Psalms 102
1 A Prayer of the man who is in trouble, when he is overcome, and puts his grief before the Lord. Give ear to my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to you.
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah. Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And let my cry come unto thee.
2 Let not your face be veiled from me in the day of my trouble; give ear to me, and let my cry be answered quickly.
Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress: Incline thine ear unto me; In the day when I call answer me speedily.
3 My days are wasted like smoke, and my bones are burned up as in a fire.
For my days consume away like smoke, And my bones are burned as a firebrand.
4 My heart is broken; it has become dry and dead like grass, so that I give no thought to food.
My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; For I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the voice of my sorrow, my flesh is wasted to the bone.
By reason of the voice of my groaning My bones cleave to my flesh.
6 I am like a bird living by itself in the waste places; like the night-bird in a waste of sand.
I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places.
7 I keep watch like a bird by itself on the house-top.
I watch, and am become like a sparrow That is alone upon the house-top.
8 My haters say evil of me all day; those who are violent against me make use of my name as a curse.
Mine enemies reproach me all the day; They that are mad against me do curse by me.
9 I have had dust for bread and my drink has been mixed with weeping:
For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of your passion and your wrath, for I have been lifted up and then made low by you.
Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.
11 My days are like a shade which is stretched out; I am dry like the grass.
My days are like a shadow that declineth; And I am withered like grass.
12 But you, O Lord, are eternal; and your name will never come to an end.
But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever; And thy memorial [name] unto all generations.
13 You will again get up and have mercy on Zion: for the time has come for her to be comforted.
Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; For it is time to have pity upon her, Yea, the set time is come.
14 For your servants take pleasure in her stones, looking with love on her dust.
For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, And have pity upon her dust.
15 So the nations will give honour to the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will be in fear of his glory:
So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 When the Lord has put up the walls of Zion, and has been been in his glory;
For Jehovah hath built up Zion; He hath appeared in his glory.
17 When he has given ear to the prayer of the poor, and has not put his request on one side.
He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, And hath not despised their prayer.
18 This will be put in writing for the coming generation, and the people of the future will give praise to the Lord.
This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah.
19 For from his holy place the Lord has seen, looking down on the earth from heaven;
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;
20 Hearing the cry of the prisoner, making free those for whom death is ordered;
To hear the sighing of the prisoner; To loose those that are appointed to death;
21 So that they may give out the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the peoples are come together, and the kingdoms, to give worship to the Lord.
When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.
23 He has taken my strength from me in the way; he has made short my days.
He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.
24 I will say, O my God, take me not away before my time; your years go on through all generations:
I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: Thy years are throughout all generations.
25 In the past you put the earth on its base, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They will come to an end, but you will still go on; they all will become old like a coat, and like a robe they will be changed:
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 are the unchanging One, and your years will have no end.
But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end.
28 The children of your servants will have a safe resting-place, and their seed will be ever before you.
The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee.
