The Prophet’s Afflictions

1I am the ma, that (thorow the rodd of his wrath) haue experiece of misery.

2He droue me forth, and led me: yee into darcknesse, but not in to light.

3Agaynst me only he turneth his honde, & layeth it euer vpon me.

4My flesh & my skynne hath he made olde, and my bones hath he brussed.

5He hath buylded rounde aboute me, & closed me in with gall and trauayle.

6He hath set me in darcknesse, as they that be deed for euer.

7He hath so hedged me in, that I can not get out, & hath layed heuy lynckes vpon me.

8Though I crie & call piteously, yet heareth he not my prayer.

9He hath stopped vp my wayes with foure squared stones, & made my pathes croked.

10He layeth waite for me like a Bere, and as a lyon in a hole.

11He hath marred my wayes, and broke me in peces, he hath layed me waist altogether.

12He hath bent his bowe, and made me as it were a marck to shute at.

13The arowes of his quyuer hath he shot, euen in to my reynes.

14I am laughed to scorne of all my people, they make songes vpon me all ye daye loge.

15He hath fylled me with bytternesse, & geuen me wormwod to drynke.

16He hath smytten my teth in peces, & rolled me in the dust.

17He hath put my soule out of rest, I forget all good thinges.

18I thought in my self: I am vndone, there is no hope for me in the LORDE.

The Prophet’s Hope

19O remembre yet my mysery and my trouble, the wormwod and the gall.

20Yee thou shalt remebre them, for my soule melteth awaye in me.

21Whyle I cosidre these thinges in my hert, I get a hope agayne.

22Namely, that the mercies of the LORDE are not clene gone, & that his louynge kyndnesse ceasseth not.

23His faithfulnes is greate, and renueth it self as the mornynge.

24The LORDE is my porcion (saieth my soule) therfore wil I hope in him.

25O how good is the LORDE vnto the, that put their trust in him, and to the soule that seketh after him?

26O how good is it with stilnesse to wate and tarie, for the health of the LORDE?

27O how good is it for a man, to take the yock vpon him from his youth vp?

28He sitteth alone, he holdeth him still. and dwelleth quietly by him self.

29He layeth his face vpon the earth, yf (percase) there happen to be eny hope.

30He offreth his cheke to the smyter, he will be content with reproues.

31For the LORDE wil not forsake for euer.

32But though he do cast of, yet (acordinge to ye multitude of his mercies) he receaueth to grace agayne.

33For he doth not plage, & cast out the children of men from his herte.

34To treade all the presoners of the earth vnder his fete.

35To moue the iudgment of man before the most highest.

36To condemne a man in his cause: The LORDE hath no pleasure in soch thinges.

God’s Justice

37What is he then that saieth: there shulde somthinge be done without the LORDES comaundement?

38Out of the mouth of the most highest goeth not euell and good.

39Wherfore them murmureth the lyuinge man? let him murmoure at his owne synne,

40Let vs loke well vpon oure owne waies, & remembre oure selues, and turne agayne to ye LORDE.

41Let vs lift vp oure hertes with oure hondes vnto the LORDE, that is in heauen.

42We haue bene dyssemblers & haue offended, wilt thou therfore not be intreated?

43Thou hast couered vs in thy wrath, & persecuted vs, thou hast slayne vs without eny fauoure.

44Thou hast hyd thy self in a cloude, that oure prayer shulde not go thorow.

45Thou hast made vs outcastes, and to be despysed amonge the Heithen.

46All oure enemies gape vpon vs.

47Feare and snare is come vpon vs, yee despite and destruccion.

48Whole ryuers of water gusshe out of myne eyes, for the greate hurte of my people.

49Myne eyes runne, and can not ceasse, for there is no rest.

50O LORDE, when wilt thou loke downe fro heauen, and considre?

51Myne eye breaketh my herte, because of all the doughters of my cite.

52Myne enemies hunted me out sharpely like a byrde, yee and that with out a cause.

53They haue put downe my life in to a pitte, and layed a stone vpon me.

54They poured water vpon my heade, then thought I: now am I vndone.

55I called vpon thy name (O LORDE) out of the depe pitte.

56Thou hast herde my voyce, & hast not turned awaye thine eares fro my sighinge and crienge.

57Thou hast enclyned yi self vnto me, whe I called vpon the, & haist sayde: feare not.

58Thou (O LORDE) hast mayntened the cause of my soule, and hast redemed my life.

59O LORDE, thou hast sene my blasphemers, take thou my cause vpon the.

60Thou hast well considred how they go aboute to do me harme, & that all their councels are agaynst me.

61Thou hast herde their despytefull wordes (O LORDE) yee and all their ymaginacions agaynst me.

62The lippes of myne enemies, & their deuyces that they take agaynst me, all the daye longe.

63Thou seist also their sittinge downe and their rysinge vp, they make their songes of nothinge but of me.

64Rewarde them (O LORDE) acordinge to the workes of their hondes.

65Geue them ye thinge, that their owne herte is afrayed of: euen thy curse.

66Persecute them, (O LORDE) with thy indignacion, & rote them out from vnder the heauen.