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.
HEAR my prayer, O Lord, 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 when I am in trouble; 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 are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.
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, and withered like grass; so that 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 skin.
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 like an owl of the desert.
7 I keep watch like a bird by itself on the house-top.
I watch, and am as a sparrow 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; and they that are mad against me are sworn against 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 lifted me up, and cast me down.
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 Lord, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance 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 shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour 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 favour the dust thereof.
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 heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, 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;
When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear 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 regard the prayer of the destitute, and 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.
This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
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 the Lord behold the earth;
20 Hearing the cry of the prisoner, making free those for whom death is ordered;
To hear the groaning 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;
To declare the name of the Lord 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 people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
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 hast thou laid 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.
