< Psalms 102 >
1 A PRAYER OF THE AFFLICTED WHEN HE IS FEEBLE, AND POURS OUT HIS COMPLAINT BEFORE YHWH. O YHWH, hear my prayer, indeed, my cry comes 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 Do not hide Your face from me, In a day of my adversity, Incline Your ear to me, In the day I call, hurry, answer 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 been consumed in smoke, And my bones have burned as a firebrand.
For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.
4 Struck as the herb, and withered, is my heart, For I have forgotten to eat my bread.
My heart is afflicted, and withered like grass; I even forget to eat my bread.
5 From the voice of my sighing My bone has cleaved to my flesh.
Through my loud groaning my flesh clings to my bones.
6 I have been like to a pelican of the wilderness, I have been as an owl of the dry places.
I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
7 I have watched, and I am As a bird alone on the roof.
I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.
8 All the day my enemies reproached me, Those mad at me have sworn against me.
All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.
9 Because I have eaten ashes as bread, And have mingled my drink with weeping,
For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears
10 From Your indignation and Your wrath, For You have lifted me up, And cast me down.
because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside.
11 My days [are] stretched out as a shadow, And I am withered as the herb.
My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.
12 And You, O YHWH, abide for all time, And Your memorial from generation to generation.
But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.
13 You rise—You pity Zion, For the time to favor her, For the appointed time has 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 been pleased with her stones, And they favor her dust.
For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.
15 And nations fear the Name of YHWH, And all kings of the earth 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 YHWH has built Zion, He has been seen in His glory,
For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.
17 He turned to the prayer of the destitute, And He has not despised their prayer.
He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.
18 This is written for a later generation, And the people created praise YAH.
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 From the high place of His sanctuary. YHWH looked attentively from the heavens to earth,
For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary; the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth
20 To hear the groan of the prisoner, To loose sons of death,
to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,
21 To declare in Zion the Name of YHWH, And His praise in Jerusalem,
that they may proclaim the name of the LORD in Zion and praise Him in Jerusalem,
22 In the peoples being gathered together, And the kingdoms—to serve YHWH.
when peoples and kingdoms assemble to serve the LORD.
23 He has humbled my power in the way, He has shortened my days.
He has broken my strength on the way; He has cut short my days.
24 I say, “My God, do not take me up 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 You founded the earth before time, 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 perish, and You remain, And all of them become old as a garment, You change them as clothing, And they are 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 And You [are] the same, and Your years are not finished.
But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.
28 The sons of Your servants continue, And their seed is established before You!
The children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their descendants will be established before You.”