O LORD,they soughtYou in distress;They could only whispera prayer,Your chasteningwas upon them.
I pourout my complaintbeforeHim; I declaremy troublebeforeHim.
[When You said], "SeekMy face,"my heartsaidto You, "Your face,O LORD,I shall seek."
ThesethingsI rememberand I pourout my soulwithinme. For I used to goalongwith the throng[and] leadthem in processionto the houseof God,With the voiceof joyand thanksgiving,a multitudekeepingfestival.
Callupon Me in the dayof trouble;I shall rescueyou, and you will honorMe."
[When] I rememberGod,then I am disturbed;[When] I sigh,then my spiritgrowsfaint.Selah.
WhenHe killedthem, then they soughtHim, And returnedand searcheddiligentlyfor God;
"He will callupon Me, and I will answerhim; I will be with him in trouble;I will rescuehim and honorhim.
They saidto him, "ThussaysHezekiah,'Thisdayis a dayof distress,rebukeand rejection;for childrenhave cometo birth,and thereis nostrengthto deliver.
Who sayto a tree,'You are my father,'And to a stone,'You gaveme birth.'For they have turned[their] backto Me, And not [their] face;But in the timeof their troublethey will say,'Ariseand saveus.'
"You who dwellin Lebanon,Nestedin the cedars,Howyou will groanwhen pangscomeupon you, Painlike a woman in childbirth!
Then you will callupon Me and comeand prayto Me, and I will listento you.
"Arise,cryaloudin the nightAt the beginningof the night watches;Pourout your heartlike waterBeforethe presenceof the Lord;Liftup your handsto Him For the lifeof your littleonesWho are faintbecause of hungerAt the headof everystreet."
I will goaway [and] returnto My placeUntilthey acknowledgetheir guiltand seekMy face;In their afflictionthey will earnestlyseekMe.
And they do not cryto Me from their heartWhenthey wailon their beds;For the sakeof grainand newwinethey assemblethemselves, They turnawayfrom Me.
So the peoplecameto Mosesand said,"We have sinned,becausewe have spokenagainst the LORDand you; intercedewith the LORD,that He may removethe serpentsfrom us." And Mosesintercededfor the people.
Those whomI love,I reproveand discipline;thereforebe zealousand repent.
The sonsof Israelsaidto the LORD,"We have sinned,doto us whateverseems goodto You; onlypleasedeliverus thisday."
But Hannahreplied,"No,my lord,I am a womanoppressedin spirit;I have drunkneitherwinenorstrongdrink,but I have pouredout my soulbeforethe LORD.
