32For if He causes grief,
         Then He will have compassion
         According to His abundant lovingkindness.

33For He does not afflict willingly
         Or grieve the sons of men.

34To crush under His feet
         All the prisoners of the land,

35To deprive a man of justice
         In the presence of the Most High,

36To defraud a man in his lawsuit—
         Of these things the Lord does not approve.

37Who is there who speaks and it comes to pass,
         Unless the Lord has commanded it?

38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
         That both good and ill go forth?

39Why should any living mortal, or any man,
         Offer complaint in view of his sins?

40Let us examine and probe our ways,
         And let us return to the LORD.

41We lift up our heart and hands
         Toward God in heaven;

42We have transgressed and rebelled,
         You have not pardoned.

43You have covered Yourself with anger
         And pursued us;
         You have slain and have not spared.

44You have covered Yourself with a cloud
         So that no prayer can pass through.

45You have made us mere offscouring and refuse
         In the midst of the peoples.

46All our enemies have opened their mouths against us.

47Panic and pitfall have befallen us,
         Devastation and destruction;

48My eyes run down with streams of water
         Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49My eyes pour down unceasingly,
         Without stopping,

50Until the LORD looks down
         And sees from heaven.

51My eyes bring pain to my soul
         Because of all the daughters of my city.

52My enemies without cause
         Hunted me down like a bird;

53They have silenced me in the pit
         And have placed a stone on me.

54Waters flowed over my head;
         I said, “I am cut off!”

55I called on Your name, O LORD,
         Out of the lowest pit.

56You have heard my voice,
         “Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief,
         From my cry for help.”

57You drew near when I called on You;
         You said, “Do not fear!”

58O Lord, You have pleaded my soul’s cause;
         You have redeemed my life.

59O LORD, You have seen my oppression;
         Judge my case.

60You have seen all their vengeance,
         All their schemes against me.

61You have heard their reproach, O LORD,
         All their schemes against me.

62The lips of my assailants and their whispering
         Are against me all day long.

63Look on their sitting and their rising;
         I am their mocking song.

64You will recompense them, O LORD,
         According to the work of their hands.

65You will give them hardness of heart,
         Your curse will be on them.

66You will pursue them in anger and destroy them
         From under the heavens of the LORD!

NASB ©1995