Psalms 102

1 A prayer of one who is afflicted, when he grows faint and pours out his lament before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry for help come before You.

2 Do not hide Your face from me in my day of distress. Incline Your ear to me; answer me quickly when I call.

3 For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like glowing embers.

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

5 Through my loud groaning my skin hangs on my bones.

6 I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.

7 I lie awake; I am like a lone bird on a housetop.

8 All day long my enemies taunt me; they ridicule me and curse me.

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

10 because of Your indignation and wrath, for You have picked me up and cast me aside.

11 My days are like lengthening shadows, and I wither away like grass.

12 But You, O LORD, sit enthroned forever; Your renown endures to all generations.

13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show her favor—the appointed time has come.

14 For Your servants delight in her stones and take pity on her dust.

15 So the nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear Your glory.

16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion; He has appeared in His glory.

17 He will turn toward the prayer of the destitute; He will not despise their prayer.

18 Let this be written for the generation to come, so that a people not yet created may praise the LORD.

19 For He looked down from the heights of His sanctuary; the LORD gazed out from heaven to earth

20 to hear a prisoner’s groaning, to release those condemned to death,

21 that they may proclaim the name of the LORD in Zion and praise Him in Jerusalem,

22 when peoples and kingdoms assemble to serve the LORD.

23 He has broken my strength on the way; He has cut short my days.

24 I say: “O my God, do not take me in the midst of my days! Your years go on through all generations.

25 In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.

26 They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will be passed on.

27 But You remain the same, and Your years will never end.

28 The children of Your servants will dwell securely, and their descendants will be established before You.”

1 ¶ A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.

2 Hide not thy face from me in the day [when] I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day [when] I call answer me speedily.

3 For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.

4 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.

5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.

6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

7 I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; [and] they that are mad against me are sworn against me.

9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,

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

11 My days [are] like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

12 ¶ But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

13 Thou shalt arise, [and] have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.

15 So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

16 When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

18 This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;

20 To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

21 To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

22 When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

23 ¶ He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.

24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years [are] throughout all generations.

25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens [are] the work of thy hands.

26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

27 But thou [art] the same, and thy years shall have no end.

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

1 A prayer of the wretched, when he is distressed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord.

2 O Lord, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.

3 Hide not thy face from me in trouble: incline thine ear unto me: when I call upon thee, hear me quickly.

4 For my days are passed away like smoke, and my bones are burned up like a fire.

5 My heart is smitten, and withered like grass, that I also forget to eat my bread.

6 my bones cling to my flesh with weeping and groaning.

7 I am like a bittern in the wilderness; I am like an owl in the disturbed places.

8 I wake up and I am like a lonely bird on the roof.

9 Mine enemies reproach me daily; and they that mock me swear by me.

10 For I eat ashes as bread, and mix my drink with wines.

11 From thy wrath and from thy anger, because thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down to the ground.

12 My days are gone as a shadow; and I wither as grass.

13 But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever, and thy memorial for ever.

14 Arise, and have mercy on Zion: for the time is come for thee to have mercy upon her, and the hour is come.

15 For thy servants would gladly build her, and would gladly see her stones and her lime dressed;

16 That the heathen may fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory;

17 That the LORD should build Zion, and appear in his glory.

18 He turneth to the prayer of the forsaken, and spurneth not their prayer.

19 Let this be written in the generations to come: and the people that shall be created shall praise the LORD.

20 For he looketh from his holy height, and the LORD looketh from heaven to earth,

21 That he may hear the groaning of the prisoner, and loose the children of death,

22 That they might preach the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem,

23 When the nations shall come together, and the kingdoms to serve the LORD.

24 He hath humbled my strength in the way; he hath shortened my days.

25 I say: My God, do not take me away in the half of my days! Your years shall last for and for.

26 Thou hast founded the earth before, and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

27 They will pass away, but you will remain. They shall all perish like a garment; they shall be changed like a garment, when thou shalt change them.

28 But thou remainest as thou art, and thy years have no end.

29 The children of thy servants shall abide, and their seed shall flourish before thee.