Daily Bread

⁴⁰ Let us examine our ways and test them,^(A)
    and let us return to the Lord.^(B)
41 Let us lift up our hearts and our hands
    to God in heaven,^(C) and say:
⁴² “We have sinned and rebelled^(D)
    and you have not forgiven.^(E)

⁴³ “You have covered yourself with anger and pursued^(F) us;
    you have slain without pity.^(G)
44 You have covered yourself with a cloud^(H)
    so that no prayer^(I) can get through.^(J)
45 You have made us scum^(K) and refuse
    among the nations.

⁴⁶ “All our enemies have opened their mouths
    wide^(L) against us.^(M)
47 We have suffered terror and pitfalls,^(N)
    ruin and destruction.^(O)”
⁴⁸ Streams of tears^(P) flow from my eyes^(Q)
    because my people are destroyed.^(R)

⁴⁹ My eyes will flow unceasingly,
    without relief,^(S)
50 until the Lord looks down
    from heaven and sees.^(T)
51 What I see brings grief to my soul
    because of all the women of my city.

⁵² Those who were my enemies without cause
    hunted me like a bird.^(U)
53 They tried to end my life in a pit^(V)
    and threw stones at me;
⁵⁴ the waters closed over my head,^(W)
    and I thought I was about to perish.^(X)

⁵⁵ I called on your name, Lord,
    from the depths^(Y) of the pit.^(Z)
56 You heard my plea:^(AA) “Do not close your ears
    to my cry for relief.”
⁵⁷ You came near^(AB) when I called you,
    and you said, “Do not fear.”^(AC)

⁵⁸ You, Lord, took up my case;^(AD)
    you redeemed my life.^(AE)
59 Lord, you have seen the wrong done to me.^(AF)
    Uphold my cause!^(AG)
60 You have seen the depth of their vengeance,
    all their plots against me.^(AH)

⁶¹ Lord, you have heard their insults,^(AI)
    all their plots against me—
⁶² what my enemies whisper and mutter
    against me all day long.^(AJ)
63 Look at them! Sitting or standing,
    they mock me in their songs.^(AK)

⁶⁴ Pay them back what they deserve, Lord,
    for what their hands have done.^(AL)
65 Put a veil over their hearts,^(AM)
    and may your curse be on them!
⁶⁶ Pursue^(AN) them in anger and destroy them
    from under the heavens of the Lord.