Psalm 102

Prayer of an Afflicted Man for Mercy on Himself and on Zion.

¹Hear my prayer, Lord !

And let my cry for help come to You.

²Do not hide Your face from me on the day of my distress;

Incline Your ear to me;

On the day when I call answer me quickly.

³For my days have ended in smoke,

And my bones have been scorched like a hearth.

⁴My heart has been struck like grass and has withered,[#102:4 Lit herbage]

Indeed, I forget to eat my bread.

⁵Because of the loudness of my groaning[#102:5 Lit voice]

My bones cling to my flesh.

⁶I resemble a pelican of the wilderness;

I have become like an owl of the ruins.

⁷I lie awake,

I have become like a solitary bird on a housetop.

⁸¶My enemies have taunted me all day long;

Those who deride me have used my name as a curse.

⁹For I have eaten ashes like bread,

And mixed my drink with weeping

¹⁰Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;

For You have lifted me up and thrown me away.

¹¹My days are like a lengthened shadow,[#102:11 Lit stretched out]

And I wither away like grass.

¹²¶But You, Lord , remain forever,[#102:12 Or sit enthroned]

And Your name remains to all generations.

¹³You will arise and have compassion on Zion;

For it is time to be gracious to her,

For the appointed time has come.

¹⁴Surely Your servants take pleasure in her stones,[#102:14 Or have found]

And feel pity for her dust.

¹⁵So the nations will fear the name of the Lord ,[#102:15 Or And; #102:15 Or Gentiles, heathen]

And all the kings of the earth, Your glory.

¹⁶For the Lord has built up Zion;

He has appeared in His glory.

¹⁷He has turned His attention to the prayer of the destitute[#102:17 Or naked]

And has not despised their prayer.

¹⁸¶This will be written for the generation to come,[#102:18 Or Let this be written]

That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord :

¹⁹For He looked down from His holy height;

From heaven the Lord looked upon the earth,

²⁰To hear the groaning of the prisoner,

To set free those who were doomed to death,

²¹So that people may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion,

And His praise in Jerusalem,

²²When the peoples are gathered together,

And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord .

²³¶He has broken my strength in the way;

He has shortened my days.

²⁴I say, “My God, do not take me away in the middle of my days,

Your years are throughout all generations.

²⁵“In time of old You founded the earth,

And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

²⁶“Even they will perish, but You endure;[#102:26 Lit They themselves]

All of them will wear out like a garment;

Like clothing You will change them and they will pass away.

²⁷“But You are the same,[#102:27 Lit He]

And Your years will not come to an end.

²⁸“The children of Your servants will continue,

And their descendants will be established before You.”