God’s Justice

37Who has spoken and it came to pass,

unless the Lord has ordained it?

38Do not both adversity and good

come from the mouth of the Most High?

39Why should any mortal man complain,

in view of his sins?

40Let us examine and test our ways,

and turn back to the LORD.

41Let us lift up our hearts and hands

to God in heaven:

42“We have sinned and rebelled;

You have not forgiven.”

43You have covered Yourself in anger and pursued us;

You have killed without pity.

44You have covered Yourself with a cloud

that no prayer can pass through.

45You have made us scum and refuse

among the nations.

46All our enemies

open their mouths against us.

47Panic and pitfall have come upon us—

devastation and destruction.

48Streams of tears flow from my eyes

over the destruction of the daughter of my people.

49My eyes overflow unceasingly,

without relief,

50until the LORD

looks down from heaven and sees.

51My eyes bring grief to my soul

because of all the daughters of my city.

52Without cause my enemies

hunted me like a bird.

53They dropped me alive into a pit

and cast stones upon me.

54The waters flowed over my head,

and I thought I was going to die.

55I called on Your name, O LORD,

out of the depths of the Pit.

56You heard my plea:

“Do not ignore my cry for relief.”

57You drew near when I called on You;

You said, “Do not be afraid.”

58You defend my cause, O Lord;

You redeem my life.

59You have seen, O LORD, the wrong done to me;

vindicate my cause!

60You have seen all their malice,

all their plots against me.

61O LORD, You have heard their insults,

all their plots against me—

62the slander and murmuring of my assailants

against me all day long.

63When they sit and when they rise,

see how they mock me in song.

64You will pay them back what they deserve, O LORD,

according to the work of their hands.

65Put a veil of anguish over their hearts;

may Your curse be upon them!

66You will pursue them in anger and exterminate them

from under Your heavens, O LORD.