulled me in pieces; he has made me desolate. 12 Daleth He has bent his bow and set me as a mark for the arrow.
13 He He has caused the arrows of his quiver to enter into my kidneys. 14 He I was a derision to all my people and their song every day. 15 He He has filled me with bitterness, he has made me drunk with wormwood.
16 Vau He has broken my teeth with gravel stones; he has covered me with ashes. 17 Vau My soul removed itself far from peace; I forgot about good. 18 Vau And I said, My strength and my hope of the LORD is perished.
19 Zain Remember my affliction and my misery, the wormwood and the gall. 20 Zain My soul shall have them still in remembrance because it is humbled in me. 21 Zain This shall go down into my heart; therefore I shall wait.
22 Chet It is of the LORD’s mercies that we are not consumed because his mercies never diminish. 23 Chet They are new every morning; great is thy faith. 24 Chet The LORD is my portion, saith my soul; therefore I will wait for him.
25 Teth The LORD is good unto those that wait in him, to the soul that seeks him. 26 Teth It is good to wait quietly in the salvation of the LORD. 27 Teth It is good for the man if he bears the yoke from his youth.
28 Jod He shall sit alone and keep silence because he has borne it upon him. 29 Jod He shall put his mouth in the dust; if so be there may be hope. 30 Jod He shall turn his cheek unto him that smites him; he shall be filled with reproach.
31 Caph For the Lord will not cast off for ever: 32 Caph But though he causes grief, yet he will also have compassion according to the multitude of his mercies. 33 Caph For he does not afflict nor grieve the sons of men from his heart.
34 Lamed To crush under his feet all the prisoners of the earth, 35 Lamed To turn aside the right of a man before the face of the most High, 36 Lamed To subvert a man in his cause, the Lord does not approve.
37 Mem Who shall he be that saith that something comes which the Lord has not sent? 38 Mem Out of the mouth of the most High proceeds not evil and good? 39 Mem Why does the living man have pain, the man in his sins?
40 Nun Let us search out our ways, and seek, and turn again to the LORD. 41 Nun Let us lift up our heart with our hands unto God in the heavens. 42 Nun We have rebelled and been disloyal; therefore thou hast not forgiven.
43 Samech Thou hast unfurled anger and persecuted us; thou hast slain, thou hast not forgiven. 44 Samech Thou hast covered thyself with a cloud that our prayer should not pass through. 45 Samech Thou hast made us as the offscouring and abomination in the midst of the peoples.
46 Pe All our enemies have opened their mouths upon us. 47 Pe Fear and a snare is come upon us, desolation and destruction. 48 Pe My eyes stream with rivers of water for the destruction of the daughter of my people.
49 Ain My eyes run down, and cease not, for there is no relief, 50 Ain Until the LORD looks down, and beholds from the heavens. 51 Ain My eyes make my soul sad because of all the daughters of my city.
52 Tzaddi My enemies hunted me like a bird, without cause. 53 Tzaddi They bound up my life in the dungeon, and cast a stone upon me. 54 Tzaddi Waters flowed over my head; then I said, I am dead.
55 Koph I called upon thy name, O LORD, out of the low dungeon. 56 Koph Thou hast heard my voice; do not hide thine ear at my cry that I might breath. 57 Koph Thou drewest near in the day that I called upon thee; thou didst say, Fear not.
58 Resh O Lord, thou hast pleaded the cause of my soul; thou hast redeemed my life. 59 Resh O LORD, thou hast seen where I was wrong; plead thou my cause. 60 Resh Thou hast seen all their vengeance and all their imaginations against me.
61 Schin Thou hast heard their reproach, O LORD, and all their imaginations against me; 62 Schin The words of those that rose up against me, and their design against me all the day. 63 Schin Behold their sitting down, and their rising up; I am their music.
64 Tau Render unto them a recompense, O LORD, according to the work of their hands. 65 Tau Give them sorrow of heart; thy curse unto them. 66 Tau Persecute them in thy anger and cut them off from under the heavens, oh LORD.