<p class="poetry">And that God would be willing<n id="1" /> to crush me,p> <p class="poetry">that he would let loose<n id="2" /> his handp> <p class="poetry">and<n id="3" /> kill me.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;How long will you torment me<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and crush<n id="2" /> me with your words?<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">you sent widows away empty-handed,p> <p class="poetry">and the arms<n id="1" /> of the orphans you crushed.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Therefore, he knows their deeds,p> <p class="poetry">he overthrows them<n id="1" /> in the night<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and they are crushed.p>

<p class="poetry">O <sc>Lordsc>, they crush your people;p> <p class="poetry">they oppress the nation that belongs to you.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1500; (<i>Lamedi>)p> <p class="poetry">To crush underfootp> <p class="poetry">all the earth&#8217;s prisoners,<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">His children are far<n id="1" /> from safety,p> <p class="poetry">and they are crushed<n id="2" /> at the place where judgment is rendered,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">nor is there anyone to deliver them.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">He will defend<n id="1" /> the oppressed among the people;p> <p class="poetry">he will deliver<n id="2" /> the children<n id="3" /> of the poorp> <p class="poetry">and crush the oppressor.p>

<p class="poetry">Those who make cloth<n id="1" /> will be demoralized;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">all the hired workers will be depressed.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">how much more to those who live in houses of clay,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">whose foundation is in the dust,p> <p class="poetry">who are crushed<n id="2" /> like<n id="3" /> a moth?p>

<p class="poetry">You crushed the Proud One<n id="1" /> and killed it;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">with your strong arm you scattered your enemies.p>

<p class="poetry">Certainly<n id="1" /> my enemies<n id="2" /> chase me.p> <p class="poetry">They smash me into the ground.<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">They force me to live<n id="4" /> in dark regions,<n id="5" />p> <p class="poetry">like those who have been dead for ages.p>

<p class="poetry">Do not exploit<n id="1" /> a poor person because he is poorp> <p class="poetry">and do not crush the needy in court,<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Why do you crush my peoplep> <p class="poetry">and grind the faces of the poor?&#8221;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The sovereign <sc>Lordsc> who commands armies<n id="2" /> has spoken.p>

<p class="poetry">He was wounded because of<n id="1" /> our rebellious deeds,p> <p class="poetry">crushed because of our sins;p> <p class="poetry">he endured punishment that made us well;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">because of his wounds we have been healed.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Though the <sc>Lordsc> desired to crush him and make him ill,p> <p class="poetry">once restitution is made,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">he will see descendants and enjoy long life,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and the <sc>Lordsc>&#8217;s purpose will be accomplished through him.p>

To this day your people<n id="1" /> have shown no contrition! They have not revered me nor followed the laws and statutes I commanded<n id="2" /> you and your ancestors.&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">For this is what the high and exalted one says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who rules<n id="1" /> forever, whose name is holy:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I dwell in an exalted and holy place,p> <p class="poetry">but also with the discouraged and humiliated,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">in order to cheer up the humiliatedp> <p class="poetry">and to encourage the discouraged.<n id="3" />p>