Through the Bible – Day 318

₁I have suffered much

because God was angry.

₂He chased me into a dark place,

where no light could enter.

₃I am the only one he punishes

over and over again,

without ever stopping.

₄God caused my skin and flesh

to waste away,

and he crushed my bones.

₅He attacked and surrounded me

with hardships and trouble;

₆he forced me to sit in the dark

like someone long dead.

₇God built a fence around me

that I cannot climb over,

and he chained me down.

₈Even when I shouted

and prayed for help,

he refused to listen.

₉God put big rocks in my way

and made me follow

a crooked path.

₁₀God was like a bear or a lion

waiting in ambush for me;

₁₁he dragged me from the road,

then tore me to shreds.

₁₂God took careful aim

and shot his arrows

₁₃straight through my heart.

₁₄I am a joke to everyone—

no one ever stops

making fun of me.

₁₅God has turned my life sour.

₁₆He made me eat gravel

and rubbed me in the earth.

₁₇I cannot find peace

or remember happiness.

₁₈I tell myself, “I am finished!

I can't count on the LORD

to do anything for me.”

₁₉Just thinking of my troubles

and my lonely wandering

makes me miserable.

₂₀That's all I ever think about,

and I am depressed.

₂₁Then I remember something

that fills me with hope.

₂₂The LORD's kindness never fails!

If he had not been merciful,

we would have been destroyed.

₂₃The LORD can always be trusted

to show mercy each morning.

₂₄Deep in my heart I say,

“The LORD is all I need;

I can depend on him!”

₂₅The LORD is kind to everyone

who trusts and obeys him.

₂₆It is good to wait patiently

for the LORD to save us.

₂₇When we are young,

it is good to struggle hard

₂₈and to sit silently alone,

if this is what

the LORD intends.

₂₉Being rubbed in the earth

can teach us a lesson;

₃₀we can also learn from insults

and hard knocks.

₃₁The Lord won't always reject us!

₃₂He causes a lot of suffering,

but he also has pity

because of his great love.

₃₃The Lord doesn't enjoy

sending grief or pain.

₃₄Don't trample prisoners

under your feet

₃₅or cheat anyone out of

what is rightfully theirs.

God Most High sees everything,

₃₆and he knows when you refuse

to give someone a fair trial.

₃₇No one can do anything

without the Lord's approval.

₃₈Good and bad each happen

at the command

of God Most High.

₃₉We're still alive!

We shouldn't complain

when we are being punished

for our sins.

₄₀Instead, we should think

about the way we are living,

and turn back to the LORD.

₄₁When we lift our hands

in prayer to God in heaven,

we should offer him our hearts

and say, ₄₂“We've sinned!

We've rebelled against you,

and you haven't forgiven us!

₄₃Anger is written all over you,

as you pursue and slaughter us

without showing pity.

₄₄You are behind a wall of clouds

that blocks out our prayers.

₄₅You allowed nations

to treat us like rubbish;

₄₆our enemies curse us.

₄₇We are terrified and trapped,

caught and crushed.”

₄₈My people are destroyed!

Tears flood my eyes,

₄₉and they won't stop

₅₀until the LORD looks down

from heaven and helps.

₅₁I am horrified when I see

what enemies have done

to the young women of our city.

₅₂No one had reason to hate me,

but I was hunted down

like a bird.

₅₃Then they tried to kill me

by tossing me into a pit

and throwing stones at me.

₅₄Water covered my head—

I thought I was gone.

₅₅From the bottom of the pit,

I prayed to you, LORD.

₅₆I begged you to listen.

“Help!” I shouted. “Save me!”

You answered my prayer

₅₇and came when I was in need.

You told me, “Don't worry!”

₅₈You rescued me

and saved my life.

₅₉You saw them abuse me, LORD,

so make things right.

₆₀You know every plot

they have made against me.

₆₁Yes, you know their insults

and their evil plans.

₆₂All day long they attack

with words and whispers.

₆₃No matter what they are doing,

they keep on mocking me.

₆₄Pay them back for everything

they have done, LORD!

₆₅Put your curse on them

and make them suffer.

₆₆Get angry and go after them

until not a trace is left

under the heavens.

₁The purest gold is ruined

and has lost its shine;

jewels from the temple

lie scattered in the streets.

₂These are Zion's people,

worth more than purest gold;

yet they are counted worthless

like dishes of clay.

₃Even jackals nurse their young,

but my people are like ostriches

that abandon their own.

₄Babies are so thirsty

that their tongues are stuck

to the roof of the mouth.

Children go begging for food,

but no one gives them any.

₅All who ate expensive foods

lie starving in the streets;

those who grew up in luxury

now sit on rubbish heaps.

₆My nation was punished worse

than the people of Sodom,

whose city was destroyed

in a flash without the help

of human hands.

₇The leaders of Jerusalem

were purer than snow

and whiter than milk;

their bodies were healthy

and glowed like jewels.

₈Now they are blacker than tar,

and no one recognizes them;

their skin clings to their bones

and is drier than firewood.

₉Being killed with a sword

is better than slowly

starving to death.

₁₀Life in the city is so bad

that loving mothers have boiled

and eaten their own children.

₁₁The LORD was so fiercely angry

that he burnt the city of Zion

to the ground.

₁₂Not a king on this earth

or the people of any nation

believed enemies could break

through her gates.

₁₃Jerusalem was punished because

her prophets and her priests

had sinned and caused the death

of innocent victims.

₁₄Yes, her prophets and priests

were covered with blood;

no one would come near them,

as they wandered

from street to street.

₁₅Instead, everyone shouted,

“Go away! Don't touch us!

You're filthy and unfit

to belong to God's people!”

So they had to leave

and become refugees.

But foreign nations told them,

“You can't stay here!”

₁₆The LORD is the one

who sent them scattering,

and he has forgotten them.

No respect or kindness

will be shown

to the priests or leaders.

₁₇Our eyes became weary,

hopelessly looking

for help from a nation

that could not save us.

₁₈Enemies hunted us down

on every public street.

Our time was up;

our doom was near.

₁₉They swooped down faster

than eagles from the sky.

They hunted for us in the hills

and set traps to catch us

out in the desert.

₂₀The LORD's chosen leader

was our hope for survival!

We thought he would keep us safe

somewhere among the nations,

but even he was caught

in one of their traps.

₂₁You people of Edom

can celebrate now!

But your time will come

to suffer and stagger

around naked.

₂₂The people of Zion

have paid for their sins,

and the Lord will soon

let them return home.

But, people of Edom,

you will be punished,

and your sins exposed.

₁Our LORD, don't forget

how we have suffered

and been disgraced.

₂Foreigners and strangers

have taken our land

and our homes.

₃We are like children

whose mothers are widows.

₄The water we drink

and the wood we burn

cost far too much.

₅We are terribly ill-treated;

we are worn out

and can find no rest.

₆We had to surrender

to Egypt and Assyria

because we were hungry.

₇Our ancestors sinned,

but they are dead,

and we are left to pay

for their sins.

₈Slaves are now our rulers,

and there is no one

to set us free.

₉We are in danger

from brutal desert tribes;

we must risk our lives

just to bring in our crops.

₁₀Our skin is scorched

from fever and hunger.

₁₁On Zion and everywhere in Judah

our wives and daughters

are being raped.

₁₂Our rulers are strung up

by their arms,

and our nation's advisers

are treated shamefully.

₁₃Young men are forced

to do the work of slaves;

boys must carry

heavy loads of wood.

₁₄Our leaders are not allowed

to decide cases in court,

and young people

no longer play music.

₁₅Our hearts are sad;

instead of dancing,

we mourn.

₁₆Zion's glory has disappeared!

And we are doomed

because of our sins.

₁₇We feel sick all over

and can't even see straight;

₁₈our city is in ruins,

overrun by wild dogs.

₁₉You will rule for ever, LORD!

You are King for all time.

₂₀Why have you forgotten us

for so long?

₂₁Bring us back to you!

Give us a fresh start.

₂₂Or do you despise us so much

that you don't want us?

“The Lord helps me!

Why should I be afraid

of what people

can do to me?”