<p class="poetry">I cried out to him for help<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and praised him with my tongue.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="poetry">When<n id="1" /> I cried out for help, you answered me.p> <p class="poetry">You made me bold and energized me.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1511; (<i>Qofi>)p> <p class="poetry">I have called on your name, O <sc>Lordsc>,p> <p class="poetry">from the deepest pit.<n id="1" />p>

<p class="poetry">If I summoned him, and he answered me,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I would not believe<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">that he would be listening to my voice &#8211;p>

<p class="poetry">If I cry<n id="1" /> to corruption,<n id="2" /> &#8216;You are my father,&#8217;p> <p class="poetry">and to the worm, &#8216;My Mother,&#8217; or &#8216;My sister,&#8217;p>

<p class="poetry">I summon<n id="1" /> my servant, but he does not respond,p> <p class="poetry">even though I implore<n id="2" /> him with my own mouth.p>

<p class="poetry">In my distress<n id="1" /> I cried out to the <sc>Lordsc>.p> <p class="poetry">The <sc>Lordsc> answered me and put me in a wide open place.<n id="2" />p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1511; (<i>Qofi>)p> <p class="poetry">I cried out with all my heart, &#8220;Answer me, O <sc>Lordsc>!p> <p class="poetry">I will observe your statutes.&#8221;p>

<t /><p class="psasuper">A song of ascents.<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">In my distress I cried outp> <p class="poetry">to the <sc>Lordsc> and he answered me.p>

<p class="poetry">However,<n id="1" /> because<n id="2" /> I called but you refused to listen,<n id="3" />p> <p class="poetry">because<n id="4" /> I stretched out my hand<n id="5" /> but no one paid attention,p>

<p class="poetry">Even now you say to me, &#8216;You are my father!<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">You have been my faithful companion ever since I was young.p>

<t /><p class="poetry">When Israel was a young man, I loved him like a son,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">and I summoned my son<n id="2" /> out of Egypt.p>

&#8220;See, I have chosen<n id="1" /> Bezalel son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah,

<p class="poetry">I have given orders to my chosen soldiers;<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">I have summoned the warriors through whom I will vent my anger,<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">my boasting, arrogant ones.<n id="3" />p>

<p class="poetry">Egypt is totally incapable of helping.<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">For this reason I call herp> <p class="poetry">&#8216;Proud one<n id="2" /> who is silenced.&#8217;&#8221;<n id="3" />p>

<p class="bodytext">So I<n id="1" /> began to shepherd the flock destined for slaughter, the most afflicted<n id="2" /> of all the flock. Then I took two staffs,<n id="3" /> calling one &#8220;Pleasantness&#8221;<n id="4" /> and the other &#8220;Binders,&#8221;<n id="5" /> and I tended the flock.

Then he ran to Eli and said, &#8220;Here I am, for you called me.&#8221; But Eli<n id="1" /> said, &#8220;I didn&#8217;t call you. Go back and lie down.&#8221; So he went back and lay down.

<t /><p class="poetry">Now, this is what the <sc>Lordsc> says,p> <p class="poetry">the one who created you, O Jacob,p> <p class="poetry">and formed you, O Israel:p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;Don&#8217;t be afraid, for I will protect<n id="1" /> you.p> <p class="poetry">I call you by name, you are mine.p>

<p class="lamhebrew">&#1511; (<i>Qofi>)p> <p class="poetry">I called for my lovers,<n id="1" />p> <p class="poetry">but they had deceived me.p> <p class="poetry">My priests and my eldersp> <p class="poetry">perished in the city.p> <p class="poetry">Truly they had<n id="2" /> searched for foodp> <p class="poetry">to<n id="3" /> keep themselves<n id="4" /> alive.<n id="5" />p>

and said,p> <p class="poetry">&#8220;I<n id="1" /> called out to the <sc>Lordsc> from my distress,p> <p class="poetry">and he answered me;<n id="2" />p> <p class="poetry">from the belly of Sheol<n id="3" /> I cried out for help,p> <p class="poetry">and you heard my prayer.<n id="4" />p>