Psalms 102
1 The prayer of the poor man, when he was anxious, and poured out his supplication before the Lord. Hear, O Lord, my prayer: and let my cry come to thee.
A Prayer of the man who is in trouble, when he is overcome, and puts his grief before the Lord. Give ear to my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to you.
2 Turn not away thy face from me: in the day when I am in trouble, incline thy ear to me. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me speedily.
Let not your face be veiled from me in the day of my trouble; give ear to me, and let my cry be answered quickly.
3 For my days are vanished like smoke: and my bones are grown dry like fuel for the fire.
My days are wasted like smoke, and my bones are burned up as in a fire.
4 I am smitten as grass, and my heart is withered: because I forgot to eat my bread.
My heart is broken; it has become dry and dead like grass, so that I give no thought to food.
5 Through the voice of my groaning, my bone hath cleaved to my flesh.
Because of the voice of my sorrow, my flesh is wasted to the bone.
6 I am become like to a pelican of the wilderness: I am like a night raven in the house.
I am like a bird living by itself in the waste places; like the night-bird in a waste of sand.
7 I have watched, and am become as a sparrow all alone on the housetop.
I keep watch like a bird by itself on the house-top.
8 All the day long my enemies reproached me: and they that praised me did swear against me.
My haters say evil of me all day; those who are violent against me make use of my name as a curse.
9 For I did eat ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.
I have had dust for bread and my drink has been mixed with weeping:
10 Because of thy anger and indignation: for having lifted me up thou hast thrown me down.
Because of your passion and your wrath, for I have been lifted up and then made low by you.
11 My days have declined like a shadow, and I am withered like grass.
My days are like a shade which is stretched out; I am dry like the grass.
12 But thou, O Lord, endurest for ever: and thy memorial to all generations.
But you, O Lord, are eternal; and your name will never come to an end.
13 Thou shalt arise and have mercy on Sion: for it is time to have mercy on it, for the time is come.
You will again get up and have mercy on Zion: for the time has come for her to be comforted.
14 For the stones thereof have pleased thy servants: and they shall have pity on the earth thereof.
For your servants take pleasure in her stones, looking with love on her dust.
15 And the Gentiles shall fear thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
So the nations will give honour to the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth will be in fear of his glory:
16 For the Lord hath built up Sion: and he shall be seen in his glory.
When the Lord has put up the walls of Zion, and has been been in his glory;
17 He hath had regard to the prayer of the humble: and he hath not despised their petition.
When he has given ear to the prayer of the poor, and has not put his request on one side.
18 Let these things be written unto another generation: and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord:
This will be put in writing for the coming generation, and the people of the future will give praise to the Lord.
19 Because he hath looked forth from his high sanctuary: from heaven the Lord hath looked upon the earth.
For from his holy place the Lord has seen, looking down on the earth from heaven;
20 That he might hear the groans of them that are in fetters: that he might release the children of the slain:
Hearing the cry of the prisoner, making free those for whom death is ordered;
21 That they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion: and his praise in Jerusalem;
So that they may give out the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the people assemble together, and kings, to serve the Lord.
When the peoples are come together, and the kingdoms, to give worship to the Lord.
23 He answered him in the way of his strength: Declare unto me the fewness of my days.
He has taken my strength from me in the way; he has made short my days.
24 Call me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are unto generation and generation.
I will say, O my God, take me not away before my time; your years go on through all generations:
25 In the beginning, O Lord, thou foundedst the earth: and the heavens are the works of thy hands.
In the past you put the earth on its base, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 They shall perish but thou remainest: and all of them shall grow old like a garment: And as a vesture thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed.
They will come to an end, but you will still go on; they all will become old like a coat, and like a robe they will be changed:
27 But thou art always the selfsame, and thy years shall not fail.
But you are the unchanging One, and your years will have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue: and their seed shall be directed for ever.
The children of your servants will have a safe resting-place, and their seed will be ever before you.
