תְהִלִּים 102

1 תְּ֭פִלָּה לְעָנִ֣י כִֽי־יַעֲטֹ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ שִׂיחֹֽו׃ יְ֭הוָה שִׁמְעָ֣ה תְפִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝שַׁוְעָתִ֗י אֵלֶ֥יךָ תָבֹֽוא׃

Yahweh, listen to what I am praying; hear me while I cry out to you!

2 אַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ בְּיֹ֪ום צַ֫ר לִ֥י הַטֵּֽה־אֵלַ֥י אָזְנֶ֑ךָ בְּיֹ֥ום אֶ֝קְרָ֗א מַהֵ֥ר עֲנֵֽנִי׃

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 כִּֽי־כָל֣וּ בְעָשָׁ֣ן יָמָ֑י וְ֝עַצְמֹותַ֗י כְּמֹו־קֵ֥ד נִחָֽרוּ׃

My life is ending, like smoke that disappears [SIM]; I have [a high fever which] burns my body like a fire burns [SIM].

4 הוּכָּֽה־כָ֭עֵשֶׂב וַיִּבַ֣שׁ לִבִּ֑י כִּֽי־שָׁ֝כַ֗חְתִּי מֵאֲכֹ֥ל לַחְמִֽי׃

[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 מִקֹּ֥ול אַנְחָתִ֑י דָּבְקָ֥ה עַ֝צְמִ֗י לִבְשָׂרִֽי׃

I groan loudly, and my bones can be seen under my skin [because I have become very thin].

6 דָּ֭מִיתִי לִקְאַ֣ת מִדְבָּ֑ר הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כְּכֹ֣וס חֳרָבֹֽות׃

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 שָׁקַ֥דְתִּי וָאֶֽהְיֶ֑ה כְּ֝צִפֹּ֗ור בֹּודֵ֥ד עַל־גָּֽג׃

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 כָּל־הַ֭יֹּום חֵרְפ֣וּנִי אֹויְבָ֑י מְ֝הֹולָלַ֗י בִּ֣י נִשְׁבָּֽעוּ׃

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 כִּי־אֵ֭פֶר כַּלֶּ֣חֶם אָכָ֑לְתִּי וְ֝שִׁקֻּוַ֗י בִּבְכִ֥י מָסָֽכְתִּי׃

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 מִפְּנֵֽי־זַֽעַמְךָ֥ וְקִצְפֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֥י נְ֝שָׂאתַ֗נִי וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵֽנִי׃

11 יָ֭מַי כְּצֵ֣ל נָט֑וּי וַ֝אֲנִ֗י כָּעֵ֥שֶׂב אִיבָֽשׁ׃

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 וְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לְעֹולָ֣ם תֵּשֵׁ֑ב וְ֝זִכְרְךָ֗ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃

But Yahweh, you are our king who rules [MTY] forever; people who are not yet born will remember you.

13 אַתָּ֣ה תָ֭קוּם תְּרַחֵ֣ם צִיֹּ֑ון כִּי־עֵ֥ת לְ֝חֶֽנְנָ֗הּ כִּי־בָ֥א מֹועֵֽד׃

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 כִּֽי־רָצ֣וּ עֲ֭בָדֶיךָ אֶת־אֲבָנֶ֑יהָ וְֽאֶת־עֲפָרָ֥הּ יְחֹנֵֽנוּ׃

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 וְיִֽירְא֣וּ גֹ֭ויִם אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וְֽכָל־מַלְכֵ֥י הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ אֶת־כְּבֹודֶֽךָ׃

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 כִּֽי־בָנָ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה צִיֹּ֑ון נִ֝רְאָ֗ה בִּכְבֹודֹֽו׃

You will rebuild Jerusalem, and you will appear there with your glory/brightness.

17 פָּ֭נָה אֶל־תְּפִלַּ֣ת הָעַרְעָ֑ר וְלֹֽא־בָ֝זָ֗ה אֶת־תְּפִלָּתָֽם׃

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 תִּכָּ֣תֶב זֹ֭את לְדֹ֣ור אַחֲרֹ֑ון וְעַ֥ם נִ֝בְרָ֗א יְהַלֶּל־יָֽהּ׃

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 כִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁקִיף מִמְּרֹ֣ום קָדְשֹׁ֑ו יְ֝הוָ֗ה מִשָּׁמַ֤יִם ׀ אֶל־אֶ֬רֶץ הִבִּֽיט׃

They will know that you looked down from your holy/sacred place in heaven [DOU] and saw [what was happening on] the earth.

20 לִ֭שְׁמֹעַ אֶנְקַ֣ת אָסִ֑יר לְ֝פַתֵּ֗חַ בְּנֵ֣י תְמוּתָֽה׃

They will know that you hear prisoners groaning and that you will set free those who have been told, “You will be executed.”

21 לְסַפֵּ֣ר בְּ֭צִיֹּון שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וּ֝תְהִלָּתֹ֗ו בִּירוּשָׁלָֽ͏ִם׃

As a result, people in Jerusalem will praise you [DOU] for what you [have done]

22 בְּהִקָּבֵ֣ץ עַמִּ֣ים יַחְדָּ֑ו וּ֝מַמְלָכֹ֗ות לַעֲבֹ֥ד אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

when many people [from other people-groups] and [those who are citizens of other] kingdoms gather to worship you.

23 עִנָּ֖ה בַדֶּ֥רֶךְ כֹּחֹו (כֹּחִ֗י) קִצַּ֥ר יָמָֽי׃

[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 אֹמַ֗ר אֵלִ֗י אַֽל־תַּ֭עֲלֵנִי בַּחֲצִ֣י יָמָ֑י בְּדֹ֖ור דֹּורִ֣ים שְׁנֹותֶֽיךָ׃

I say to you, “My God, do not cause me to die now, before I become old! You live forever!

25 לְ֭פָנִים הָאָ֣רֶץ יָסַ֑דְתָּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדֶ֣יךָ שָׁמָֽיִם׃

You created the world long ago, and you made (the heavens/everything in the sky) with your own hands.

26 הֵ֤מָּה ׀ יֹאבֵדוּ֮ וְאַתָּ֪ה תַ֫עֲמֹ֥ד וְ֭כֻלָּם כַּבֶּ֣גֶד יִבְל֑וּ כַּלְּב֖וּשׁ תַּחֲלִיפֵ֣ם וֽ͏ְיַחֲלֹֽפוּ׃

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 וְאַתָּה־ה֑וּא וּ֝שְׁנֹותֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִתָּֽמּוּ׃

but you are [not like the things that you created], [because you are] always the same; you never die.

28 בְּנֵֽי־עֲבָדֶ֥יךָ יִשְׁכֹּ֑ונוּ וְ֝זַרְעָ֗ם לְפָנֶ֥יךָ יִכֹּֽון׃

[Some day] our children will live safely [in Jerusalem], and their descendants will be protected in your presence.”