Have mercy on me, for I am in distress! My eyes grow dim ¹  from suffering. ²  I have lost my strength. ³ 

I mourned for them as I would for a friend or my brother. ¹  I bowed down ²  in sorrow as if I were mourning for my mother. ³ 

Your justice is like the highest mountains, ¹  your fairness like the deepest sea; you preserve ²  mankind and the animal kingdom. ³ 

My whole body is sick because of your judgment; ¹  I am deprived of health because of my sin. ² 

I am oppressed and needy! ¹  O God, hurry to me! ²  You are my helper and my deliverer! O Lord, ³  do not delay!

When ¹  the Lord heard this, he was furious. A fire broke out against Jacob, and his anger flared up ²  against Israel,

The one who heeds instruction ¹  is on the way to ²  life, but the one who rejects ³  rebuke goes astray.

There is no end to all the people ¹  nor to the past generations, ²  yet future generations ³  will not rejoice in him. This also is profitless and like ⁴  chasing the wind.

For the living know that they will die, but the dead do not know anything; they have no further reward – and even the memory of them disappears. ¹ 

The night watchmen found me – the ones who guard the city walls. ¹  “Have you seen my beloved?” ² 

The leaders of this nation were misleading people, and the people being led were destroyed. ¹ 

Like a frightened gazelle ¹  or a sheep with no shepherd, each will turn toward home, ²  each will run to his homeland.

Why do you say, Jacob, Why do you say, Israel, “The Lord is not aware of what is happening to me, ¹  My God is not concerned with my vindication”? ² 

For our leaders ¹  are stupid. They have not sought the Lord’s advice. ²  So they do not act wisely, and the people they are responsible for ³  have all been scattered.

The Lord who rules over all ¹  spoke about Edom. ²  “Is wisdom no longer to be found in Teman? ³  Can Edom’s counselors not give her any good advice? ⁴  Has all of their wisdom turned bad? ⁵ 

ס (Samek) You shrouded yourself ¹  with anger and then pursued us; you killed without mercy.

You will become fuel for the fire – your blood will stain the middle of the land; ¹  you will no longer be remembered, for I, the Lord, have spoken.’”

The Babylonians crawled into bed with her. ¹  They defiled her with their lust; after she was defiled by them, she ²  became disgusted with them.

For the king of the north will again muster an army, one larger than before. At the end of some years he will advance with a huge army and enormous supplies.

I will make up for the years ¹  that the ‘arbeh-locust ²  consumed your crops ³  – the yeleq-locust, the hasil-locust, and the gazam-locust – my great army ⁴  that I sent against you.