1Ine ndine munthu amene ndaona masautso
ndi ndodo ya ukali wake.
2Wandipititsa kutali ndipo wandiyendetsa
mu mdima osati mʼkuwala;
3zoonadi anandikantha ndi dzanja lake
mobwerezabwereza tsiku lonse.
4Wakalambitsa khungu langa ndi mnofu wanga,
ndipo waphwanya mafupa anga.
5Wandizinga ndi kundizungulira
ndi zowawa ndi zolemetsa.
6Wandikhazika mu mdima
ngati amene anafa kale.
7Wandimangira khoma kotero kuti sindingathawe,
wandimanga ndi maunyolo.
8Ngakhale pamene ndifuwula kapena kupempha chithandizo,
amakana pemphero langa.
9Wanditsekera njira yanga ndi miyala yosema;
ndipo wakhotetsa tinjira tanga.
10Wandidikirira ngati chimbalangondo,
wandibisalira ngati mkango.
11Wandikokera pambali ndi kundingʼambangʼamba,
ndipo wandisiya wopanda thandizo.
12Wakoka uta wake
ndipo walunjikitsa mivi yake pa ine.
13Walasa mtima wanga
ndi mivi ya mʼphodo mwake.
14Ndinakhala choseketsa cha anthu anga onse;
amandinyodola mʼnyimbo zawo tsiku lonse.
15Wandidyetsa zowawa
ndipo wandimwetsa ndulu.
16Wathyola mano anga ndi miyala;
wandiviviniza mʼfumbi;
17Wandichotsera mtendere;
ndayiwala kuti kupeza bwino nʼchiyani.
18Choncho ndikuti, “Ulemerero wanga wachoka
ndi zonse zimene ndimayembekeza kwa Yehova.”
19Kukumbukira masautso anga ndi kusowa pokhala,
zili ngati zowawa ndi ndulu.
20Ine ndikuzikumbukira bwino izi,
ndipo moyo wanga wathedwa mʼkati mwanga.
21Komabe ndimakumbukira zimenezi,
nʼchifukwa chake ndili ndi chiyembekezo.
22Ife sitinawonongekeretu chifukwa chikondi cha Yehova ndi chachikulu,
ndi chifundo chake ndi chosatha.
23Zimaoneka zatsopano mmawa uliwonse;
kukhulupirika kwanu nʼkwakukulu.
24Mu mtima mwanga ndimati, “Yehova ndiye zanga zonse;
motero ndimamuyembekezera.”
25Yehova ndi wabwino kwa amene amayembekezera Iye,
kwa munthu amene amafunafuna Iyeyo;
26nʼkwabwino kudikira chipulumutso cha
Yehova modekha.
27Nʼkwabwino kuti munthu asenze goli
pamene ali wamngʼono.
28Akhale chete pa yekha,
chifukwa Yehova wamusenzetsa golilo.
29Abise nkhope yake mʼfumbi
mwina chiyembekezo nʼkukhalapobe.
30Apereke tsaya lake kwa iye amene angamumenye,
ndipo amuchititse manyazi.
31Chifukwa Ambuye satayiratu
anthu nthawi zonse.
32Ngakhale amabweretsa zowawa, Iye adzawachitira chifundo,
chifukwa chikondi chake ndi chosatha.
33Pakuti sabweretsa masautso mwadala,
kapena zowawa kwa ana a anthu.
34Kuphwanya ndi phazi
a mʼndende onse a mʼdziko,
35kukaniza munthu ufulu wake
pamaso pa Wammwambamwamba,
36kumana munthu chiweruzo cholungama—
kodi Ambuye saona zonsezi?
37Kodi ndani angayankhule zinthu nʼkuchitika
ngati Ambuye sanavomereze?
38Kodi zovuta ndi zabwino sizituluka
mʼkamwa mwa Wammwambamwamba?
39Kodi nʼchifukwa chiyani munthu aliyense wamoyo amadandaula
akalangidwa chifukwa cha machimo ake?
40Tiyeni tisanthule ndi kuyesa njira zathu,
ndipo tiyeni tibwerere kwa Yehova.
41Tiyeni tikweze mitima yathu ndi manja athu
kwa Mulungu kumwamba ndipo tinene kuti:
42“Ife tachimwa ndi kuwukira
ndipo inu simunakhululuke.
43“Mwadzikuta ndi mkwiyo ndi kutilondola ndipo
mwatitha mopanda chifundo.
44Mwadzikuta mu mtambo
kotero mapemphero athu sakukufikani.
45Mwatisandutsa zinyatsi ndi zinyalala
pakati pa mitundu ya anthu.
46“Adani anthu atitsekulira pakamwa.
47Ife tadzazidwa ndi mantha pakuti tagwa mʼdzenje,
tapasuka ndi kuwonongedwa.”
48Misozi mʼmaso mwanga ikungoti mbwembwembwe
chifukwa anthu anga akuwonongedwa.
49Misozi idzatsika kosalekeza,
ndipo sidzasiya,
50mpaka Yehova ayangʼane pansi
kuchokera kumwamba ndi kuona.
51Mtima wanga ukupweteka poona zimenezi
chifukwa cha akazi onse a mu mzinda.
52Akundisaka ngati mbalame,
amene anali adani anga, popanda chifukwa.
53Ayesa kundipha pondiponya mʼdzenje
ndi kundiponya miyala;
54madzi anamiza mutu wanga
ndipo ndinkaganiza kuti imfa yayandikira.
55Ndinayitana dzina lanu Inu Yehova,
kuchokera mʼdzenje lozama.
56Inu munamva kudandaula kwanga. “Mundimvere
kulira kwanga kopempha thandizo.”
57Munafika pafupi pamene ndinakuyitanani,
ndipo munati, “Usaope.”
58Inu Ambuye munandiwombola ku mlandu wanga;
munapulumutsa moyo wanga.
59Yehova, mwaona zoyipa zimene andichitira.
Mundiweruzire ndinu!
60Mwaona kuzama kwa kubwezera kwawo,
chiwembu chawo chonse pa ine.
61Inu Yehova mwamva kunyoza kwawo,
chiwembu chawo chonse pa ine,
62manongʼonongʼo a adani anga
ondiwukira ine tsiku lonse.
63Tawaonani! Kaya ali pansi kapena kuyimirira,
akundinyoza mu nyimbo zawo.
64Inu Yehova, muwabwezere chowayenera,
chifukwa cha zimene manja awo achita.
65Phimbani mitima yawo,
ndipo matemberero anu akhale pa iwo!
66Muwalondole mwaukali ndipo
muwawonongeretu pa dziko lapansi.
This chapter is an acrostic poem; the verses of each stanza begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet, and the verses within each stanza begin with the same letter. 1I am the man who has seen affliction
by the rod of the Lord’s wrath.
2He has driven me away and made me walk
in darkness rather than light;
3indeed, he has turned his hand against me
again and again, all day long.
4He has made my skin and my flesh grow old
and has broken my bones.
5He has besieged me and surrounded me
with bitterness and hardship.
6He has made me dwell in darkness
like those long dead.
7He has walled me in so I cannot escape;
he has weighed me down with chains.
8Even when I call out or cry for help,
he shuts out my prayer.
9He has barred my way with blocks of stone;
he has made my paths crooked.
10Like a bear lying in wait,
like a lion in hiding,
11he dragged me from the path and mangled me
and left me without help.
12He drew his bow
and made me the target for his arrows.
13He pierced my heart
with arrows from his quiver.
14I became the laughingstock of all my people;
they mock me in song all day long.
15He has filled me with bitter herbs
and given me gall to drink.
16He has broken my teeth with gravel;
he has trampled me in the dust.
17I have been deprived of peace;
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
18So I say, “My splendor is gone
and all that I had hoped from the Lord.”
19I remember my affliction and my wandering,
the bitterness and the gall.
20I well remember them,
and my soul is downcast within me.
21Yet this I call to mind
and therefore I have hope:
22Because of the Lord’s great love we are not consumed,
for his compassions never fail.
23They are new every morning;
great is your faithfulness.
24I say to myself, “The Lord is my portion;
therefore I will wait for him.”
25The Lord is good to those whose hope is in him,
to the one who seeks him;
26it is good to wait quietly
for the salvation of the Lord.
27It is good for a man to bear the yoke
while he is young.
28Let him sit alone in silence,
for the Lord has laid it on him.
29Let him bury his face in the dust—
there may yet be hope.
30Let him offer his cheek to one who would strike him,
and let him be filled with disgrace.
31For no one is cast off
by the Lord forever.
32Though he brings grief, he will show compassion,
so great is his unfailing love.
33For he does not willingly bring affliction
or grief to anyone.
34To crush underfoot
all prisoners in the land,
35to deny people their rights
before the Most High,
36to deprive them of justice—
would not the Lord see such things?
37Who can speak and have it happen
if the Lord has not decreed it?
38Is it not from the mouth of the Most High
that both calamities and good things come?
39Why should the living complain
when punished for their sins?
40Let us examine our ways and test them,
and let us return to the Lord.
41Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
to God in heaven, and say:
42“We have sinned and rebelled
and you have not forgiven.
43“You have covered yourself with anger and pursued us;
you have slain without pity.
44You have covered yourself with a cloud
so that no prayer can get through.
45You have made us scum and refuse
among the nations.
46“All our enemies have opened their mouths
wide against us.
47We have suffered terror and pitfalls,
ruin and destruction.”
48Streams of tears flow from my eyes
because my people are destroyed.
49My eyes will flow unceasingly,
without relief,
50until the Lord looks down
from heaven and sees.
51What I see brings grief to my soul
because of all the women of my city.
52Those who were my enemies without cause
hunted me like a bird.
53They tried to end my life in a pit
and threw stones at me;
54the waters closed over my head,
and I thought I was about to perish.
55I called on your name, Lord,
from the depths of the pit.
56You heard my plea: “Do not close your ears
to my cry for relief.”
57You came near when I called you,
and you said, “Do not fear.”
58You, Lord, took up my case;
you redeemed my life.
59Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.
Uphold my cause!
60You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
all their plots against me.
61Lord, you have heard their insults,
all their plots against me—
62what my enemies whisper and mutter
against me all day long.
63Look at them! Sitting or standing,
they mock me in their songs.
64Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
for what their hands have done.
65Put a veil over their hearts,
and may your curse be on them!
66Pursue them in anger and destroy them
from under the heavens of the Lord.
