But the Lord took note and despised them because his sons and daughters enraged him.

My eyes have grown dim ¹  with grief; my whole frame ²  is but a shadow.

A foolish child is a grief ¹  to his father, and bitterness to the mother who bore him. ² 

For ¹  wrath kills the foolish person, ²  and anger ³  slays the silly one.

“Oh, ¹  if only my grief ²  could be weighed, ³  and my misfortune laid ⁴  on the scales too! ⁵ 

My eyes ¹  grow dim ²  from suffering; they grow weak ³  because of all my enemies. ⁴ 

Restore us, O God our deliverer! Do not be displeased with us! ¹ 

A fool’s annoyance ¹  is known at once, ²  but the prudent ³  overlooks ⁴  an insult.

It is better to live ¹  in a desert land ²  than with a quarrelsome and easily-provoked ³  woman.

A stone is heavy and sand is weighty, but vexation ¹  by a fool is more burdensome ²  than the two of them.

Sorrow ¹  is better than laughter, because sober reflection ²  is good for the heart. ³ 

Her rival wife used to upset her and make her worry, ¹  for the Lord had not enabled her to have children.

You bring new witnesses ¹  against me, and increase your anger against me; relief troops ²  come against me.

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

For with great wisdom comes ¹  great frustration; whoever increases his ²  knowledge merely ³  increases his ⁴  heartache.

Surely, he ate in darkness every day of his life, ¹  and he suffered greatly with sickness and anger.

Do not let yourself be quickly provoked, ¹  for anger resides in the lap ²  of fools.

Banish ¹  emotional stress ²  from your mind. ³  and put away pain ⁴  from your body; ⁵  for youth ⁶  and the prime of life ⁷  are fleeting. ⁸ 

But I fear the reaction ¹  of their enemies, for ²  their adversaries would misunderstand and say, “Our power is great, ³  and the Lord has not done all this!”’

Don’t consider your servant a wicked woman, ¹  for until now I have spoken from my deep pain and anguish.”