“Therefore, ¹  I will not refrain my mouth; ²  I will speak in the anguish of my spirit; I will complain ³  in the bitterness of my soul.

For he ¹  is not a human being like I am, that ²  I might answer him, that we might come ³  together in judgment.

Even if he slays me, I will hope in him; ¹  I will surely ²  defend ³  my ways to his face!

The womb ¹  forgets him, the worm feasts on him, no longer will he be remembered. Like a tree, wickedness will be broken down.

Listen to me! ¹  Quickly deliver me! Be my protector and refuge, ²  a stronghold where I can be safe! ³ 

I cannot eat, I weep day and night; ¹  all day long they say to me, ²  “Where is your God?”

They devise ¹  unjust schemes; they disguise ²  a well-conceived plot. ³  Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered. ⁴ 

I will tell about your justice, and all day long proclaim your salvation, ¹  though I cannot fathom its full extent. ² 

I will destroy anyone who slanders his neighbor in secret. I will not tolerate anyone who has a cocky demeanor and an arrogant attitude. ¹ 

even the darkness is not too dark for you to see, ¹  and the night is as bright as ²  day; darkness and light are the same to you. ³ 

If you should pound ¹  the fool in the mortar among the grain ²  with the pestle, his foolishness would not depart from him. ³ 

yet a fool keeps on babbling. ¹  No one knows what will happen; who can tell him what will happen in the future? ² 

I hate your new moon festivals and assemblies; they are a burden that I am tired of carrying.

Look, I am stirring up the Medes to attack them; ¹  they are not concerned about silver, nor are they interested in gold. ² 

For the bed is too short to stretch out on, and the blanket is too narrow to wrap around oneself. ¹ 

Has a nation ever changed its gods (even though they are not really gods at all)? But my people have exchanged me, their glorious God, ¹  for a god that cannot help them at all! ² 

You can try to wash away your guilt with a strong detergent. You can use as much soap as you want. But the stain of your guilt is still there for me to see,” ¹  says the Lord God. ² 

Lord, we know that people do not control their own destiny. ¹  It is not in their power to determine what will happen to them. ² 

My message is like a fire that purges dross! ¹  It is like a hammer that breaks a rock in pieces! ²  I, the Lord, so affirm it! ³ 

Zedekiah will be carried off to Babylon and will remain there until I have fully dealt with him. ¹  I, the Lord, affirm it! ²  Even if you ³  continue to fight against the Babylonians, ⁴  you cannot win.’”