101 The prayer of the poor man, when he was anxious, and poured out his supplication before the Lord.

² Hear, O Lord, my prayer: and let my cry come to thee.

³ 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.

⁴ For my days are vanished like smoke: and my bones are grown dry like fuel for the fire.

⁵ I am smitten as grass, and my heart is withered: because I forgot to eat my bread.

⁶ Through the voice of my groaning, my bone hath cleaved to my flesh.

⁷ I am become like to a pelican of the wilderness: I am like a night raven in the house.

⁸ I have watched, and am become as a sparrow all alone on the housetop.

⁹ All the day long my enemies reproached me: and they that praised me did swear against me.

¹⁰ For I did eat ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.

¹¹ Because of thy anger and indignation: for having lifted me up thou hast thrown me down.

¹² My days have declined like a shadow, and I am withered like grass.

¹³ But thou, O Lord, endurest for ever: and thy memorial to all generations.

¹⁴ Thou shalt arise and have mercy on Sion: for it is time to have mercy on it, for the time is come.

¹⁵ For the stones thereof have pleased thy servants: and they shall have pity on the earth thereof.

¹⁶ And the Gentiles shall fear thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

¹⁷ For the Lord hath built up Sion: and he shall be seen in his glory.

¹⁸ He hath had regard to the prayer of the humble: and he hath not despised their petition.

¹⁹ Let these things be written unto another generation: and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord:

²⁰ Because he hath looked forth from his high sanctuary: from heaven the Lord hath looked upon the earth.

²¹ That he might hear the groans of them that are in fetters: that he might release the children of the slain:

²² That they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion: and his praise in Jerusalem;

²³ When the people assemble together, and kings, to serve the Lord.

²⁴ He answered him in the way of his strength: Declare unto me the fewness of my days.

²⁵ Call me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are unto generation and generation.

²⁶ In the beginning, O Lord, thou foundedst the earth: and the heavens are the works of thy hands.

²⁷ 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.

²⁸ But thou art always the selfsame, and thy years shall not fail.

²⁹ The children of thy servants shall continue: and their seed shall be directed for ever.