Psalms 102
1 A Prayer for the Poor; when he is deeply afflicted, and pours out his supplication before the Lord. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to thee.
“A prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out before the Lord his complaint.” O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.
2 Turn not away thy face from me: in the day [when] I am afflicted, incline thine ear to me: in the day [when] I shall call upon thee, speedily hear me.
Hide not thy face from me on the day when I am distressed; incline unto me thy ear; on the day when I call, answer me speedily.
3 For my days have vanished like smoke, and my bones have been parched like a stick.
For my days vanish in smoke, and my bones are burning like a hearth.
4 I am blighted like grass, and my heart is dried up; for I have forgotten to eat my bread.
Struck [by heat] like the herb and dried up is my heart; for I forget to eat my bread.
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bone has cleaved to my flesh.
Because of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my flesh.
6 I have become like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like the pelican of the wilderness: I am become like the owl amid ruins.
7 I have become like an owl in a ruined house. I have watched, and am become as a sparrow dwelling alone on a roof.
I watch, and I am become like a [night-]bird sitting alone upon the housetop.
8 All the day long mine enemies have reproached me; and they that praised me have sworn against me.
All the day my enemies reproach me: they that mock me swear by me.
9 For I have eaten ashes as it were bread, and mingled my drink with weeping;
For ashes do I eat like bread, and my drink I mingle with weeping;
10 because of thine anger and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and dashed me down.
Because of thy indignation and thy wrath; for thou hadst lifted me up, and hast cast me down.
11 My days have declined like a shadow; and I am withered like grass.
My days are like a shadow that declineth; and like the herb I wither.
12 But thou, Lord, endurest for ever, and thy memorial to generation and generation.
But thou, O Lord, wilt sit enthroned for ever; and thy memorial is unto all generations.
13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion: for [it is] time to have mercy upon her, for the set time is come.
Thou wilt indeed arise; thou wilt have mercy upon Zion; for it is time to favor her, for the appointed time is coming.
14 For thy servants have taken pleasure in her stones, and they shall pity her dust.
For thy servants hold dear her stones, and her very dust they cherish.
15 So the nations shall fear thy name, O Lord, and all kings thy glory.
Then shall nations fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory:
16 For the Lord shall build up Sion, and shall appear in his glory.
When the Lord shalt have built up Zion, he appeareth in his glory;
17 He has had regard to the prayer of the lowly, and has not despised their petition.
[When] he hath regarded the prayer of the forsaken, and doth not despise their prayer.
18 Let this be written for another generation; and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord.
This shall be written down for the latest generation; and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.
19 For he has looked out from the height of his sanctuary; the Lord looked upon the earth from heaven;
For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; the Lord hath cast from heaven his view to the earth:
20 to hear the groaning of the fettered ones, to loosen the sons of the slain;
To hear the sighing of the prisoner; to loosen those that are doomed to death:
21 to proclaim the name of the Lord in Sion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
That men may proclaim in Zion the name of the Lord, and his praise in Jerusalem;
22 when the people are gathered together, and the kings, to serve the Lord.
When people are gathered together, and kingdoms, to serve the Lord.—
23 He answered him in the way of his strength: tell me the fewness of my days.
He hath weakened on the way my strength; he hath shortened my days.
24 Take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years [are] through all generations.
I will say, O my God! take me not away in the midst of my days: throughout all generations are thy years.
25 In the beginning thou, O Lord, didst lay the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.
In olden times didst thou lay the foundations of the earth; and the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou remainest: and [they all] shall wax old as a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them, and they shall be changed.
These will indeed perish, but thou wilt ever exist: yea, all of them will wear out like a garment; as a vesture wilt thou change them, and they will be changed;
27 But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.
But thou art ever the same, and thy years will have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall dwell [securely], and their seed shall prosper for ever.
The children of thy servants will dwell [securely], and their seed will be firmly established before thee.
