I will say to God, Do not condemn me; show me why You contend with me.

Oh, that I were as in months past, as in the days when God watched over me;

when His lamp shone upon my head, and when by His light I walked through darkness;

And He said, I will hide My face from them, I will see what their end will be, for they are a perverse generation, children in whom is no faithfulness.

Why do You stand afar off, O Jehovah? Will You hide in times of distress?

i1 [To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.] i0 par How long will You forget me, O Jehovah? Forever? How long will You hide Your face from me?

Why do You hide Your face, and forget our affliction and distress?

I call to remembrance my song in the night; I meditate within my heart, and my spirit makes diligent search.

Has His mercy come to an end forever? Has His Word failed from generation to generation?

Jehovah, why do You cast off my soul? Why do You hide Your face from me?

And I will wait on Jehovah, who hides His face from the house of Jacob; and I will watch for Him.

He tears me in His wrath, and hates me; He gnashes at me with His teeth; my adversary sharpens His eyes at me.

He has also kindled His wrath against me, and He counts me as one of His enemies.

But You have changed to be cruel to me; with the strength of Your hand You oppose me.

Oh, that I had one to hear me! Behold, my desire is that the Almighty would answer me, that the man complaining had written an indictment!

Yet He finds opposition in me, He counts me as His enemy;

Then Samuel said: Why then do you ask me, seeing Jehovah has departed from you and is your enemy?

The Lord was like an enemy; He has swallowed up Israel; He has swallowed up all her palaces, and destroyed His strongholds. And He has increased mourning and lamentation in the daughter of Judah.

Yet do not count him as an enemy, but admonish him as a brother.