Psalms 102
1 Yahweh, listen to what I am praying; hear me while I cry out to you!
“A prayer of the afflicted, when in deep distress he poureth out his complaint before the Lord.” Hear my prayer, O LORD! And let my cry come unto thee!
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!
Hide not thy face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline thine ear to me when I call! Answer me speedily!
3 My life is ending, like smoke that disappears [SIM]; I have [a high fever which] burns my body like a fire burns [SIM].
For my life is consumed like smoke, And my bones burn like a brand.
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.
My heart is smitten and withered like grass; Yea, I forget to eat my bread.
5 I groan loudly, and my bones can be seen under my skin [because I have become very thin].
By reason of my sighing, my bones cleave to my skin;
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].
I am like the pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl amid ruins.
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].
I am sleepless; I am like a solitary bird upon the house-top.
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.
All the day long my enemies reproach me; They who rage against me curse by me.
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!
For I eat ashes like bread, And mingle my drink with tears.
On account of thine indignation and thy wrath; For thou hast lifted me up and cast me down!
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].
My life is like a declining shadow, And I wither like grass.
12 But Yahweh, you are our king who rules [MTY] forever; people who are not yet born will remember you.
But thou, O LORD! endurest for ever, And thy name from generation to generation!
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.
Thou wilt arise and have pity upon Zion, For the time to favor her, yea, the set time, is come.
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.
For thy servants take pleasure in her stones; Yea, they have a regard for her dust.
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.
Then shall the nations fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 You will rebuild Jerusalem, and you will appear there with your glory/brightness.
For Jehovah will build up Zion; He will appear in his glory.
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.
He will regard the prayer of the destitute, And not despise their supplication.
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.
This shall be written for the generation to come, That the people to be born may praise Jehovah.
19 They will know that you looked down from your holy/sacred place in heaven [DOU] and saw [what was happening on] the earth.
For he looketh down from his holy height, From heaven doth he cast his eye upon 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.”
To listen to the sighs of the prisoner. To release those that are doomed to death;
21 As a result, people in Jerusalem will praise you [DOU] for what you [have done]
That they may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem,
22 when many people [from other people-groups] and [those who are citizens of other] kingdoms gather to worship you.
When the nations are assembled together, And the kingdoms to serve Jehovah.
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).
He hath weakened my strength on the way, He hath shortened my days.
24 I say to you, “My God, do not cause me to die now, before I become old! You live forever!
I say, O my God! take me not away in the midst of my days! Thy years endure through all generations.
25 You created the world long ago, and you made (the heavens/everything in the sky) with your own hands.
Of old hast thou laid the foundations of the earth, And the heavens are the work of thy 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,
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 be changed;
27 but you are [not like the things that you created], [because you are] always the same; you never die.
But thou art the same, And thy years have no end.
28 [Some day] our children will live safely [in Jerusalem], and their descendants will be protected in your presence.”
The children of thy servants shall dwell securely, And their posterity shall be established before thee.
