< 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 the afflicted, when he fainteth, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. O LORD, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto Thee.
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.
Hide not Thy face from me in the day of my distress; incline Thine ear unto me; in the day when I call answer me speedily.
3 For my days have been consumed in smoke, And my bones have burned as a firebrand.
For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a hearth.
4 Struck as the herb, and withered, is my heart, For I have forgotten to eat my bread.
My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; for I forget to eat my bread.
5 From the voice of my sighing My bone has cleaved to my flesh.
By reason of the voice of my sighing my bones cleave to my flesh.
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 pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places.
7 I have watched, and I am As a bird alone on the roof.
I watch, and am become like a sparrow that is alone upon the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies reproached me, Those mad at me have sworn against me.
Mine enemies taunt me all the day; they that are mad against me do curse by me.
9 Because I have eaten ashes as bread, And have mingled my drink with weeping,
For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
10 From Your indignation and Your wrath, For You have lifted me up, And cast me down.
Because of Thine indignation and Thy wrath; for Thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.
11 My days [are] stretched out as a shadow, And I am withered as the herb.
My days are like a lengthening shadow; and I am withered like grass.
12 And You, O YHWH, abide for all time, And Your memorial from generation to generation.
But Thou, O LORD, sittest enthroned for ever; and Thy name is unto all generations.
13 You rise—You pity Zion, For the time to favor her, For the appointed time has come.
Thou wilt arise, and have compassion upon Zion; for it is time to be gracious unto her, for the appointed time is come.
14 For Your servants have been pleased with her stones, And they favor her dust.
For Thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and love 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 Thy glory;
16 For YHWH has built Zion, He has been seen in His glory,
When the LORD hath built up Zion, when He hath appeared in His glory;
17 He turned to the prayer of the destitute, And He has not despised their prayer.
When He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, and hath not despised their prayer.
18 This is written for a later generation, And the people created praise YAH.
This shall be written for the generation to come; and a people which shall be created shall 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 hath looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;
20 To hear the groan of the prisoner, To loose sons of death,
To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
21 To declare in Zion the Name of YHWH, And His praise in Jerusalem,
That men may tell of the name of the LORD in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem;
22 In the peoples being gathered together, And the kingdoms—to serve YHWH.
When the peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.
23 He has humbled my power in the way, He has shortened my days.
He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened 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, take me not away in the midst of my days, Thou whose years endure throughout all generations.
25 You founded the earth before time, And the heavens [are] the work of Your hands.
Of old Thou didst lay the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the work of Thy 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 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 pass away;
27 And You [are] the same, and Your years are not finished.
But Thou art the selfsame, and Thy years shall have no end.
28 The sons of Your servants continue, And their seed is established before You!
The children of Thy servants shall dwell securely, and their seed shall be established before Thee.'