< 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.
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 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 your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me: 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 pass away like smoke: my bones are burned through as with fire.
4 My heart is broken; it has become dry and dead like grass, so that I give no thought to food.
My heart is scorched, withered like grass; I forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the voice of my sorrow, my flesh is wasted to the bone.
By reason of 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.
Like a desert-owl of the wilderness, like an owl among ruins am I.
7 I keep watch like a bird by itself on the house-top.
I make my sleepless lament like a bird on the house-top alone.
8 My haters say evil of me all day; those who are violent against me make use of my name as a curse.
All the day wild foes revile me, using my name for a curse.
9 I have had dust for bread and my drink has been mixed with weeping:
For ashes have been my bread, and tears have been mixed with my cup.
10 Because of your passion and your wrath, for I have been lifted up and then made low by you.
Because of your passionate anger, you did raise me, then hurl me to the ground.
11 My days are like a shade which is stretched out; I am dry like the grass.
My days come to an end, shadows lengthen, I wither like grass.
12 But you, O Lord, are eternal; and your name will never come to an end.
But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever, your fame 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 arise and have pity on Zion; it’s time to be gracious; her hour has come.
14 For your servants take pleasure in her stones, looking with love 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 give honour to the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will be in fear of his glory:
Then the nations will revere the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth his glory,
16 When the Lord has put up the walls of Zion, and has been been in his glory;
when the Lord shall have built up Zion, and revealed himself in his glory,
17 When he has given ear to the prayer of the poor, and has not put his request on one side.
in response to the prayer of the destitute, whose prayer he will not despise.
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 recorded for ages to come, that the Lord may be praised by a people yet unborn.
19 For from his holy place the Lord has seen, looking down on the earth from heaven;
For he shall look down from his holy height, from the heavens the Lord will gaze on the earth,
20 Hearing the cry of the prisoner, making free those for whom death is ordered;
to hear the groans of the prisoner, to free those who are doomed to die;
21 So that they may give out the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
that people may recount the Lord’s fame in Zion, and the praise of him in Jerusalem,
22 When the peoples are come together, and the kingdoms, to give worship to the Lord.
when the nations are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to worship 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 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 will say, “My God, take me not hence in the midst of my days. “Your years endure age after age.
25 In the past you put the earth on its base, 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 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 you do stand. They shall all wax old like a garment, and change as a robe you will change them.
27 But you are the unchanging One, and your years will have no end.
But you are the same, your years are endless.
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 abide, evermore shall their seed be before you.”

< Psalms 102 >