Many times they have afflicted me from my youth up. Let Israel now say,

以色列当说：“从我幼年以来，敌人屡次苦害我，

说吧，以色列：“从我幼年以来，人屡次苦害我；

说吧，以色列：“从我幼年以来，人屡次苦害我；

以色列要说：我从小就深受仇敌的迫害，

愿以色列说：“从我幼年以来，敌人就多次苦害我。（本节在《马索拉文本》包括细字标题）

愿以色列说：“从我年幼以来，他们就多次苦害我——

以色列當說：從我幼年以來，敵人屢次苦害我，

說吧，以色列：「從我幼年以來，人屢次苦害我；

說吧，以色列：「從我幼年以來，人屢次苦害我；

以色列要說：我從小就深受仇敵的迫害，

願以色列說：“從我幼年以來，敵人就多次苦害我。（本節在《馬索拉文本》包括細字標題）

讓以色列說：『從我幼年以來敵人就大大苦害我。

願以色列說：「從我年幼以來，他們就多次苦害我——

以色列當曰、自我幼年、人屢苦我兮、

以色列族當曰、余自肇基以來、屢遭困苦兮、

以色列民當曰、從我幼時、敵人屢攻擊我、

嗟我義塞族。自幼多顚沛。

“ They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,” let Israel say;

Here is what Israel should say.“ My enemies have treated me badly ever since I was a young nation.

“ Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”— let Israel now say—

From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me. Let all Israel repeat this:

Since my youth they have often attacked me— let Israel say—

“ Many times they have attacked me from my youth up,” Let Israel say,

“ Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,” Let Israel now say—

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up, Let Israel now say,

Since my youth they have often attacked me— let Israel say—

Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth, may Israel now say:

“ Since my youth they have often attacked me,” let Israel say.

If it had not been Yahweh who was on our side, let Israel now say,

I will give her vineyards from there, and the valley of Achor for a door of hope; and she will respond there, as in the days of her youth, and as in the day when she came up out of the land of Egypt.

“ When Israel was a child, then I loved him, and called my son out of Egypt.

“ Go and proclaim in the ears of Jerusalem, saying,‘ Yahweh says,“ I remember for you the kindness of your youth, the love of your weddings; how you went after me in the wilderness, in a land that was not sown.

In my distress, I cried to Yahweh. He answered me.

Judah has gone into captivity because of affliction, and because of great servitude. She dwells among the nations. She finds no rest. All her persecutors overtook her within the straits.

Wherever they went out, Yahweh’s hand was against them for evil, as Yahweh had spoken, and as Yahweh had sworn to them; and they were very distressed.

I spoke to you in your prosperity; but you said,‘ I will not listen.’ This has been your way from your youth, that you didn’t obey my voice.

They troubled and oppressed the children of Israel that year. For eighteen years they oppressed all the children of Israel that were beyond the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, which is in Gilead.The children of Ammon passed over the Jordan to fight also against Judah, and against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was very distressed.The children of Israel cried to Yahweh, saying,“ We have sinned against you, even because we have forsaken our God, and have served the Baals.”Yahweh said to the children of Israel,“ Didn’t I save you from the Egyptians, and from the Amorites, from the children of Ammon, and from the Philistines?The Sidonians also, and the Amalekites, and the Maonites, oppressed you; and you cried to me, and I saved you out of their hand.

I was glad when they said to me,“ Let’s go to Yahweh’s house!”

Now there was no blacksmith found throughout all the land of Israel; for the Philistines said,“ Lest the Hebrews make themselves swords or spears”;

“ Stand now with your enchantments and with the multitude of your sorceries, in which you have labored from your youth, as if you might profit, as if you might prevail.

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the children of the captivity were building a temple to Yahweh, the God of Israel;they came near to Zerubbabel, and to the heads of fathers’ households, and said to them,“ Let us build with you; for we seek your God, as you do; and we have been sacrificing to him since the days of Esar Haddon king of Assyria, who brought us up here.”But Zerubbabel, and Jeshua, and the rest of the heads of fathers’ households of Israel, said to them,“ You have nothing to do with us in building a house to our God; but we ourselves together will build to Yahweh, the God of Israel, as king Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”Then the people of the land weakened the hands of the people of Judah, and troubled them in building.They hired counselors against them, to frustrate their purpose, all the days of Cyrus king of Persia, even until the reign of Darius king of Persia.In the reign of Ahasuerus, in the beginning of his reign, they wrote an accusation against the inhabitants of Judah and Jerusalem.In the days of Artaxerxes, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabeel, and the rest of his companions, wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the writing of the letter was written in Syrian, and delivered in the Syrian language.Rehum the chancellor and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to Artaxerxes the king as follows,then Rehum the chancellor, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions, the Dinaites, and the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the Apharsites, the Archevites, the Babylonians, the Shushanchites, the Dehaites, the Elamites,and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnappar brought over, and set in the city of Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River, and so forth, wrote.This is the copy of the letter that they sent: To King Artaxerxes, From your servants the men beyond the River.Be it known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us to Jerusalem. They are building the rebellious and bad city, and have finished the walls, and repaired the foundations.Be it known now to the king that if this city is built and the walls finished, they will not pay tribute, custom, or toll, and in the end it will be hurtful to the kings.Now because we eat the salt of the palace, and it is not appropriate for us to see the king’s dishonor, therefore we have sent and informed the king,that search may be made in the book of the records of your fathers. You will see in the book of the records, and know that this city is a rebellious city, and hurtful to kings and provinces, and that they have started rebellions within it in the past. That is why this city was destroyed.We inform the king that, if this city is built and the walls finished, then you will have no possession beyond the River.Then the king sent an answer to Rehum the chancellor, and to Shimshai the scribe, and to the rest of their companions who live in Samaria, and in the rest of the country beyond the River: Peace.The letter which you sent to us has been plainly read before me.I decreed, and search has been made, and it was found that this city has made insurrection against kings in the past, and that rebellion and revolts have been made in it.There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the country beyond the River; and tribute, custom, and toll, was paid to them.Make a decree now to cause these men to cease, and that this city not be built, until a decree is made by me.Be careful that you not be slack doing so. Why should damage grow to the hurt of the kings?Then when the copy of king Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went in haste to Jerusalem to the Jews, and made them to cease by force of arms.

I lift up my eyes to you, you who sit in the heavens.

Unless Yahweh builds the house, they who build it labor in vain. Unless Yahweh watches over the city, the watchman guards it in vain.

Pharaoh commanded all his people, saying,“ You shall cast every son who is born into the river, and every daughter you shall save alive.”

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and the more they spread out. They started to dread the children of Israel.The Egyptians ruthlessly made the children of Israel serve,and they made their lives bitter with hard service in mortar and in brick, and in all kinds of service in the field, all their service, in which they ruthlessly made them serve.

When Yahweh brought back those who returned to Zion, we were like those who dream.

Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against Israel, and he sold them into the hand of Cushan Rishathaim king of Mesopotamia; and the children of Israel served Cushan Rishathaim eight years.

I am afflicted and ready to die from my youth up. While I suffer your terrors, I am distracted.

Those who trust in Yahweh are as Mount Zion, which can’t be moved, but remains forever.

“ You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick, as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.You shall require from them the number of the bricks which they made before. You shall not diminish anything of it, for they are idle. Therefore they cry, saying,‘ Let’s go and sacrifice to our God.’Let heavier work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it. Don’t let them pay any attention to lying words.”The taskmasters of the people went out, and their officers, and they spoke to the people, saying,“ This is what Pharaoh says:‘ I will not give you straw.Go yourselves, get straw where you can find it, for nothing of your work shall be diminished.’”So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble for straw.The taskmasters were urgent saying,“ Fulfill your work quota daily, as when there was straw!”The officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten, and were asked,“ Why haven’t you fulfilled your quota both yesterday and today, in making brick as before?”Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried to Pharaoh, saying,“ Why do you deal this way with your servants?No straw is given to your servants, and they tell us,‘ Make brick!’ and behold, your servants are beaten; but the fault is in your own people.”But Pharaoh said,“ You are idle! You are idle! Therefore you say,‘ Let’s go and sacrifice to Yahweh.’Go therefore now, and work; for no straw shall be given to you; yet you shall deliver the same number of bricks!”The officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble when it was said,“ You shall not diminish anything from your daily quota of bricks!”

I will lift up my eyes to the hills. Where does my help come from?

Blessed is everyone who fears Yahweh, who walks in his ways.

They played the prostitute in Egypt. They played the prostitute in their youth. Their breasts were fondled there, and their youthful nipples were caressed there.