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 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.
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.
Do not hide Your face from me in my day of distress. Incline Your ear to me; answer me quickly when I call.
3 My days are wasted like smoke, and my bones are burned up as in a fire.
For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is broken; it has become dry and dead like grass, so that I give no thought to food.
My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the voice of my sorrow, my flesh is wasted to the bone.
Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones.
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 desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
7 I keep watch like a bird by itself on the house-top.
I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.
8 My haters say evil of me all day; those who are violent against me make use of my name as a curse.
All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.
9 I have had dust for bread and my drink has been mixed with weeping:
For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears
10 Because of your passion and your wrath, for I have been lifted up and then made low by you.
because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside.
11 My days are like a shade which is stretched out; I am dry like the grass.
My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.
12 But you, O Lord, are eternal; and your name will never come to an end.
But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.
13 You will again get up and have mercy on Zion: for the time has come for her to be comforted.
You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor— the appointed time has come.
14 For your servants take pleasure in her stones, looking with love on her dust.
For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on 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 will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.
16 When the Lord has put up the walls of Zion, and has been been in his glory;
For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has 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 will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise 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.
Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.
19 For from his holy place the Lord has seen, looking down on the earth from heaven;
For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary; the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth
20 Hearing the cry of the prisoner, making free those for whom death is ordered;
to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,
21 So that they may give out the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
that they may proclaim the name of the LORD in Zion and praise Him in Jerusalem,
22 When the peoples are come together, and the kingdoms, to give worship to the Lord.
when peoples and kingdoms assemble to serve the LORD.
23 He has taken my strength from me in the way; he has made short my days.
He has broken my strength on the way; He has cut short my days.
24 I will say, O my God, take me not away before my time; your years go on through all generations:
I say: “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days! Your years go on through all generations.
25 In the past you put the earth on its base, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your 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 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.
27 But you are the unchanging One, and your years will have no end.
But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants will have a safe resting-place, and their seed will be ever before you.
The children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their descendants will be established before You.”
