I cried out to him for help ¹  and praised him with my tongue. ² 

When ¹  I cried out for help, you answered me. You made me bold and energized me. ² 

ק (Qof) I have called on your name, O Lord, from the deepest pit. ¹ 

If I summoned him, and he answered me, ¹  I would not believe ²  that he would be listening to my voice –

If I cry ¹  to corruption, ²  ‘You are my father,’ and to the worm, ‘My Mother,’ or ‘My sister,’

I summon ¹  my servant, but he does not respond, even though I implore ²  him with my own mouth.

In my distress ¹  I cried out to the Lord. The Lord answered me and put me in a wide open place. ² 

ק (Qof) I cried out with all my heart, “Answer me, O Lord! I will observe your statutes.”

A song of ascents. ²  In my distress I cried out to the Lord and he answered me.

However, ¹  because ²  I called but you refused to listen, ³  because ⁴  I stretched out my hand ⁵  but no one paid attention,

Even now you say to me, ‘You are my father! ¹  You have been my faithful companion ever since I was young.

When Israel was a young man, I loved him like a son, ¹  and I summoned my son ²  out of Egypt.

“See, I have chosen ¹  Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,

I have given orders to my chosen soldiers; ¹  I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger, ²  my boasting, arrogant ones. ³ 

Egypt is totally incapable of helping. ¹  For this reason I call her ‘Proud one ²  who is silenced.’” ³ 

So I ¹  began to shepherd the flock destined for slaughter, the most afflicted ²  of all the flock. Then I took two staffs, ³  calling one “Pleasantness” ⁴  and the other “Binders,” ⁵  and I tended the flock.

Then he ran to Eli and said, “Here I am, for you called me.” But Eli ¹  said, “I didn’t call you. Go back and lie down.” So he went back and lay down.

Now, this is what the Lord says, the one who created you, O Jacob, and formed you, O Israel: “Don’t be afraid, for I will protect ¹  you. I call you by name, you are mine.

ק (Qof) I called for my lovers, ¹  but they had deceived me. My priests and my elders perished in the city. Truly they had ²  searched for food to ³  keep themselves ⁴  alive. ⁵ 

and said, “I ¹  called out to the Lord from my distress, and he answered me; ²  from the belly of Sheol ³  I cried out for help, and you heard my prayer. ⁴