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 is overwhelmed, and poureth out before the Lord his complaint.” 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 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 been consumed in smoke, And my bones have burned as a firebrand.
For my days vanish in smoke, and my bones are burning like a hearth.
4 Struck as the herb, and withered, is my heart, 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 From the voice of my sighing My bone has cleaved to my flesh.
Because of the voice of my groaning 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 the pelican of the wilderness: I am become like the owl amid ruins.
7 I have watched, and I am As a bird alone on the roof.
I watch, and I am become like a [night-]bird sitting alone upon the housetop.
8 All the day my enemies reproached me, Those mad at me have sworn against me.
All the day my enemies reproach me: they that mock me swear by me.
9 Because I have eaten ashes as bread, And have mingled my drink with weeping,
For ashes do I eat like bread, and my drink I mingle with weeping;
10 From Your indignation and Your wrath, For You have lifted me up, And cast me down.
Because of thy indignation and thy wrath; for thou hadst lifted me up, and hast cast me down.
11 My days [are] stretched out as a shadow, And I am withered as the herb.
My days are like a shadow that declineth; and like the herb I wither.
12 And You, O YHWH, abide for all time, And Your memorial from generation to generation.
But thou, O Lord, wilt sit enthroned for ever; and thy memorial is unto all generations.
13 You rise—You pity Zion, For the time to favor her, For the appointed time has 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 Your servants have been pleased with her stones, And they favor her dust.
For thy servants hold dear her stones, and her very dust they cherish.
15 And nations fear the Name of YHWH, And all kings of the earth Your glory,
Then shall nations 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 shalt have built up Zion, he appeareth 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 forsaken, and doth not despise their prayer.
18 This is written for a later generation, And the people created praise YAH.
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 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; the Lord hath cast from heaven his view to the earth:
20 To hear the groan of the prisoner, To loose sons of death,
To hear the sighing of the prisoner; to loosen those that are doomed to death:
21 To declare in Zion the Name of YHWH, And His praise in Jerusalem,
That men may proclaim in Zion the name of the Lord, and his praise in Jerusalem;
22 In the peoples being gathered together, And the kingdoms—to serve YHWH.
When people are gathered together, and kingdoms, to serve the Lord.—
23 He has humbled my power in the way, He has shortened my days.
He hath weakened on the way my strength; he hath 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 will say, O my God! take me not away in the midst of my days: throughout all generations are thy years.
25 You founded the earth before time, And the heavens [are] the work of Your hands.
In olden times didst thou lay the foundations 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.
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 And You [are] the same, and Your years are not finished.
But thou art ever the same, and thy years will have no end.
28 The sons of Your servants continue, And their seed is established before You!
The children of thy servants will dwell [securely], and their seed will be firmly established before thee.
