<p class="poetry">&#8220;Surely you know<n id="1" /> that it has been from old,p> <p class="poetry">ever since humankind was placed<n id="2" /> on the earth,p>

<p class="poetry">Turn aside from the way,p> <p class="poetry">stray off the path.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">Remove from our presence the Holy One of Israel.&#8221;<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">They<n id="1" /> are dark<n id="2" /> because of ice;p> <p class="poetry">snow is piled<n id="3" /> up over them.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">Its measure is longer than the earth,p> <p class="poetry">and broader than the sea.p>

<p class="poetry">They came from Ephraim, who uprooted Amalek,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they follow<n id="2" /> after you, Benjamin, with your soldiers.p> <p class="poetry">From Makir leaders came down,p> <p class="poetry">from Zebulun came<n id="3" /> the ones who march carrying<n id="4" /> an officer&#8217;s staff.p>

<p class="poetry">&#8220;Listen to me, O family of Jacob,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">all you who are left from the family of Israel,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">you who have been carried from birth,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">you who have been supported from the time you left the womb.<n id="4" />p>

<p class="poetry">My days<n id="1" /> are swifter<n id="2" /> than a weaver&#8217;s shuttle<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">and they come to an end without hope.<n id="4" />p>

<t /><p class="poetry">&#8220;My days<n id="1" /> are swifter than a runner,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">they speed by without seeing happiness.p>

<p class="poetry">He reveals the deep things of darkness,p> <p class="poetry">and brings deep shadows<n id="1" /> into the light.p>

<p class="poetry">As<n id="1" /> water disappears from the sea,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">or a river drains away and dries up,p>

<p class="poetry">my face is reddened<n id="1" /> because of weeping,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">and on my eyelids there is a deep darkness,<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">But their prosperity is not their own doing.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">The counsel of the wicked is far from me!<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">But it was he<n id="1" /> who filled their housesp> <p class="poetry">with good things &#8211;p> <p class="poetry">yet the counsel of the wicked<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">was far from me.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">They detest me and maintain their distance;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">they do not hesitate to spit in my face.p>

<p class="poetry">My skin has turned dark on me;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">my body<n id="2" /> is hot with fever.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">He spares a person&#8217;s life from corruption,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">his very life from crossing over<n id="2" /> the river.p>

<p class="poetry">to turn back his life from the place of corruption,p> <p class="poetry">that he may be enlightened with the light of life.p>

<p class="poetry">You made us retreat<n id="1" /> from the enemy.p> <p class="poetry">Those who hate us take whatever they want from us.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">Our record of sins overwhelms me,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but you forgive<n id="2" /> our acts of rebellion.p>

<p class="poetry">I will sing a song that imparts wisdom;p> <p class="poetry">I will make insightful observations about the past.<n id="1" />p>