³ When my spirit ^[a]was ^(A)overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly ^(B)set a snare for me.

^5 (B)I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all Your works;
I ^[a]muse on the work of Your hands.

³ For my days ^[a]are ^(A)consumed like smoke,
And my bones are burned like a hearth.
⁴ My heart is stricken and withered like grass,
So that I forget to eat my bread.
⁵ Because of the sound of my groaning
My bones cling to my ^[b]skin.
⁶ I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am like an owl of the desert.
⁷ I lie awake,
And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.

⁸ My enemies reproach me all day long;
Those who deride me swear an oath against me.
⁹ For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
¹⁰ Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
¹¹ My days are like a shadow that lengthens,
And I wither away like grass.

¹² But You, O Lord, shall endure forever,
And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
¹³ You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
For the time to favor her,
Yes, the set time, has come.
¹⁴ For Your servants take pleasure in her stones,
And show favor to her dust.
¹⁵ So the ^[c]nations shall ^(B)fear the name of the Lord,
And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
¹⁶ For the Lord shall build up Zion;
^(C)He shall appear in His glory.
^17 (D)He shall regard the prayer of the destitute,
And shall not despise their prayer.

¹⁸ This will be ^(E)written for the generation to come,
That ^(F)a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.
¹⁹ For He ^(G)looked down from the height of His sanctuary;
From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,
^20 (H)To hear the groaning of the prisoner,
To release those appointed to death,
²¹ To ^(I)declare the name of the Lord in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,
^22 (J)When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

²³ He weakened my strength in the way;
He ^(K)shortened my days.
^24 (L)I said, “O my God,
Do not take me away in the midst of my days;
^(M)Your years are throughout all generations.
^25 (N)Of old You laid the foundation of the earth,
And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
^26 (O)They will perish, but You will ^[d]endure;
Yes, they will all grow old like a garment;
Like a cloak You will change them,
And they will be changed.
²⁷ But ^(P)You are the same,
And Your years will have no end.
^28 (Q)The children of Your servants will continue,
And their descendants will be established before You.”

^4 (A)My heart is severely pained within me,
And the terrors of death have fallen upon me.
⁵ Fearfulness and trembling have come upon me,
And horror has overwhelmed me.