Psalm 102

Affliction in light of Eternity

A prayer of a suffering person who is weak and pours out his lament before the Lord.(A)

Lord, hear my prayer;
let my cry for help come before you.(B)
Do not hide your face from me in my day of trouble.
Listen closely to me;
answer me quickly when I call.(C)

For my days vanish like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.(D)
My heart is suffering, withered like grass;(E)
I even forget to eat my food.(F)
Because of the sound of my groaning,
my flesh sticks to my bones.(G)
I am like an eagle owl,
like a little owl among the ruins.(H)
I stay awake;(I)
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
My enemies taunt me all day long;
they ridicule and use my name as a curse.(J)
I eat ashes like bread
and mingle my drinks with tears(K)
10 because of your indignation and wrath;
for you have picked me up and thrown me aside.(L)
11 My days are like a lengthening shadow,
and I wither away like grass.(M)

12 But you, Lord, are enthroned forever;(N)
your fame endures to all generations.(O)
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her—
the appointed time has come.(P)
14 For your servants take delight in its stones
and favor its dust.(Q)

15 Then the nations will fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,(R)
16 for the Lord will rebuild Zion;
he will appear in his glory.(S)
17 He will pay attention to the prayer of the destitute
and will not despise their prayer.(T)

18 This will be written for a later generation,
and a people who have not yet been created will praise the Lord:(U)
19 He looked down from his holy heights—
the Lord gazed out from heaven to earth(V)
20 to hear a prisoner’s groaning,
to set free those condemned to die,[a](W)
21 so that they might declare
the name of the Lord in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem(X)
22 when peoples and kingdoms are assembled
to serve the Lord.(Y)

23 He has broken my[b] strength in midcourse;
he has shortened my days.(Z)
24 I say, “My God, do not take me
in the middle of my life![c]
Your years continue through all generations.(AA)
25 Long ago you established the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.(AB)
26 They will perish, but you will endure;
all of them will wear out like clothing.
You will change them like a garment,
and they will pass away.(AC)
27 But you are the same,
and your years will never end.(AD)
28 Your servants’ children will dwell securely,
and their offspring will be established before you.”(AE)

Footnotes

  1. 102:20 Lit free sons of death
  2. 102:23 Some Hb mss, LXX read his
  3. 102:24 Lit my days

The Ninth Plague: Darkness

21 Then the Lord said to Moses, “Stretch out your hand toward heaven, and there will be darkness over the land of Egypt, a darkness that can be felt.” 22 So Moses stretched out his hand toward heaven, and there was thick darkness throughout the land of Egypt for three days. 23 One person could not see another, and for three days they did not move from where they were. Yet all the Israelites had light where they lived.(A)

24 Pharaoh summoned Moses and said, “Go, worship the Lord. Even your families may go with you; only your flocks and herds must stay behind.”

25 Moses responded, “You must also let us have[a] sacrifices and burnt offerings to prepare for the Lord our God. 26 Even our livestock must go with us; not a hoof will be left behind because we will take some of them to worship the Lord our God. We will not know what we will use to worship the Lord until we get there.”

27 But the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(B) and he was unwilling to let them go. 28 Pharaoh said to him, “Leave me! Make sure you never see my face again, for on the day you see my face, you will die.”

29 “As you have said,” Moses replied, “I will never see your face again.”(C)

The Tenth Plague: Death of the Firstborn

11 The Lord said[b] to Moses, “I will bring one more plague on Pharaoh and on Egypt. After that, he will let you go from here. When he lets you go,[c] he will drive you out of here. Now announce to the people that both men and women should ask their neighbors for silver and gold items.” The Lord gave[d] the people favor with the Egyptians. In addition, Moses himself was very highly regarded[e] in the land of Egypt by[f] Pharaoh’s officials and the people.(D)

So Moses said, “This is what the Lord says: About midnight I will go throughout Egypt, and every firstborn male in the land of Egypt will die, from the firstborn of Pharaoh who sits on his throne to the firstborn of the servant girl who is at the grindstones, as well as every firstborn of the livestock. Then there will be a great cry of anguish through all the land of Egypt such as never was before or ever will be again. But against all the Israelites, whether people or animals, not even a dog will snarl,[g] so that you may know that the Lord makes a distinction between Egypt and Israel. All these officials of yours will come down to me and bow before me, saying: Get out, you and all the people who follow you.[h] After that, I will get out.” And he went out from Pharaoh’s presence fiercely angry.(E)

The Lord said to Moses, “Pharaoh will not listen(F) to you, so that my wonders may be multiplied in the land of Egypt.” 10 Moses and Aaron did all these wonders before Pharaoh, but the Lord hardened Pharaoh’s heart,(G) and he would not let the Israelites go out of his land.

Footnotes

  1. 10:25 Lit also give in our hand
  2. 11:1 Or had said
  3. 11:1 Or go, it will be finished
  4. 11:3 Or had given
  5. 11:3 Lit was very great
  6. 11:3 Or in the eyes of
  7. 11:7 Lit point its tongue
  8. 11:8 Lit people at your feet

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