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.
The prayer: for a weary and suffering person who pours out their grief to the Lord. Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you.
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 your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your 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 days pass away like smoke: my bones are burned through as with fire.
4 My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread.
My heart is scorched, withered like grass; I forget to eat my bread.
5 Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones.
By reason of my loud groaning, my flesh clings to my bones.
6 I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
Like a desert-owl of the wilderness, like an owl among ruins am I.
7 I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.
I make my sleepless lament like a bird on the house-top alone.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.
All the day wild foes revile me, using my name for a curse.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears
For ashes have been my bread, and tears have been mixed with my cup.
10 because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside.
Because of your passionate anger, you did raise me, then hurl me to the ground.
11 My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.
My days come to an end, shadows lengthen, I wither like grass.
12 But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.
But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever, your fame endures to all generations.
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor— the appointed time has come.
You will arise and have pity on Zion; it’s time to be gracious; her hour has come.
14 For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.
For even her stones are dear to your servants, even the dust of her ruins they look on with love.
15 So the nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.
Then the nations will revere the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth his glory,
16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.
when the Lord shall have built up Zion, and revealed himself in his glory,
17 He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.
in response to the prayer of the destitute, whose prayer he will not despise.
18 Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.
Let this be recorded for ages to come, that the Lord may be praised by a people yet unborn.
19 For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary; the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth
For he shall look down from his holy height, from the heavens the Lord will gaze on the earth,
20 to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,
to hear the groans of the prisoner, to free those who are doomed to die;
21 that they may proclaim the name of the LORD in Zion and praise Him in Jerusalem,
that people may recount the Lord’s fame in Zion, and the praise of him in Jerusalem,
22 when peoples and kingdoms assemble to serve the LORD.
when the nations are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to worship the Lord.
23 He has broken my strength on the way; He has cut short my days.
He has broken my strength on the way, he has 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 will say, ‘My God, take me not hence in the midst of my days. ‘Your years endure age after age.
25 In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
Of old you have founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your 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 you do stand. They shall all wax old like a garment, and change as a robe you will change them.
27 But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.
But you are the same, your years are endless.
28 The children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their descendants will be established before You.”
The children of your servants abide, evermore shall their seed be before you.’
