The Prophet’s Afflictions
I 1am the man who has seen affliction Psa 88:7Job 19:21Psa 88:15-16Isa 53:3Jer 15:17-18Jer 20:14-18Jer 38:6Lam 1:12-14
under the rod of God’s wrath.
He has driven me away and made me walk Isa 59:9Job 30:26Amo 5:18-20Deu 28:29Jer 13:16Jer 4:23Job 18:18Jud 1:13
in darkness instead of light.
Indeed, He keeps turning His hand Deu 29:20Isa 1:25Isa 5:25Isa 63:10Job 31:21Lam 2:4-7
against me all day long.
He has worn away my flesh and skin; Isa 38:13Psa 51:8Jer 50:17Psa 31:9-10Psa 38:2-8Psa 102:3-5Job 16:8-9Psa 22:14
He has shattered my bones.
He has besieged me and surrounded me Lam 3:19Jer 23:15Job 19:8Jer 8:14Jer 9:15Lam 3:7-9Psa 69:21
with bitterness and hardship.
He has made me dwell in darkness Psa 88:5-6Psa 143:3Psa 143:7
like those dead for ages.
He has walled me in so I cannot escape; Job 19:8Job 3:23Hos 2:6Jer 38:6Jer 40:4Lam 1:14Psa 88:8Dan 9:12
He has weighed me down with chains.
Even when I cry out and plead for help, Job 30:20Psa 22:2Job 19:7Lam 3:44Mat 27:46Hab 1:2Psa 80:4
He shuts out my prayer.
He has barred my ways with cut stones; Isa 63:17Hos 2:6Isa 30:28Lam 3:11
He has made my paths crooked.
He is a bear lying in wait, Amo 5:18-20Hos 13:7-8Hos 5:14Hos 6:1Isa 38:13Job 10:16Psa 10:9Psa 17:12
a lion hiding in ambush.
He forced me off my path and tore me to pieces; Hos 6:1Job 16:12-13Lam 1:13Dan 2:40-44Dan 7:23Isa 3:26Jer 19:8Jer 32:43
He left me without help.
He bent His bow Psa 38:2Job 7:20Job 6:4Lam 2:4Psa 7:12-13Job 16:12-13
and set me as the target for His arrow.
He pierced my kidneys Job 6:4Deu 32:23Job 41:28
with His arrows.
I am a laughingstock to all my people; Jer 20:7Lam 3:63Psa 22:6-71Co 4:9-13Jer 48:27Job 30:1-9Mat 27:39-44Neh 4:2-4
they mock me in song all day long.
He has filled me with bitterness; Jer 9:15Isa 51:17-22Jer 23:15Jer 25:15-18Jer 25:27Job 9:18Lam 3:19Psa 60:3
He has intoxicated me with wormwood.
He has ground my teeth with gravel Pro 20:17Jer 6:26Psa 3:7Psa 58:6Job 2:8Job 4:10Jon 3:6Luk 11:11
and trampled me in the dust.
My soul has been deprived of peace; Isa 59:11Gen 41:30Isa 38:17Isa 54:10Jer 14:19Jer 16:5Jer 20:14-18Jer 8:15
I have forgotten what prosperity is.
So I say, “My strength has perished, Job 17:151Sa 27:1Ezk 37:11Job 6:11Psa 116:11Psa 31:22
along with my hope from the LORD.”
The Prophet’s Hope
Remember my affliction and wandering, Lam 3:15Lam 3:5Jer 9:15Job 7:7Neh 9:32Psa 132:1Psa 89:47Psa 89:50
the wormwood and the gall.
Surely my soul remembers Psa 42:11Psa 42:5-6Job 21:6Psa 43:5Psa 146:8Psa 44:25
and is humbled within me.
Yet I call this to mind, Hab 2:3Psa 130:7Psa 77:7-11Lam 3:24-29Psa 119:81
and therefore I have hope:
Because of the loving devotion 2of the LORD we are not consumed, Psa 86:15Luk 1:50Neh 9:31Mic 7:18-19Mal 3:6Psa 78:38Psa 106:45Psa 77:8
for His mercies never fail.
They are new every morning; Heb 10:23Psa 30:5Isa 33:2Psa 36:5Psa 89:33Zep 3:5Exo 34:6Psa 146:6
great is Your faithfulness!
“The LORD is my portion,” says my soul, Psa 73:26Psa 16:5Psa 142:5Lam 3:21Psa 33:18Jer 51:19Job 13:15Psa 31:24
“therefore I will hope in Him.”
The LORD is good to those who wait for Him, Mic 7:7-8Isa 40:31Psa 130:5-6Lam 3:26Psa 37:34Psa 27:14Psa 40:1-5Psa 37:7
to the soul who seeks Him.
It is good to wait quietly Psa 37:7Psa 37:34Psa 130:5Gen 49:18Heb 10:351Pe 1:13Heb 3:14Isa 30:15
for the salvation of the LORD.
It is good for a man to bear the yoke Ecc 12:1Mat 11:29-30Psa 119:71Psa 94:12Heb 12:5-12Psa 90:12
while he is still young.
Let him sit alone in silence, Jer 15:17Lam 2:10Psa 102:7Psa 39:9
for God has disciplined him.
Let him bury his face in the dust— Job 40:42Ch 33:12Ezk 16:63Jer 31:17Job 42:5-6Jol 2:14Jon 3:9Luk 15:18-19
perhaps there is still hope.
Let him offer his cheek to the one who would strike him; Isa 50:6Job 16:10Mat 26:67Mat 5:392Co 11:20Luk 6:29Mic 5:1Psa 123:3
let him be filled with reproach.
For the Lord will not Psa 94:14Psa 103:8-10Psa 77:7Isa 54:7-101Sa 12:22Isa 57:16Jer 32:40Jer 31:37
cast us off forever.
Even if He causes grief, He will show compassion Psa 78:38Psa 30:5Psa 103:11Exo 3:7Hos 11:8Jdg 10:16Psa 106:43-45Jer 31:20
according to His abundant loving devotion.
For He does not willingly afflict Ezk 33:11Ezk 18:32Heb 12:9-10Isa 28:21
or grieve the sons of men.
To crush underfoot Zec 9:11-12Isa 51:22-23Isa 49:9Jer 51:33-36Psa 102:20Psa 69:33Isa 14:17Psa 79:11
all the prisoners of the land,
to deny a man justice
before the Most High,
to subvert a man in his lawsuit— Isa 59:15Hab 1:132Sa 11:27Jer 22:3
of these the Lord does not approve.
God’s Justice
Who has spoken and it came to pass, Psa 33:9-11Isa 46:10Pro 16:9Pro 19:21Pro 21:30Dan 4:35Eph 1:11Jas 4:13-15
unless the Lord has ordained it?
Do not both adversity and good Isa 45:7Amo 3:6Jer 32:42Job 2:10Psa 75:7Pro 29:26
come from the mouth of the Most High?
Why should any mortal man complain, Mic 7:9Pro 19:3Gen 4:5-7Jer 30:152Ki 3:132Ki 6:322Sa 6:7-8Ezr 9:13
in view of his sins?
Let us examine and test our ways, 2Co 13:5Psa 139:23-24Jol 2:12-13Isa 55:7Psa 4:4Psa 119:59Hag 1:5-9Hos 6:1
and turn back to the LORD.
Let us lift up our hearts and hands Psa 25:1Psa 28:2Psa 143:6-8Psa 86:41Th 2:8Psa 141:2Psa 63:4
to God in heaven:
“We have sinned and rebelled; Jer 5:7-9Luk 15:18-19Neh 9:262Ki 24:4Dan 9:5-14Ezk 24:13Jer 3:13Job 33:27-28
You have not forgiven.”
You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us; Lam 2:17Lam 2:21Lam 2:1-2Lam 3:66Psa 83:152Ch 36:16-17Ezk 7:9Ezk 8:18
You have killed without pity.
You have covered Yourself with a cloud Lam 3:8Zec 7:13Psa 97:2Jer 15:1Jer 14:11Psa 80:4
that no prayer can pass through.
You have made us scum and refuse 1Co 4:13Deu 28:13Deu 28:37Deu 28:44Lam 2:15Lam 3:14Lam 4:14-15
among the nations.
All our enemies Lam 2:16Psa 22:6-8Exo 11:7Job 30:9-11Mat 27:38-45Psa 44:13-14Psa 79:10Psa 79:4
open their mouths against us.
Panic and pitfall have come upon us— Isa 24:17-18Isa 51:19Jer 48:43-44Lam 1:13Lam 1:4Lam 2:1-9Luk 21:35
devastation and destruction.
Streams of tears flow from my eyes Jer 9:1Jer 9:18Lam 2:11Jer 13:17Jer 4:19Lam 1:16Lam 2:18Psa 119:136
over the destruction of the daughter of my people.
My eyes overflow unceasingly, Jer 14:17Psa 77:2Lam 1:16
without relief,
until the LORD Isa 63:15Lam 5:1Psa 102:19-20Psa 80:14-16Dan 9:16-19Isa 62:6-7Isa 64:1Lam 2:20
looks down from heaven and sees.
My eyes bring grief to my soul Jer 19:9Luk 19:41-441Sa 30:3-4Jer 11:22Jer 14:16Jer 14:18Jer 4:19-21Lam 1:18
because of all the daughters of my city.
Without cause my enemies Psa 35:19Psa 35:71Sa 24:10-151Sa 25:28-291Sa 26:18-20Jer 37:15-16Jer 37:18Jer 38:4-6
hunted me like a bird.
They dropped me alive into a pit Dan 6:17Jer 38:6Jer 38:9Jer 37:16Jer 37:20Mat 27:60Mat 27:66
and cast stones upon me.
The waters flowed over my head, Ezk 37:11Jon 2:3-52Co 1:8-10Lam 3:18Psa 18:4Psa 69:1-2Isa 38:10-13Job 17:11-16
and I thought I was going to die.
I called on Your name, O LORD, Act 16:24-282Ch 33:11-12Jer 38:6Jon 2:2-4Psa 116:3-4Psa 130:1-2Psa 142:3-7Psa 18:5-6
out of the depths of the Pit.
You heard my plea: Isa 38:5Job 34:28Psa 34:6Psa 55:1Psa 6:8-9Psa 88:13-142Ch 33:13Psa 116:1-2
“Do not ignore my cry for relief.”
You drew near when I called on You; Isa 41:10Jas 4:8Isa 58:9Isa 41:14Rev 2:10Isa 43:1-2Psa 145:18Act 18:9
You said, “Do not be afraid.”
You defend my cause, O Lord; Psa 34:22Jer 51:36Psa 103:4Jer 50:34Psa 71:23Gen 48:161Sa 25:39
You redeem my life.
You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me; Psa 43:11Pe 2:23Gen 31:42Psa 26:1Psa 35:1Psa 9:4Jer 18:18-23Jer 20:7-10
vindicate my cause!
You have seen all their malice, Jer 11:19-20Lam 3:59Psa 10:14
all their plots against me.
O LORD, You have heard their insults, Lam 5:1Psa 89:50Zep 2:8Psa 74:18Lam 3:30
all their plots against me—
the slander and murmuring of my assailants Ezk 36:3Psa 140:3Psa 59:12Psa 59:7Jer 18:18
against me all day long.
When they sit and when they rise, Psa 139:2Lam 3:14Job 30:9
see how they mock me in song.
You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD, Psa 28:4Jer 11:202Ti 4:14Rev 6:10Jer 50:29Rev 18:6
according to the work of their hands.
Put a veil of anguish over their hearts; Isa 6:101Co 16:22Deu 2:30Deu 27:15-26Psa 109:17-18
may Your curse be upon them!
You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them Psa 8:3Deu 25:19Jer 10:11Lam 3:43Psa 115:162Ki 14:27Deu 29:20Deu 7:24
from under Your heavens, O LORD.