Psalms 102

1 The prayer: for a weary and suffering person who pours out their grief to the Lord. Hear my prayer, O Lord; let my cry for help come to you.

A Prayer for the Poor; when he is deeply afflicted, and pours out his supplication before the Lord. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to thee.

2 Hide not your face from me in the day of my distress. Incline your ear to me: when I call, answer me speedily.

Turn not away thy face from me: in the day [when] I am afflicted, incline thine ear to me: in the day [when] I shall call upon thee, speedily hear me.

3 For my days pass away like smoke: my bones are burned through as with fire.

For my days have vanished like smoke, and my bones have been parched like a stick.

4 My heart is scorched, withered like grass; I forget to eat my bread.

I am blighted like grass, and my heart is dried up; for I have forgotten to eat my bread.

5 By reason of my loud groaning, my flesh clings to my bones.

By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bone has cleaved to my flesh.

6 Like a desert-owl of the wilderness, like an owl among ruins am I.

I have become like a pelican of the wilderness;

7 I make my sleepless lament like a bird on the house-top alone.

I have become like an owl in a ruined house. I have watched, and am become as a sparrow dwelling alone on a roof.

8 All the day wild foes revile me, using my name for a curse.

All the day long mine enemies have reproached me; and they that praised me have sworn against me.

9 For ashes have been my bread, and tears have been mixed with my cup.

For I have eaten ashes as it were bread, and mingled my drink with weeping;

10 Because of your passionate anger, you did raise me, then hurl me to the ground.

because of thine anger and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and dashed me down.

11 My days come to an end, shadows lengthen, I wither like grass.

My days have declined like a shadow; and I am withered like grass.

12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever, your fame endures to all generations.

But thou, Lord, endurest for ever, and thy memorial to generation and generation.

13 You will arise and have pity on Zion; it’s time to be gracious; her hour has come.

Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Sion: for [it is] time to have mercy upon her, for the set time is come.

14 For even her stones are dear to your servants, even the dust of her ruins they look on with love.

For thy servants have taken pleasure in her stones, and they shall pity her dust.

15 Then the nations will revere the name of the Lord and all the kings of the earth his glory,

So the nations shall fear thy name, O Lord, and all kings thy glory.

16 when the Lord shall have built up Zion, and revealed himself in his glory,

For the Lord shall build up Sion, and shall appear in his glory.

17 in response to the prayer of the destitute, whose prayer he will not despise.

He has had regard to the prayer of the lowly, and has not despised their petition.

18 Let this be recorded for ages to come, that the Lord may be praised by a people yet unborn.

Let this be written for another generation; and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord.

19 For he shall look down from his holy height, from the heavens the Lord will gaze on the earth,

For he has looked out from the height of his sanctuary; the Lord looked upon the earth from heaven;

20 to hear the groans of the prisoner, to free those who are doomed to die;

to hear the groaning of the fettered ones, to loosen the sons of the slain;

21 that people may recount the Lord’s fame in Zion, and the praise of him in Jerusalem,

to proclaim the name of the Lord in Sion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

22 when the nations are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

when the people are gathered together, and the kings, to serve the Lord.

23 He has broken my strength on the way, he has shortened my days.

He answered him in the way of his strength: tell me the fewness of my days.

24 I will say, ‘My God, take me not hence in the midst of my days. ‘Your years endure age after age.

Take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years [are] through all generations.

25 Of old you have founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

In the beginning thou, O Lord, didst lay the foundation of the earth; and the heavens are the works of thine hands.

26 They shall perish; but you do stand. They shall all wax old like a garment, and change as a robe you will change them.

They shall perish, but thou remainest: and [they all] shall wax old as a garment; and as a vesture shalt thou fold them, and they shall be changed.

27 But you are the same, your years are endless.

But thou art the same, and thy years shall not fail.

28 The children of your servants abide, evermore shall their seed be before you.’

The children of thy servants shall dwell [securely], and their seed shall prosper for ever.