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3:1  I am a man who has seen much trouble. God beat us with a stick, and I saw it happen.
3:2  He led and brought me into darkness, not light.
3:3  He turned his hand against me. He did this again and again, all day.
3:4  He wore out my flesh and skin. He broke my bones.
3:5  He built up bitterness and trouble against me. He surrounded me with bitterness and trouble.
3:6  He put me in the dark, like someone who died long ago.
3:7  He shut me in, so I could not get out. He put heavy chains on me.
3:8  Even when I cry out and ask for help, he does not listen to my prayer.
3:9  He has blocked up my path with stones. He has made my path crooked.
3:10  He is like a bear about to attack me, like a lion that is in a hiding place.
3:11  He led me off my path. He tore me to pieces and ruined me.
3:12  He made his bow ready. He made me the target for his arrows.
3:13  He shot me in the stomach with his arrows.
3:14  I have become a joke to all my people. All day long they sing songs about me and make fun of me.
3:15  He gave me this poison to drink. He filled me with this bitter drink.
3:16  He pushed my teeth into rocky ground. He pushed me into the dirt.
3:17  I thought I would never have peace again. I forgot about good things.
3:18  I said to myself, “I no longer have any hope that the Lord will help me.”
3:19  Remember, I am very sad, and I have no home. Remember the bitter poison that you gave me.
3:20  I remember well all my troubles, and I am very sad.
3:21  But then I think about this, and I have hope:
3:22  We are still alive because the Lord’s faithful love never ends.
3:23  Every morning he shows it in new ways! You are so very true and loyal!
3:24  I say to myself, “The Lord is my God, and I trust him.”
3:25  The Lord is good to those who wait for him. He is good to those who look for him.
3:26  It is good to wait quietly for the Lord to save them.
3:27  It is good for a man to wear his yoke from the time he is young.
3:28  He should sit alone and be quiet when the Lord puts his yoke on him.
3:29  He should bow down to the Lord. Maybe there is still hope.
3:30  He should turn his cheek to the one who hits him and let people insult him.
3:31  He should remember that the Lord does not reject people forever.
3:32  When he punishes, he also has mercy. He has mercy because of his great love and kindness.
3:33  He does not enjoy causing people pain. He does not like to make anyone unhappy.
3:34  He does not like any prisoner on earth to be trampled down.
3:35  He does not like anyone to be unfair to another person. Some people will do such things right in front of God Most High.
3:36  The Lord does not like anyone to cheat another person. He does not like any of these things.
3:37  No one can say something and make it happen, unless the Lord orders it.
3:38  God Most High commands both good and bad things to happen.
3:39  No one alive can complain when he punishes them for their sins.
3:40  Let us check and see what we have done. Then let us turn back to the Lord.
3:41  Let us lift up our hearts and our hands to the God of heaven.
3:42  Let us say to him, “We have sinned and have been stubborn. Because of this, you have not forgiven us.
3:43  You wrapped yourself with anger. You chased us. You killed us without mercy!
3:44  You wrapped yourself in a cloud so that no prayer could get through.
3:45  You made us like garbage and dirt to the other nations.
3:46  All of our enemies speak angrily against us.
3:47  We have been frightened. We have fallen into a pit. We have been badly hurt. We have been broken.”
3:48  My eyes flow with streams of tears. I cry because of the destruction of my people.
3:49  My eyes will flow without stopping. I will keep on crying.
3:50  I will continue to cry until you look down and see us, Lord! I will continue to cry until you see us from heaven.
3:51  My eyes make me sad, when I see what happened to the young women in my city.
3:52  For no reason, my enemies hunted me like a bird.
3:53  They threw me alive into a pit and then threw stones at me.
3:54  Water came up over my head. I said to myself, “I am finished.”
3:55  Lord, I called your name from the bottom of the pit.
3:56  You heard my voice. You didn’t close your ears. You didn’t refuse to rescue me.
3:57  You came to me on the day that I called out to you. You said to me, “Don’t be afraid.”
3:58  You defended me and brought me back to life.
3:59  Lord, you have seen my trouble. Now judge my case for me.
3:60  You have seen how my enemies have hurt me. You have seen all the evil plans that they made against me.
3:61  You heard them insult me, Lord. You have heard all the evil plans that they made against me.
3:62  The words and the thoughts of my enemies are against me all the time—
3:63  when they sit down and when they stand up. Look how they make fun of me!
3:64  Give them back what they deserve, Lord. Pay them back for what they have done.
3:65  Make them stubborn and then curse them.
3:66  Chase them in anger and destroy them. Wipe them off the face of the earth, Lord!