“ Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth,” 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 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.

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

“ If it had not been the Lord who was on our side,” Let Israel now say—

I will give her her vineyards from there, And the Valley of Achor as a door of hope; She shall sing there, As in the days of her youth, As in the day when she came up from the land of Egypt.

“ When Israel was a child, I loved him, And out of Egypt I called My son.

“ Go and cry in the hearing of Jerusalem, saying,‘ Thus says the Lord:“ I remember you, The kindness of your youth, The love of your betrothal, When you went after Me in the wilderness, In a land not sown.

In my distress I cried to the Lord, And He heard me.

Judah has gone into captivity, Under affliction and hard servitude; She dwells among the nations, She finds no rest; All her persecutors overtake her in dire straits.

Wherever they went out, the hand of the Lord was against them for calamity, as the Lord had said, and as the Lord had sworn to them. And they were greatly distressed.

I spoke to you in your prosperity, But you said,‘ I will not hear.’ This has been your manner from your youth, That you did not obey My voice.

From that year they harassed and oppressed the children of Israel for eighteen years— all the children of Israel who were on the other side of the Jordan in the land of the Amorites, in Gilead.Moreover the people of Ammon crossed over the Jordan to fight against Judah also, against Benjamin, and against the house of Ephraim, so that Israel was severely distressed.And the children of Israel cried out to the Lord, saying,“ We have sinned against You, because we have both forsaken our God and served the Baals!”So the Lord said to the children of Israel,“ Did I not deliver you from the Egyptians and from the Amorites and from the people of Ammon and from the Philistines?Also the Sidonians and Amalekites and Maonites oppressed you; and you cried out to Me, and I delivered you from their hand.

I was glad when they said to me,“ Let us go into the house of the Lord.”

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

“ Stand now with your enchantments And the multitude of your sorceries, In which you have labored from your youth— Perhaps you will be able to profit, Perhaps you will prevail.

Now when the adversaries of Judah and Benjamin heard that the descendants of the captivity were building the temple of the Lord God of Israel,they came to Zerubbabel and the heads of the fathers’ houses, and said to them,“ Let us build with you, for we seek your God as you do; and we have sacrificed to Him since the days of Esarhaddon king of Assyria, who brought us here.”But Zerubbabel and Jeshua and the rest of the heads of the fathers’ houses of Israel said to them,“ You may do nothing with us to build a house for our God; but we alone will build to the Lord God of Israel, as King Cyrus the king of Persia has commanded us.”Then the people of the land tried to discourage the people of Judah. They troubled them in building,and 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 also, Bishlam, Mithredath, Tabel, and the rest of their companions wrote to Artaxerxes king of Persia; and the letter was written in Aramaic script, and translated into the Aramaic language.Rehum the commander and Shimshai the scribe wrote a letter against Jerusalem to King Artaxerxes in this fashion:From Rehum the commander, Shimshai the scribe, and the rest of their companions— representatives of the Dinaites, the Apharsathchites, the Tarpelites, the people of Persia and Erech and Babylon and Shushan, the Dehavites, the Elamites,and the rest of the nations whom the great and noble Osnapper took captive and settled in the cities of Samaria and the remainder beyond the River— and so forth.( This is a copy of the letter that they sent him.) To King Artaxerxes from your servants, the men of the region beyond the River, and so forth:Let it be known to the king that the Jews who came up from you have come to us at Jerusalem, and are building the rebellious and evil city, and are finishing its walls and repairing the foundations.Let it now be known to the king that, if this city is built and the walls completed, they will not pay tax, tribute, or custom, and the king’s treasury will be diminished.Now because we receive support from the palace, it was not proper 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. And you will find in the book of the records and know that this city is a rebellious city, harmful to kings and provinces, and that they have incited sedition within the city in former times, for which cause this city was destroyed.We inform the king that if this city is rebuilt and its walls are completed, the result will be that you will have no dominion beyond the River.The king sent an answer: To Rehum the commander, to Shimshai the scribe, to the rest of their companions who dwell in Samaria, and to the remainder beyond the River: Peace, and so forth.The letter which you sent to us has been clearly read before me.And I gave the command, and a search has been made, and it was found that this city in former times has revolted against kings, and rebellion and sedition have been fostered in it.There have also been mighty kings over Jerusalem, who have ruled over all the region beyond the River; and tax, tribute, and custom were paid to them.Now give the command to make these men cease, that this city may not be built until the command is given by me.Take heed now that you do not fail to do this. Why should damage increase to the hurt of the kings?Now when the copy of King Artaxerxes’ letter was read before Rehum, Shimshai the scribe, and their companions, they went up in haste to Jerusalem against the Jews, and by force of arms made them cease.

Unto You I lift up my eyes, O You who dwell in the heavens.

Unless the Lord builds the house, They labor in vain who build it; Unless the Lord guards the city, The watchman stays awake in vain.

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

But the more they afflicted them, the more they multiplied and grew. And they were in dread of the children of Israel.So the Egyptians made the children of Israel serve with rigor.And they made their lives bitter with hard bondage— in mortar, in brick, and in all manner of service in the field. All their service in which they made them serve was with rigor.

When the Lord brought back the captivity of Zion, We were like those who dream.

Therefore the anger of the Lord was hot 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 have been afflicted and ready to die from my youth; I suffer Your terrors; I am distraught.

Those who trust in the Lord Are like Mount Zion, Which cannot be moved, but abides forever.

“ You shall no longer give the people straw to make brick as before. Let them go and gather straw for themselves.And you shall lay on them the quota of bricks which they made before. You shall not reduce it. For they are idle; therefore they cry out, saying,‘ Let us go and sacrifice to our God.’Let more work be laid on the men, that they may labor in it, and let them not regard false words.”And the taskmasters of the people and their officers went out and spoke to the people, saying,“ Thus says Pharaoh:‘ I will not give you straw.Go, get yourselves straw where you can find it; yet none of your work will be reduced.’”So the people were scattered abroad throughout all the land of Egypt to gather stubble instead of straw.And the taskmasters forced them to hurry, saying,“ Fulfill your work, your daily quota, as when there was straw.”Also the officers of the children of Israel, whom Pharaoh’s taskmasters had set over them, were beaten and were asked,“ Why have you not fulfilled your task in making brick both yesterday and today, as before?”Then the officers of the children of Israel came and cried out to Pharaoh, saying,“ Why are you dealing thus with your servants?There is no straw given to your servants, and they say to us,‘ Make brick!’ And indeed your servants are beaten, but the fault is in your own people.”But he said,“ You are idle! Idle! Therefore you say,‘ Let us go and sacrifice to the Lord.’Therefore go now and work; for no straw shall be given you, yet you shall deliver the quota of bricks.”And the officers of the children of Israel saw that they were in trouble after it was said,“ You shall not reduce any bricks from your daily quota.”

I will lift up my eyes to the hills— From whence comes my help?

Blessed is every one who fears the Lord, Who walks in His ways.

They committed harlotry in Egypt, They committed harlotry in their youth; Their breasts were there embraced, Their virgin bosom was there pressed.