3748 verses about Suffering

Don’t be far from me, for trouble is near. For there is no one to help.

Many bulls have surrounded me. Strong bulls of Bashan have encircled me.

They open their mouths wide against me, lions tearing prey and roaring.

I am poured out like water. All my bones are out of joint. My heart is like wax; it is melted within me.

My strength is dried up like a potsherd. My tongue sticks to the roof of my mouth. You have brought me into the dust of death.

For dogs have surrounded me. A company of evildoers have enclosed me. They have pierced my hands and feet.

I can count all of my bones. They look and stare at me.

They divide my garments among them. They cast lots for my clothing.

Deliver my soul from the sword, my precious life from the power of the dog.

Save me from the lion’s mouth! Yes, from the horns of the wild oxen, you have answered me.

For he has not despised nor abhorred the affliction of the afflicted, Neither has he hidden his face from him; but when he cried to him, he heard.

All the rich ones of the earth shall eat and worship. All those who go down to the dust shall bow before him, even he who can’t keep his soul alive.

Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me. Your rod and your staff, they comfort me.

Turn to me, and have mercy on me, for I am desolate and afflicted.

The troubles of my heart are enlarged. Oh bring me out of my distresses.

Consider my affliction and my travail. Forgive all my sins.

Consider my enemies, for they are many. They hate me with cruel hatred.

Redeem Israel, God, out of all his troubles.

For his anger is but for a moment. His favor is for a lifetime. Weeping may stay for the night, but joy comes in the morning.

You, Yahweh, when you favored me, made my mountain stand strong; but when you hid your face, I was troubled.

I will be glad and rejoice in your loving kindness, for you have seen my affliction. You have known my soul in adversities.

Have mercy on me, Yahweh, for I am in distress. My eye, my soul, and my body waste away with grief.

For my life is spent with sorrow, my years with sighing. My strength fails because of my iniquity. My bones are wasted away.

Because of all my adversaries I have become utterly contemptible to my neighbors, A fear to my acquaintances. Those who saw me on the street fled from me.

I am forgotten from their hearts like a dead man. I am like broken pottery.

For I have heard the slander of many, terror on every side, while they conspire together against me, they plot to take away my life.

My times are in your hand. Deliver me from the hand of my enemies, and from those who persecute me.

When I kept silence, my bones wasted away through my groaning all day long.

For day and night your hand was heavy on me. My strength was sapped in the heat of summer. Selah.

Many sorrows come to the wicked, but loving kindness shall surround him who trusts in Yahweh.

This poor man cried, and Yahweh heard him, and saved him out of all his troubles.

The righteous cry, and Yahweh hears, and delivers them out of all their troubles.

Yahweh is near to those who have a broken heart, and saves those who have a crushed spirit.

Many are the afflictions of the righteous, but Yahweh delivers him out of them all.

Unrighteous witnesses rise up. They ask me about things that I don’t know about.

They reward me evil for good, to the bereaving of my soul.

But as for me, when they were sick, my clothing was sackcloth. I afflicted my soul with fasting. My prayer returned into my own bosom.

I behaved myself as though it had been my friend or my brother. I bowed down mourning, as one who mourns his mother.

But in my adversity, they rejoiced, and gathered themselves together. The attackers gathered themselves together against me, and I didn’t know it. They tore at me, and didn’t cease.

Like the profane mockers in feasts, they gnashed their teeth at me.

Lord, how long will you look on? Rescue my soul from their destruction, my precious life from the lions.

Don’t let those who are my enemies wrongfully rejoice over me; neither let those who hate me without a cause wink their eyes.

Yes, they opened their mouth wide against me. They said, “Aha! Aha! Our eye has seen it!”

You have seen it, Yahweh. Don’t keep silent. Lord, don’t be far from me.

Yahweh, don’t rebuke me in your wrath, neither chasten me in your hot displeasure.

For your arrows have pierced me, your hand presses hard on me.

There is no soundness in my flesh because of your indignation, neither is there any health in my bones because of my sin.

For my iniquities have gone over my head. As a heavy burden, they are too heavy for me.

My wounds are loathsome and corrupt, because of my foolishness.

I am pained and bowed down greatly. I go mourning all day long.

For my waist is filled with burning. There is no soundness in my flesh.

I am faint and severely bruised. I have groaned by reason of the anguish of my heart.

Lord, all my desire is before you. My groaning is not hidden from you.

My heart throbs. My strength fails me. As for the light of my eyes, it has also left me.

My lovers and my friends stand aloof from my plague. My kinsmen stand far away.

They also who seek after my life lay snares. Those who seek my hurt speak mischievous things, and meditate deceits all day long.

But I, as a deaf man, don’t hear. I am as a mute man who doesn’t open his mouth.

Yes, I am as a man who doesn’t hear, in whose mouth are no reproofs.

For I said, “Don’t let them gloat over me, or exalt themselves over me when my foot slips.”

For I am ready to fall. My pain is continually before me.

But my enemies are vigorous and many. Those who hate me without reason are numerous.

They who also render evil for good are adversaries to me, because I follow what is good.

Don’t forsake me, Yahweh. My God, don’t be far from me.

I was mute with silence. I held my peace, even from good. My sorrow was stirred.

“Yahweh, show me my end, what is the measure of my days. Let me know how frail I am.

Behold, you have made my days hand widths. My lifetime is as nothing before you. Surely every man stands as a breath.” Selah.

I was mute. I didn’t open my mouth, because you did it.

Remove your scourge away from me. I am overcome by the blow of your hand.

When you rebuke and correct man for iniquity, You consume his wealth like a moth. Surely every man is but a breath.” Selah.

“Hear my prayer, Yahweh, and give ear to my cry. Don’t be silent at my tears. For I am a stranger with you, a foreigner, as all my fathers were.

Oh spare me, that I may recover strength, before I go away, and exist no more.”

For innumerable evils have surrounded me. My iniquities have overtaken me, so that I am not able to look up. They are more than the hairs of my head. My heart has failed me.

Let them be disappointed and confounded together who seek after my soul to destroy it. Let them be turned backward and brought to dishonor who delight in my hurt.

My enemies speak evil against me: “When will he die, and his name perish?”

All who hate me whisper together against me. They imagine the worst for me.

“An evil disease”, they say, “has afflicted him. Now that he lies he shall rise up no more.”

Yes, my own familiar friend, in whom I trusted, who ate bread with me, has lifted up his heel against me.

But you, Yahweh, have mercy on me, and raise me up, that I may repay them.

My tears have been my food day and night, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”

Why are you in despair, my soul? Why are you disturbed within me? Hope in God! For I shall still praise him for the saving help of his presence.

My God, my soul is in despair within me. Therefore I remember you from the land of the Jordan, the heights of Hermon, from the hill Mizar.

Deep calls to deep at the noise of your waterfalls. All your waves and your billows have swept over me.

I will ask God, my rock, “Why have you forgotten me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?”

As with a sword in my bones, my adversaries reproach me, while they continually ask me, “Where is your God?”

For you are the God of my strength. Why have you rejected me? Why do I go mourning because of the oppression of the enemy?

But now you rejected us, and brought us to dishonor, and don’t go out with our armies.

You make us turn back from the adversary. Those who hate us take plunder for themselves.

You have made us like sheep for food, and have scattered us among the nations.

You sell your people for nothing, and have gained nothing from their sale.

You make us a reproach to our neighbors, a scoffing and a derision to those who are around us.

You make us a byword among the nations, a shaking of the head among the peoples.

All day long my dishonor is before me, and shame covers my face,

At the taunt of one who reproaches and verbally abuses, because of the enemy and the avenger.

All this has come on us, yet have we not forgotten you, Neither have we been false to your covenant.

Though you have crushed us in the haunt of jackals, and covered us with the shadow of death.

Yes, for your sake we are killed all day long. We are regarded as sheep for the slaughter.

Wake up! Why do you sleep, Lord? Arise! Don’t reject us forever.

Why do you hide your face, and forget our affliction and our oppression?

For our soul is bowed down to the dust. Our body clings to the earth.

Rise up to help us. Redeem us for your loving kindness’ sake.