< 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 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 Turn not away your face from me: in the day [when] I am afflicted, incline your ear to me: in the day [when] I shall call upon you, speedily hear me.
Do not hide Your face from me in my day of distress. Incline Your ear to me; answer me quickly when I call.
3 For my days have vanished like smoke, and my bones have been parched like a stick.
For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.
4 I am blighted like grass, and my heart is dried up; for I have forgotten to eat my bread.
My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread.
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bone has cleaved to my flesh.
Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones.
6 I have become like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the 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 lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.
8 All the day long mine enemies have reproached me; and they that praised me have sworn against me.
All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.
9 For I have eaten ashes as it were bread, and mingled my drink with weeping;
For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears
10 because of your anger and your wrath: for you have lifted me up, and dashed me down.
because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside.
11 My days have declined like a shadow; and I am withered like grass.
My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.
12 But you, Lord, endure for ever, and your memorial to generation and generation.
But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.
13 You shall arise, and have mercy upon Sion: for [it is] time to have mercy upon her, for the set time is come.
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 have taken pleasure in her stones, and they shall pity her dust.
For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.
15 So the nations shall fear your name, O Lord, and all kings your glory.
So the nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.
16 For the Lord shall build up Sion, and shall appear in his glory.
For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.
17 He has had regard to the prayer of the lowly, and has not despised their petition.
He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.
18 Let this be written for another generation; and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord.
Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may 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 looked down from the heights of His sanctuary; the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth
20 to hear the groaning of the fettered ones, to loosen the sons of the slain;
to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,
21 to proclaim the name of the Lord in Sion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
that they may proclaim the name of the LORD in Zion and praise Him in Jerusalem,
22 when the people are gathered together, and the kings, to serve the Lord.
when peoples and kingdoms assemble to serve the LORD.
23 He answered him in the way of his strength: tell me the fewness of my days.
He has broken my strength on the way; He has cut short my days.
24 Take me not away in the midst of my days: your years [are] 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 beginning you, O Lord, did lay the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of your hands.
In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They shall perish, but you remain: and [they all] shall wax old as a garment; and as a vesture shall you fold them, and they shall 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 same, and your years shall not fail.
But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.
28 The children of your servants shall dwell [securely], and their seed shall prosper for ever.
The children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their descendants will be established before You.”

< Psalms 102 >