< Psalms 102 >
1 Yahweh, listen to what I am praying; hear me while I cry out to you!
2 Do not (turn away/hide yourself) from me when I (have troubles/am distressed)! Listen to me, and answer me quickly now, when I am calling out to you!
3 My life is ending, like smoke that disappears [SIM]; I have [a high fever which] burns my body like a fire burns [SIM].
4 [I feel like] I am drying up like grass [SIM] that has been beaten/trampled down, and I no longer have a desire to eat food.
5 I groan loudly, and my bones can be seen under my skin [because I have become very thin].
6 I am like a [lonely and despised] vulture in the desert, like an owl by itself in the abandoned ruins [of a building/city].
7 I lie awake [at night]; [because there is no one to comfort me], I am like a lonely bird [sitting] on a housetop [SIM].
8 All during the day my enemies insult me; those who make fun of me mention my name [and say, “May you be like him”] when they curse people.
9 Because you are very angry [DOU] with me, now [I sit in] ashes [while I am suffering greatly]; and those ashes [fall on] the bread/food that I eat, and what I drink has my tears mixed with it. [It is as though] you have picked me up and thrown me away!
10
11 My time to remain alive is like an evening shadow [that will soon be gone] [SIM]. I am withering like grass withers [in the hot sun].
12 But Yahweh, you are our king who rules [MTY] forever; people who are not yet born will remember you.
13 You will arise and be merciful to [the people of] [MTY] Jerusalem; it is now time for you to do that; this is the time for you to be kind to them.
14 Even though (the city has been destroyed/our enemies have destroyed our city), we who serve you still love the stones that [were formerly] in the city walls; because now there is rubble everywhere, we, your people, are very sad when we see it.
15 Yahweh, [some day the people of other] nations will revere you [MTY]; all the kings on earth will see that you are very glorious/great.
16 You will rebuild Jerusalem, and you will appear there with your glory/brightness.
17 You will listen to the prayers of your people who are homeless, and you will (not ignore them/do what they request) [LIT] when they plead with you to help them.
18 Yahweh, [I want to] write these words in order that people in future years [will know what] you have done, in order that people who are not born yet will praise you.
19 They will know that you looked down from your holy/sacred place in heaven [DOU] and saw [what was happening on] the earth.
20 They will know that you hear prisoners groaning and that you will set free those who have been told, “You will be executed.”
21 As a result, people in Jerusalem will praise you [DOU] for what you [have done]
22 when many people [from other people-groups] and [those who are citizens of other] kingdoms gather to worship you.
23 [But now] you have caused me to become weak while I am still young; [I think that] I will (not live much longer/ very long/soon die).
24 I say to you, “My God, do not cause me to die now, before I become old! You live forever!
25 You created the world long ago, and you made (the heavens/everything in the sky) with your own hands.
26 The earth and the heavens/sky will disappear, but you will remain. They will wear out like clothes wear out. You will get rid of them like [people get rid of] old clothes, and they will no longer exist,
27 but you are [not like the things that you created], [because you are] always the same; you never die.
28 [Some day] our children will live safely [in Jerusalem], and their descendants will be protected in your presence.”