Psalms 102

1 A Prayer for the Humbled One when he is about to faint, and, before Yahweh, poureth out his grief. O Yahweh, hear thou my prayer, and let, my cry for help, unto thee, enter in.

[A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before YHWH.] Hear my prayer, YHWH. Let my cry come to you.

2 Do not hide thy face from me, In the day when I am in distress, —Bend down unto me thine ear, In the day when I call, speedily answer me.

Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress. Turn your ear to me. Answer me quickly in the day when I call.

3 For, consumed in smoke, are my days, And, my bones, like a burning mass, are scorched through;

For my days consume away like smoke. My bones are burned like a hearth.

4 Smitten like herbage, so is my heart dried up, For I have forgotten to eat my food.

My heart is blighted like grass, and withered, for I forget to eat my bread.

5 At the noise of my groaning, my bone, hath cleaved, to my flesh:

By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones stick to my skin.

6 I am like the pelican of the desert, I have become as an owl among ruins.

I am like a pelican of the wilderness. I have become as an owl of the waste places.

7 I have watched and am become, Like a bird sitting alone upon a housetop.

I watch, and have become like a sparrow that is alone on the housetop.

8 All the day, have mine enemies, reproached me, And, they who are mad against me, by me, have sworn.

My enemies reproach me all day. Those who are mad at me use my name as a curse.

9 For, ashes—like bread, have I eaten, And, my drink—with my tears, have I mingled;

For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mixed my drink with tears,

10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath, For thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

Because of your indignation and your wrath, for you have taken me up, and thrown me away.

11 My days, are like a shadow extended, And, I, as green herbage, do wither.

My days are like a long shadow. I have withered like grass.

12 But, thou, O Yahweh, age-abidingly wilt remain, And the memorial of thee, to generation after generation.

But you, YHWH, will abide forever; your renown endures to all generations.

13 Thou, wilt arise, wilt have compassion upon Zion, Surely it is time to favour her, Surely the time appointed, hath come;

You will arise and have mercy on Zion; for it is time to have pity on her. Yes, the set time has come.

14 Seeing that thy servants, take pleasure, in her stones, And, her dust, they favour:

For your servants take pleasure in her stones, and have pity on her dust.

15 That the nations may revere thy Name, O Yahweh, And all the kings of the earth, thy glory.

So the nations will fear the name of YHWH; all the kings of the earth your glory.

16 When Yahweh, hath built up, Zion, Hath appeared in his glory;

For YHWH has built up Zion. He has appeared in his glory.

17 Hath turned towards the prayer of the destitute, And not despised their prayer,

He has responded to the prayer of the destitute, and has not despised their prayer.

18 This, shall be written, for a later generation, And, a people to be created, will give praise unto Yah: —

This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise JAH.

19 That he looked down, out of his holy height, Yahweh, from the heavens unto the earth, directed his gaze; —

For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary. From heaven, YHWH looked at the earth;

20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To set free, them who were appointed to death.

to hear the groans of the prisoner; to free those who are condemned to death;

21 To the end the Name of Yahweh, might be celebrated in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem:

that men may declare the name of YHWH in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

22 When the peoples, gather themselves together, And the kingdoms, to serve Yahweh.

when the peoples are gathered together, the kingdoms, to serve YHWH.

23 He hath prostrated, in the way, my strength, —He hath shortened my days.

He weakened my strength along the course. He shortened my days.

24 I said, O my GOD, do not remove me in the midst of my days, Throughout the generation of generations, are thy years;

I said, "My God, do not take me away in the midst of my days. Your years are throughout all generations.

25 Of old—the earth, thou didst found, And, the work of thy hands, are the heavens;

In the beginning, YHWH, you established the foundation of the earth. The heavens are the works of your hands.

26 They, shall perish, But, thou, wilt abide; And, they all, like a garment, shall fall in pieces, As a vesture, wilt thou change them and they shall vanish;

They will perish, but you remain; and they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed.

27 But, thou, art, the same, —And, thy years, shall have no end:

But you are the same. Your years will have no end.

28 The children of thy servants, shall continue, —And, their seed, before thee, be established.

The children of your servants will continue, and their descendants will be established before you."