1 “They have greatly oppressed me from my youth,”

let Israel say;

2 “they have greatly oppressed me from my youth,

but they have not gained the victory over me.

3 Plowmen have plowed my back

and made their furrows long.

4 But the Lord is righteous;

he has cut me free from the cords of the wicked.”

1 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth”—

let Israel now say—

2 “Greatly have they afflicted me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed upon my back;

they made long their furrows.”

4 The Lord is righteous;

he has cut the cords of the wicked.

1 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me.

Let all Israel repeat this:

2 From my earliest youth my enemies have persecuted me,

but they have never defeated me.

3 My back is covered with cuts,

as if a farmer had plowed long furrows.

4 But the Lord is good;

he has cut me free from the ropes of the ungodly.

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

Let Israel now say—

2 “Many a time they have afflicted me from my youth;

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed on my back;

They made their furrows long.”

4 The Lord is righteous;

He has cut in pieces the cords of the wicked.

1 They have treated me badly all my life.

(Let Israel repeat this.)

2 They have treated me badly all my life,

but they have not defeated me.

3 Like farmers plowing, they plowed over my back,

making long wounds.

4 But the Lord does what is right;

he has set me free from those wicked people.

1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up,

Let Israel now say,

2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth up:

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed upon my back;

They made long their furrows.

4 Jehovah is righteous:

He hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

1 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth—oh let Israel say— 2 Many a time have they afflicted me from my youth; yet they have not prevailed against me. 3 The ploughers ploughed upon my back; they made long their furrows. 4 Jehovah is righteous: he hath cut asunder the cords of the wicked.

1 “From the time I was young, people have attacked me …” 

(Israel should repeat this.) 

2 “From the time I was young, people have attacked me, 

but they have never overpowered me. 

3 They have plowed my back ⸤like farmers plow fields⸥. 

They made long slashes ⸤like furrows⸥.” 

4 The Lord is righteous. 

He has cut me loose 

from the ropes that wicked people tied around me. 

1 Since my youth they have often attacked me—

let Israel say—

2 Since my youth they have often attacked me,

but they have not prevailed against me.

3 Plowmen plowed over my back;

they made their furrows long.

4 The Lord is righteous;

He has cut the ropes of the wicked.

1 “Often have they attacked me from my youth”

—let Israel now say—

2 “often have they attacked me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 The plowers plowed on my back;

they made their furrows long.”

4 The Lord is righteous;

he has cut the cords of the wicked.

1 “Too often they have attacked me from my youth.”

Let Israel say,

2 “Too often they have attacked me from my youth,

yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 On my back plowmen have plowed.

They have made their furrows long.”

4 Yahweh is righteous.

He has cut the ropes of the wicked.

1 Here is what Israel should say.

Many times my enemies have beaten me down ever since I was a young nation.

2 Many times my enemies have beaten me down ever since I was a young nation,

but they haven’t won the battle.

3 They have made deep wounds in my back.

It looks like a field a farmer has plowed.

4 The Lord does what is right.

Sinners had tied me up with ropes. But the Lord has set me free.

1 “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up,”

Let Israel now say,

2 “Many times they have persecuted me from my youth up;

Yet they have not prevailed against me.

3 “The plowers plowed upon my back;

They lengthened their furrows.”

4 The Lord is righteous;

He has cut in two the cords of the wicked.