"Whydo You hideYour faceAnd considerme Your enemy?
Should [my head] be liftedup, You would huntme like a lion;And againYou would showYour poweragainst me.
You renewYour witnessesagainstme And increaseYour angertowardme; Hardshipafter hardshipis with me.
"I will sayto God,Do not condemnme; Let me knowwhyYou contendwith me.
"His angerhas tornme and huntedme down,He has gnashedat me with His teeth;My adversaryglaresat me.
"He has also kindledHis angeragainstme And consideredme as His enemy.
"Whydo you persecuteme as God[does], And are not satisfiedwith my flesh?
"You have becomecruelto me; With the mightof Your handYou persecuteme.
"Ohthat I hadone to hearme! Behold,hereis my signature;Let the Almightyanswerme! And the indictmentwhich my adversaryhas written,
Behold,He inventspretextsagainstme; He countsme as His enemy.
Why do You standafaroff, O LORD?Why do You hide[Yourself] in timesof trouble?
Howlong,O LORD?Will You forgetme forever?Howlongwill You hideYour facefrom me?
Whydo You hideYour face[And] forgetour afflictionand our oppression?
For our soulhas sunkdowninto the dust;Our bodycleavesto the earth.
O LORD,whydo You rejectmy soul?[Why] do You hideYour facefrom me?
And I will waitfor the LORDwho is hidingHis facefrom the houseof Jacob;I will even lookeagerlyfor Him.
The Lordhas becomelike an enemy.He has swallowedup Israel;He has swallowedup allits palaces,He has destroyedits strongholdsAnd multipliedin the daughterof JudahMourningand moaning.
"Then He said,'I will hideMy facefrom them, I will seewhattheir end[shall be]; For they are a perversegeneration,Sonsin whom is nofaithfulness.
[Yet] do not regardhim as an enemy,but admonishhim as a brother.
Samuelsaid,"Whythen do you askme, since the LORDhas departedfrom you and has becomeyour adversary?
