Psalms 102
1 A Prayer of the afflicted when he is feeble, and before Jehovah poureth out his plaint. O Jehovah, hear my prayer, yea, my cry to Thee cometh.
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 Hide not Thou Thy face from me, In a day of mine adversity, Incline unto me Thine ear, In the day I call, haste, 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 consumed in smoke have been my days, And my bones as a fire-brand have burned.
For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.
4 Smitten 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 Hath my bone 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 mine 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 ashes as bread I have eaten, And my drink with weeping have mingled,
For I have eaten ashes like bread and mixed my drink with tears
10 From Thine indignation and Thy wrath, For Thou hast lifted me up, And dost cast me down.
because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside.
11 My days as a shadow [are] stretched out, And I — as the herb I am withered.
My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.
12 And Thou, O Jehovah, to the age abidest, And Thy memorial to all generations.
But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.
13 Thou — Thou risest — Thou pitiest Zion, For the time to favour her, For the appointed time hath 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 Thy servants have been pleased with her stones, And her dust they favour.
For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.
15 And nations fear the name of Jehovah, And all kings of the earth Thine honour,
So the nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.
16 For Jehovah hath builded Zion, He hath been seen in His honour,
For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.
17 He turned unto the prayer of the destitute, And He hath 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 do praise Jah.
Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.
19 For He hath looked From the high place of His sanctuary. Jehovah from heaven unto earth looked attentively,
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 Jehovah, 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 Jehovah.
when peoples and kingdoms assemble to serve the LORD.
23 He hath humbled in the way my power, He hath shortened my days.
He has broken my strength on the way; He has cut short my days.
24 I say, 'My God, take me not up in the midst of my days,' Through all generations [are] Thine years.
I say: “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days! Your years go on through all generations.
25 Beforetime the earth Thou didst found, And the work of Thy hands [are] the heavens.
In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They — They perish, and Thou remainest, And all of them as a garment become old, As clothing Thou changest them, 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 Thou [art] the same, and Thine years are not finished.
But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.
28 The sons of Thy servants do continue, And their seed before Thee is established!
The children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their descendants will be established before You.”
