Study Desk

My enemies ^(bm)without cause Hunted me down ^(bn)like a bird;

They have silenced ^[u]me ^(bo)in the pit And have ^[v](bp)placed a stone on me.

Waters flowed ^(bq)over my head; I said, "I am cut off!"

I ^(br)called on Your name, O Lord , Out of the lowest pit.

You have ^(bs)heard my voice, "^(bt)Do not hide Your ear from my prayer for relief, From my cry for help."

You ^(bu)drew near when I called on You; You said, "^(bv)Do not fear!"

O Lord, You ^(bw)have pleaded my soul's cause; You have ^(bx)redeemed my life.

O Lord , You have ^(by)seen my oppression; ^(bz)Judge my case.

You have seen all their vengeance, All their ^(ca)schemes against me.

You have heard their ^(cb)reproach, O Lord , All their schemes against me.

The ^(cc)lips of my assailants and their whispering Are against me all day long.

Look on their ^(cd)sitting and their rising; ^(ce)I am their mocking song.

You will ^(cf)recompense them, O Lord , According to the work of their hands.

You will give them ^[w](cg)hardness of heart, Your curse will be on them.

You will ^(ch)pursue them in anger and destroy them From under the ^(ci)heavens of the Lord !

How ^(a)dark the gold has become, How the pure gold has changed! The sacred stones are poured out At the ^[a]corner of every street.

The precious sons of Zion, Weighed against fine gold, How they are regarded as ^(b)earthen jars, The work of a potter's hands!

Even ^(c)jackals offer the breast, They nurse their young; But the daughter of my people has become ^(d)cruel Like ^(e)ostriches in the wilderness.

The ^(f)tongue of the infant cleaves To the roof of its mouth because of ^(g)thirst; The little ones ^(h)ask for bread, But no one breaks it for them.

Those who ate ⁽ⁱ⁾delicacies Are desolate in the streets; Those ^[b]reared in purple Embrace ash pits.

For the ^[c]iniquity of the daughter of my people Is greater than the ^[d](j)sin of Sodom, Which was ^(k)overthrown as in a moment, And no hands were ^[e]turned toward her.

Her ^[f]consecrated ones were ^(l)purer than snow, They were whiter than milk; They were more ruddy in ^[g]body than corals, Their polishing was like ^[h](m)lapis lazuli.

Their appearance is ⁽ⁿ⁾blacker than soot, They are not recognized in the streets; Their ^(o)skin is shriveled on their bones, It is withered, it has become like wood.

Better are those ^[i](p)slain with the sword Than those ^[j]slain with hunger; For they ^[k](q)pine away, being stricken For lack of the fruits of ^[l]the field.

The hands of compassionate women ^(r)Boiled their own children; They became ^(s)food for them Because of the destruction of the daughter of my people.

The Lord has ^(t)accomplished His wrath, He has poured out His fierce anger; And He has ^(u)kindled a fire in Zion Which has consumed its foundations.

The kings of the earth did not believe, Nor did any of ^(v)the inhabitants of the world, That the adversary and the enemy Could ^(w)enter the gates of Jerusalem.

Because of the sins of her ^(x)prophets And the iniquities of her priests, Who have shed in her midst The ^(y)blood of the righteous;

They wandered, ^(z)blind, in the streets; They were defiled with ^(aa)blood So that no one could touch their ^(ab)garments.

"Depart! ^(ac)Unclean!" ^[m]they cried of themselves. "Depart, depart, do not touch!" So they ^(ad)fled and wandered; Men among the nations said, "They shall not continue to dwell with us."

The presence of the Lord has scattered them, He will not continue to regard them; They did not ^[n](ae)honor the priests, They did not favor the elders.

Yet our eyes failed, Looking for ^[o]help was ^(af)useless; In our watching we have watched For a ^(ag)nation that could not save.

They ^(ah)hunted our steps So that we could not walk in our streets; Our ^(ai)end drew near, Our days were ^[p]finished For our end had come.

Our pursuers were ^(aj)swifter Than the eagles of the sky; They chased us on the mountains, They waited in ambush for us in the wilderness.

The ^(ak)breath of our nostrils, the ^(al) Lord's anointed, Was ^(am)captured in their pits, Of whom we had said, "Under his ^(an)shadow We shall live among the nations."

Rejoice and be glad, O daughter of ^(ao)Edom, Who dwells in the land of Uz; But the ^(ap)cup will come around to you as well, You will become drunk and make yourself naked.

The punishment of your iniquity has been ^(aq)completed, O daughter of Zion; He will exile you no longer. But He ^(ar)will punish your iniquity, O daughter of Edom; He will expose your sins!

Remember, O Lord , what has befallen us; Look, and see our ^(a)reproach!

Our inheritance has been turned over to ^(b)strangers, Our ^(c)houses to aliens.

We have become orphans ^(d)without a father, Our mothers are like widows.

^[a]We have to pay for our drinking ^(e)water, Our wood comes to us at a price.

^[b]Our pursuers are at our necks; We are worn out, there is ^(f)no rest for us.

We have ^[c]submitted to ^(g)Egypt and Assyria ^[d]to get enough bread.

Our ^(h)fathers sinned, and are no more; It is we who have borne their iniquities.

⁽ⁱ⁾Slaves rule over us; There is ^(j)no one to deliver us from their hand.

We get our bread ^[e]at the ^(k)risk of our lives ^[f]Because of the sword in the wilderness.

Our skin has become as ^(l)hot as an oven, Because of ^[g]the burning heat of famine.

They ravished the ^(m)women in Zion, The virgins in the cities of Judah.

Princes were hung by their hands; ^[h](n)Elders were not respected.

Young men ^[i](o)worked at the grinding mill, And youths ^(p)stumbled under loads of wood.

Elders ^[j]are gone from the gate, Young men from their ^(q)music.

The joy of our hearts has ^(r)ceased; Our dancing has been turned into mourning.

The ^(s)crown has fallen from our head; ^(t)Woe to us, for we have sinned!

Because of this our ^(u)heart is faint, Because of these things our ^(v)eyes are dim;

Because of ^(w)Mount Zion which lies desolate, ^(x)Foxes prowl in it.

^(y)You, O Lord , ^[k]rule forever; Your ^(z)throne is from generation to generation.

Why do You ^(aa)forget us forever? Why do You forsake us ^[l]so long?

^(ab)Restore us to You, O Lord , that we may be restored; Renew ^(ac)our days as of old,

Unless ^(ad)You have utterly rejected us And are exceedingly ^(ae)angry with us.