Psalms 102
1 A prayer of one who is afflicted, when he grows faint and pours out his lament before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come before You.
“A prayer of the afflicted, when in deep distress he poureth out his complaint before the Lord.” Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my cry come unto thee!
2 Do not hide Your face from me in my day of distress. Incline Your ear to me; answer me quickly when I call.
Hide not thy face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline thine ear to me when I call! Answer me speedily!
3 For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.
For my life is consumed like smoke, And my bones burn like a brand.
4 My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread.
My heart is smitten and withered like grass; Yea, I forget to eat my bread.
5 Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones.
By reason of my sighing, my bones cleave to my skin;
6 I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
I am like the pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl amid ruins.
7 I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.
I am sleepless; I am like a solitary bird upon the house-top.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.
All the day long my enemies reproach me; They who rage against me curse by me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears
For I eat ashes like bread, And mingle my drink with tears.
10 because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside.
On account of thine indignation and thy wrath; For thou hast lifted me up and cast me down!
11 My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.
My life is like a declining shadow, And I wither like grass.
12 But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.
But thou, O LORD! endurest for ever, And thy name from generation to generation!
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor— the appointed time has come.
Thou wilt arise and have pity upon Zion, For the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come.
14 For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.
For thy servants take pleasure in her stones; Yea, they have a regard for her dust.
15 So the nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.
Then shall the nations fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.
For Jehovah will build up Zion; He will appear in his glory.
17 He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, And not despise their supplication.
18 Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.
This shall be written for the generation to come, That the people to be born may praise Jehovah.
19 For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary; the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth
For he looketh down from his holy height, From heaven doth he cast his eye upon the earth,
20 to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,
To listen to the sighs of the prisoner. To release those that are doomed to death;
21 that they may proclaim the name of the LORD in Zion and praise Him in Jerusalem,
That they may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem,
22 when peoples and kingdoms assemble to serve the LORD.
When the nations are assembled together, And the kingdoms to serve Jehovah.
23 He has broken my strength on the way; He has cut short my days.
He hath weakened my strength on the way, He hath shortened my days.
24 I say: “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days! Your years go on through all generations.
I say, O my God! take me not away in the midst of my days! Thy years endure through all generations.
25 In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth, And the heavens are the work of thy hands;
26 They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on.
They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, And they shall be changed;
27 But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.
But thou art the same, And thy years have no end.
28 The children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their descendants will be established before You.”
The children of thy servants shall dwell securely, And their posterity shall be established before thee.
