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¹ I am the man that thorowe the rodde of his wrath haue experience of miserie.² He droue me foorth and led me, yea into darknesse, but not into light.³ Against me is he turned, he turneth his hande dayly against me.⁴ My flesh and my skinne hath he made olde, and my bones hath he bruised.⁵ He hath buylded rounde about me, and closed me in with gall and trauaile.⁶ He hath set me in darknesse, as they that be dead for euer.⁷ He hath so hedged me in, that I can not get out, and hath layde heauie linkes vpon me.⁸ Though I crye and call pitiously, yet heareth he not my prayer.⁹ He hath stopped vp my wayes with foure squared stones, and made my pathes crooked.¹⁰ He layeth wayte for me lyke a beare, and as a lion in a hole.¹¹ He hath marred my wayes, and broken me in peeces, he hath layde me waste altogether.¹² He hath bent his bowe, and made me as it were a marke to shoote at.¹³ The arrowes of his quiuer hath he shot, euen into my reynes.¹⁴ I am laughed to scorne of all my people, they make songues vpon me all the day long.¹⁵ He hath filled me with bitternesse, and geuen me wormewood to drinke.¹⁶ He hath smitten my teeth in peeces with stones, and roulled me in the dust.¹⁷ He hath put my soule out of rest, I forget all good thinges.¹⁸ I thought in my selfe, I am vndone, there is no hope for me in the Lorde.¹⁹ O remember yet my miserie and my trouble, the wormewood and the gall.²⁰ Yea thou shalt remember them, for my soule melteth away in me.

²¹ Whyle I consider these thinges in my heart, I get a hope agayne.²² [Namely] it is of the Lordes mercies that we are not vtterly consumed, for truely his pitifull compassion hath not ceassed.²³ Newe mercyes shall the Lord shewe vpon thee early in the day springing, (O Lorde) great is thy faythfulnesse.²⁴ The Lorde is my portion saith my soule therefore wyll I hope in hym.²⁵ O howe good is the Lord vnto them that put their trust in hym, and to the soule that seeketh after hym.²⁶ The good man with stilnesse and pacience, taryeth for the health of the Lorde.²⁷ O howe good is it for a man to take the yoke vpon him from his youth vp?²⁸ He sitteth alone, he holdeth hym styll, because he hath taken [the Lordes yoke] vpon hym.²⁹ He layeth his face vpon the earth, if there happen to be any hope.³⁰ He offreth his cheeke to the smyter, he wyll be content with reproffes:³¹ For the Lord wil not forsake for euer.³² But though he punishe, yet according to the multitude of his mercies he receaueth to grace agayne.³³ For he doth not plague willingly, and afflict the chyldren of men,³⁴ To treade all the prysoners of the earth vnder his feete,³⁵ To moue the iudgement of man before the most highest,³⁶ To condemne a man in his cause: the Lord hath not pleasure in such thinges.

³⁷ What is he then that saith, there should some thing be done without the Lordes commaundement?³⁸ Out of the mouth of the most highest goeth not euyll and good?³⁹ Wherefore then murmureth the liuing man? let hym murmure at his owne sinne.⁴⁰ Let vs looke well vpon our wayes, and remember our selues, and turne agayne to the Lorde.⁴¹ Let vs lift our heartes with our handes vnto the Lorde that is in heauen.

⁴² We haue ben dissemblers and haue offended, wylt thou therefore not be intreated?⁴³ Thou hast couered vs in thy wrath, and persecuted vs: thou hast slayne vs without any fauour.⁴⁴ Thou hast hid thy selfe in a cloude, that our prayer should not go through.⁴⁵ Thou hast made vs outcastes, and to be despised among the people.⁴⁶ All our enemies gape vpon vs.⁴⁷ Feare and pit is come vpon vs, yea deceipt and destruction.⁴⁸ Whole riuers of water gushe out of mine eyes for the hurt of my people:⁴⁹ Myne eyes runne and cannot ceasse, for there is no rest:⁵⁰ O Lorde, when wylt thou looke downe from heauen and consider?⁵¹ Mine eyes breaketh my heart, because of all the daughters of my citie.⁵² Mine enemies hunted me out sharply like a byrde, yea & that without a cause.⁵³ They haue put downe my life into a pit, and they haue cast stones vpon me.⁵⁴ They haue powred water vpon my head: then thought I, nowe am I vndone.

⁵⁵ I called vpon thy name O Lorde out of the deepe pit.⁵⁶ Thou hast heard my voyce, and hast not turned away thyne eares from my sighing and crying.⁵⁷ Thou hast inclyned thy selfe vnto me when I called vpon thee: and hast said, feare not.⁵⁸ Thou (O Lorde) hast mayntayned the cause of my soule, and hast redeemed my lyfe.⁵⁹ O Lorde, thou hast seene my wrong, take thou my cause vpon thee.⁶⁰ Thou hast well considered howe they go about to do me harme, and that all their counsels are against me.⁶¹ Thou hast hearde their despitefull wordes O Lorde, yea and all the imaginations against me:⁶² The lippes of mine enemies, and their deuises that they take against me al the day long.⁶³ Thou seest also their sitting downe and their rising vp, they make their songes of nothing but of me.⁶⁴ Rewarde them, O Lorde, according to the workes of their handes.⁶⁵ Geue them an obstinate heart, euen thy curse.⁶⁶ Persecute them O Lorde with thyne indignation, and roote them out from vnder the heauen.