Psalms 102
1 Yahweh, listen to what I am praying; hear me while I cry out to you!
A PRAYER OF THE AFFLICTED WHEN HE IS FEEBLE, AND POURS OUT HIS COMPLAINT BEFORE YHWH. O YHWH, hear my prayer, indeed, my cry comes to You.
2 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!
Do not hide Your face from me, In a day of my adversity, Incline Your ear to me, In the day I call, hurry, answer me.
3 My life is ending, like smoke that disappears [SIM]; I have [a high fever which] burns my body like a fire burns [SIM].
For my days have been consumed in smoke, And my bones have burned as a firebrand.
4 [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.
Struck as the herb, and withered, is my heart, For I have forgotten to eat my bread.
5 I groan loudly, and my bones can be seen under my skin [because I have become very thin].
From the voice of my sighing My bone has cleaved to my flesh.
6 I am like a [lonely and despised] vulture in the desert, like an owl by itself in the abandoned ruins [of a building/city].
I have been like to a pelican of the wilderness, I have been as an owl of the dry places.
7 I lie awake [at night]; [because there is no one to comfort me], I am like a lonely bird [sitting] on a housetop [SIM].
I have watched, and I am As a bird alone on the roof.
8 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.
All the day my enemies reproached me, Those mad at me have sworn against me.
9 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!
Because I have eaten ashes as bread, And have mingled my drink with weeping,
From Your indignation and Your wrath, For You have lifted me up, And cast me down.
11 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].
My days [are] stretched out as a shadow, And I am withered as the herb.
12 But Yahweh, you are our king who rules [MTY] forever; people who are not yet born will remember you.
And You, O YHWH, abide for all time, And Your memorial from generation to generation.
13 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.
You rise—You pity Zion, For the time to favor her, For the appointed time has come.
14 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.
For Your servants have been pleased with her stones, And they favor her dust.
15 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.
And nations fear the Name of YHWH, And all kings of the earth Your glory,
16 You will rebuild Jerusalem, and you will appear there with your glory/brightness.
For YHWH has built Zion, He has been seen in His glory,
17 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.
He turned to the prayer of the destitute, And He has not despised their prayer.
18 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.
This is written for a later generation, And the people created praise YAH.
19 They will know that you looked down from your holy/sacred place in heaven [DOU] and saw [what was happening on] the earth.
For He has looked From the high place of His sanctuary. YHWH looked attentively from the heavens to earth,
20 They will know that you hear prisoners groaning and that you will set free those who have been told, “You will be executed.”
To hear the groan of the prisoner, To loose sons of death,
21 As a result, people in Jerusalem will praise you [DOU] for what you [have done]
To declare in Zion the Name of YHWH, And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 when many people [from other people-groups] and [those who are citizens of other] kingdoms gather to worship you.
In the peoples being gathered together, And the kingdoms—to serve YHWH.
23 [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).
He has humbled my power in the way, He has shortened my days.
24 I say to you, “My God, do not cause me to die now, before I become old! You live forever!
I say, “My God, do not take me up in the midst of my days,” Your years [are] through all generations.
25 You created the world long ago, and you made (the heavens/everything in the sky) with your own hands.
You founded the earth before time, And the heavens [are] the work of Your hands.
26 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,
They perish, and You remain, And all of them become old as a garment, You change them as clothing, And they are changed.
27 but you are [not like the things that you created], [because you are] always the same; you never die.
And You [are] the same, and Your years are not finished.
28 [Some day] our children will live safely [in Jerusalem], and their descendants will be protected in your presence.”
The sons of Your servants continue, And their seed is established before You!
