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

A Prayer of the afflicted when he is weak and [a]pours out his complaint before the Lord.

102 (A)Hear my prayer, Lord!
And let my cry for help (B)come to You.
(C)Do not hide Your face from me on the day of my distress;
(D)Incline Your ear to me;
On the day when I call (E)answer me quickly.
For my days (F)have ended in smoke,
And my (G)bones have been scorched like a hearth.
My heart (H)has been struck like [b]grass and has (I)withered,
Indeed, I (J)forget to eat my bread.
Because of the [c]loudness of my groaning
My (K)bones [d]cling to my flesh.
I resemble a (L)pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl of the ruins.
I (M)lie awake,
I have become like a solitary bird on a housetop.

My enemies (N)have taunted me all day long;
Those who [e](O)deride me [f]have used my name as a (P)curse.
For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And (Q)mixed my drink with weeping
10 (R)Because of Your indignation and Your wrath;
For You have (S)lifted me up and thrown me away.
11 My days are like a [g](T)lengthened shadow,
And [h]I (U)wither away like [i]grass.

12 But You, Lord, [j](V)remain forever,
And Your [k](W)name remains to all generations.
13 You will (X)arise and have (Y)compassion on Zion;
For (Z)it is time to be gracious to her,
For the (AA)appointed time has come.
14 Surely Your servants [l]take pleasure in her stones,
And feel pity for her dust.
15 [m]So the [n](AB)nations will fear the name of the Lord,
And (AC)all the kings of the earth, Your glory.
16 For the Lord has (AD)built up Zion;
He has (AE)appeared in His glory.
17 He has (AF)turned His attention to the prayer of the [o]destitute
And has not despised their prayer.

18 [p]This will be (AG)written for the (AH)generation to come,
[q]That (AI)a people yet to be created [r]may praise [s]the Lord:
19 For He (AJ)looked down from His holy height;
(AK)From heaven the Lord looked [t]upon the earth,
20 To hear the (AL)groaning of the prisoner,
To (AM)set free [u]those who were doomed to death,
21 So that people may (AN)tell of the name of the Lord in Zion,
And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 When (AO)the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

23 He has broken my strength in the way;
He has (AP)shortened my days.
24 I say, “My God, (AQ)do not take me away in the middle of my days,
Your (AR)years are [v]throughout all generations.
25 In time of old You (AS)founded the earth,
And the (AT)heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 [w]Even they will (AU)perish, but You endure;
All of them will wear out like a garment;
Like clothing You will change them and they will pass away.
27 But You are [x](AV)the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.
28 The (AW)children of Your servants will continue,
And their [y](AX)descendants will be established before You.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 102 Title Ps 142:2
  2. Psalm 102:4 Lit herbage
  3. Psalm 102:5 Lit voice
  4. Psalm 102:5 Lit have cleaved
  5. Psalm 102:8 Or made a fool of
  6. Psalm 102:8 Lit have sworn by me
  7. Psalm 102:11 Lit stretched out
  8. Psalm 102:11 Or as for me, I
  9. Psalm 102:11 Lit herbage
  10. Psalm 102:12 Or sit enthroned
  11. Psalm 102:12 Lit memorial
  12. Psalm 102:14 Or have found
  13. Psalm 102:15 Or And
  14. Psalm 102:15 Or Gentiles, heathen
  15. Psalm 102:17 Or naked
  16. Psalm 102:18 Or Let this be written
  17. Psalm 102:18 Or And
  18. Psalm 102:18 Or will
  19. Psalm 102:18 Heb Yah
  20. Psalm 102:19 Lit toward
  21. Psalm 102:20 Lit the sons of death
  22. Psalm 102:24 Lit in generation of generations
  23. Psalm 102:26 Lit They themselves
  24. Psalm 102:27 Lit He
  25. Psalm 102:28 Lit seed

Psalm 102[a]

A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.

Hear my prayer,(A) Lord;
    let my cry for help(B) come to you.
Do not hide your face(C) from me
    when I am in distress.
Turn your ear(D) to me;
    when I call, answer me quickly.

For my days vanish like smoke;(E)
    my bones(F) burn like glowing embers.
My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(G)
    I forget to eat my food.(H)
In my distress I groan aloud(I)
    and am reduced to skin and bones.
I am like a desert owl,(J)
    like an owl among the ruins.
I lie awake;(K) I have become
    like a bird alone(L) on a roof.
All day long my enemies(M) taunt me;(N)
    those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(O)
For I eat ashes(P) as my food
    and mingle my drink with tears(Q)
10 because of your great wrath,(R)
    for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;(S)
    I wither(T) away like grass.

12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(U)
    your renown endures(V) through all generations.(W)
13 You will arise(X) and have compassion(Y) on Zion,
    for it is time(Z) to show favor(AA) to her;
    the appointed time(AB) has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
    her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear(AC) the name of the Lord,
    all the kings(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(AE)
    and appear in his glory.(AF)
17 He will respond to the prayer(AG) of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.

18 Let this be written(AH) for a future generation,
    that a people not yet created(AI) may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
    from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(AK)
    and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(AL) in Zion
    and his praise(AM) in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
    assemble to worship(AN) the Lord.

23 In the course of my life[b] he broke my strength;
    he cut short my days.(AO)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
    your years go on(AP) through all generations.
25 In the beginning(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens(AR) are the work of your hands.(AS)
26 They will perish,(AT) but you remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
    and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,(AU)
    and your years will never end.(AV)
28 The children of your servants(AW) will live in your presence;
    their descendants(AX) will be established before you.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 102:1 In Hebrew texts 102:1-28 is numbered 102:2-29.
  2. Psalm 102:23 Or By his power

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.

148 [a]Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the Lord (A)from the heavens;
Praise Him (B)in the heights!
Praise Him, (C)all His angels;
Praise Him, (D)all His heavenly armies!
Praise Him, sun and moon;
Praise Him, all stars of light!
Praise Him, [c](E)highest heavens,
And the (F)waters that are above the heavens!
They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For (G)He commanded and they were created.
He has also (H)established them forever and ever;
He has made a (I)decree, and it will not pass away.

Praise the Lord from the earth,
(J)Sea monsters, and all the ocean (K)depths;
(L)Fire and hail, (M)snow and (N)clouds;
(O)Stormy wind, (P)fulfilling His word;
(Q)Mountains and all hills;
Fruit (R)trees and all cedars;
10 (S)Animals and all cattle;
(T)Crawling things and winged fowl;
11 (U)Kings of the earth and all peoples;
Rulers and all judges of the earth;
12 Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.

13 They are to praise the name of the Lord,
For His (V)name alone is exalted;
His (W)majesty is above earth and heaven.
14 And He has (X)lifted up a horn for His people,
(Y)Praise for all His godly ones,
For the sons of Israel, a people (Z)near to Him.
[d]Praise [e]the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Or Hallelujah!
  2. Psalm 148:1 Heb Yah
  3. Psalm 148:4 Lit heavens of heavens
  4. Psalm 148:14 Or Hallelujah!
  5. Psalm 148:14 Heb Yah

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.[a](A)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;(B)
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;(C)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.(D)
Praise him, sun(E) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens(F)
    and you waters above the skies.(G)

Let them praise the name(H) of the Lord,
    for at his command(I) they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree(J) that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord(K) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures(L) and all ocean depths,(M)
lightning and hail,(N) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,(O)
you mountains and all hills,(P)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals(Q) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings(R) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
    old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,(S)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor(T) is above the earth and the heavens.(U)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[b](V)
    the praise(W) of all his faithful servants,(X)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.(Y)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
  2. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.

Haggai Begins Temple Building

In the (A)second year of Darius the king, on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came by the prophet (B)Haggai to (C)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (D)governor of Judah, and to (E)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, saying, “This is what the Lord of armies [a]says: ‘This people says, “The time has not come, the time for the house of the Lord to be rebuilt.”’” Then the word of the Lord came by Haggai the prophet, saying, “Is it time for you yourselves to live in your paneled houses while this house remains (F)desolate?” Now then, the Lord of armies says this: “[b]Consider your ways! You have (G)sown much, only to [c]harvest little; you eat, but there is not enough to be satisfied; you drink, but there is not enough to become drunk; you put on clothing, but there is not enough for [d]anyone to get warm; and the one who earns, earns wages to put into a money bag full of holes.”

The Lord of armies says this: “[e]Consider your ways! Go up to the [f]mountains, bring wood, and (H)rebuild the [g]temple, that I may be (I)pleased with it and be (J)honored,” says the Lord. (K)You [h]start an ambitious project, but behold, it comes to little; when you bring it home, I (L)blow it away. Why?” declares the Lord of armies. “It is because of My house which (M)remains desolate, while each of you runs to his own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the (N)sky has withheld [i]its dew, and the earth has withheld its produce. 11 And I called for a (O)drought on the land, on the mountains, on the grain, on the new wine, on the oil, on what the ground produces, on (P)mankind, on cattle, and on (Q)all the products of the labor of [j]your hands.”

12 Then (R)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, and (S)Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, with all the remnant of the people, (T)obeyed the voice of the Lord their God and the words of Haggai the prophet, just as the Lord their God had sent him. And the people [k](U)showed reverence for the Lord. 13 Then Haggai, the (V)messenger of the Lord, spoke [l]by the commission of the Lord to the people, saying, “‘(W)I am with you,’ declares the Lord.” 14 So the Lord stirred up the spirit of (X)Zerubbabel the son of Shealtiel, (Y)governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua the son of Jehozadak, the high priest, and the spirit of all the (Z)remnant of the people; and they came and (AA)worked on the house of the Lord of armies, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month in the second year of Darius the king.

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Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:2 Lit says, saying
  2. Haggai 1:5 Lit Set your heart on
  3. Haggai 1:6 Lit bring in
  4. Haggai 1:6 Lit him
  5. Haggai 1:7 Lit Set your heart on
  6. Haggai 1:8 Lit mountain
  7. Haggai 1:8 Lit house
  8. Haggai 1:9 Lit turn to much
  9. Haggai 1:10 Lit from dew
  10. Haggai 1:11 Lit palms
  11. Haggai 1:12 Lit feared before
  12. Haggai 1:13 Or with the commissioned message

A Call to Build the House of the Lord

In the second year of King Darius,(A) on the first day of the sixth month, the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai(B) to Zerubbabel(C) son of Shealtiel, governor(D) of Judah, and to Joshua(E) son of Jozadak,[a](F) the high priest:(G)

This is what the Lord Almighty(H) says: “These people(I) say, ‘The time has not yet come to rebuild the Lord’s house.(J)’”

Then the word of the Lord came through the prophet Haggai:(K) “Is it a time for you yourselves to be living in your paneled houses,(L) while this house remains a ruin?(M)

Now this is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(N) to your ways. You have planted much, but harvested little.(O) You eat, but never have enough.(P) You drink, but never have your fill.(Q) You put on clothes, but are not warm. You earn wages,(R) only to put them in a purse with holes in it.”

This is what the Lord Almighty says: “Give careful thought(S) to your ways. Go up into the mountains and bring down timber(T) and build my house, so that I may take pleasure(U) in it and be honored,(V)” says the Lord. “You expected much, but see, it turned out to be little.(W) What you brought home, I blew(X) away. Why?” declares the Lord Almighty. “Because of my house, which remains a ruin,(Y) while each of you is busy with your own house. 10 Therefore, because of you the heavens have withheld(Z) their dew(AA) and the earth its crops.(AB) 11 I called for a drought(AC) on the fields and the mountains,(AD) on the grain, the new wine,(AE) the olive oil(AF) and everything else the ground produces, on people and livestock, and on all the labor of your hands.(AG)

12 Then Zerubbabel(AH) son of Shealtiel, Joshua son of Jozadak, the high priest, and the whole remnant(AI) of the people obeyed(AJ) the voice of the Lord their God and the message of the prophet Haggai, because the Lord their God had sent him. And the people feared(AK) the Lord.

13 Then Haggai,(AL) the Lord’s messenger,(AM) gave this message of the Lord to the people: “I am with(AN) you,” declares the Lord. 14 So the Lord stirred up(AO) the spirit of Zerubbabel(AP) son of Shealtiel, governor of Judah, and the spirit of Joshua son of Jozadak,(AQ) the high priest, and the spirit of the whole remnant(AR) of the people. They came and began to work on the house of the Lord Almighty, their God, 15 on the twenty-fourth day of the sixth month.(AS)

The Promised Glory of the New House

In the second year of King Darius,(AT)

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Footnotes

  1. Haggai 1:1 Hebrew Jehozadak, a variant of Jozadak; also in verses 12 and 14

Message to Thyatira

18 “And to the angel of the church in (A)Thyatira write:

(B)The Son of God, (C)who has [a]eyes like a flame of fire, and [b]feet like burnished bronze, says this:

19 (D)I know your deeds, and your love and faith, and service and [c]perseverance, and that your [d]deeds of late are greater than [e]at first. 20 But (E)I have this against you, that you tolerate the woman (F)Jezebel, who calls herself a prophetess, and she teaches and leads My bond-servants astray so that they (G)commit sexual immorality and eat things sacrificed to idols. 21 (H)I gave her time to repent, and she (I)does not want to repent of her sexual immorality. 22 Behold, I will throw her on a bed of sickness, and those who (J)commit adultery with her into great tribulation, unless they repent of [f]her deeds. 23 And I will kill her children with [g]plague, and all the churches will know that I am He who (K)searches the [h]minds and hearts; and (L)I will give to each one of you according to your deeds. 24 But I say to you, the rest who are in (M)Thyatira, who do not hold this teaching, who have not known the (N)deep things of Satan, as they call them—I (O)place no other burden on you. 25 Nevertheless (P)what you have, hold firmly (Q)until I come. 26 (R)The one who overcomes, and the one who keeps My deeds (S)until the end, (T)I will give him authority over the [i]nations; 27 and he shall [j](U)rule them with a rod of iron, (V)as the vessels of the potter are shattered, as I also have received authority from My Father; 28 and I will give him (W)the morning star. 29 (X)The one who has an ear, let him hear what the Spirit says to the churches.’

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:18 Lit His eyes
  2. Revelation 2:18 Lit His feet
  3. Revelation 2:19 Or steadfastness
  4. Revelation 2:19 Lit last deeds
  5. Revelation 2:19 Lit the first
  6. Revelation 2:22 One early ms their
  7. Revelation 2:23 Lit death; i.e., a particular kind of death
  8. Revelation 2:23 Lit kidneys; i.e., inner man
  9. Revelation 2:26 Or Gentiles
  10. Revelation 2:27 Lit shepherd

To the Church in Thyatira

18 “To the angel of the church in Thyatira(A) write:

These are the words of the Son of God,(B) whose eyes are like blazing fire and whose feet are like burnished bronze.(C) 19 I know your deeds,(D) your love and faith, your service and perseverance, and that you are now doing more than you did at first.

20 Nevertheless, I have this against you: You tolerate that woman Jezebel,(E) who calls herself a prophet. By her teaching she misleads my servants into sexual immorality and the eating of food sacrificed to idols.(F) 21 I have given her time(G) to repent of her immorality, but she is unwilling.(H) 22 So I will cast her on a bed of suffering, and I will make those who commit adultery(I) with her suffer intensely, unless they repent of her ways. 23 I will strike her children dead. Then all the churches will know that I am he who searches hearts and minds,(J) and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.(K)

24 Now I say to the rest of you in Thyatira, to you who do not hold to her teaching and have not learned Satan’s so-called deep secrets, ‘I will not impose any other burden on you,(L) 25 except to hold on to what you have(M) until I come.’(N)

26 To the one who is victorious(O) and does my will to the end,(P) I will give authority over the nations(Q) 27 that one ‘will rule them with an iron scepter(R) and will dash them to pieces like pottery’[a](S)—just as I have received authority from my Father. 28 I will also give that one the morning star.(T) 29 Whoever has ears, let them hear(U) what the Spirit says to the churches.

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Footnotes

  1. Revelation 2:27 Psalm 2:9

27 (A)Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you are like whitewashed tombs which on the outside appear beautiful, but inside they are full of dead men’s bones and all uncleanness. 28 So you too, outwardly appear righteous to people, but inwardly you are full of hypocrisy and lawlessness.

29 (B)Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you build the tombs for the prophets and decorate the monuments of the righteous, 30 and you say, ‘If we had been living in the days of our fathers, we would not have been partners with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves, that you (C)are [a]sons of those who murdered the prophets. 32 [b]Fill up, then, the measure of the guilt of your fathers. 33 You snakes, (D)you [c]offspring of vipers, how [d]will you escape the [e]sentence of [f](E)hell?

34 (F)Therefore, behold, (G)I am sending you prophets and wise men and scribes; some of them you will kill and crucify, and some of them you will (H)flog in your synagogues, and (I)persecute from city to city, 35 so that upon you will fall the guilt of all the righteous blood shed on earth, from the blood of righteous (J)Abel to the blood of Zechariah, the (K)son of Berechiah, whom (L)you murdered between the [g]temple and the altar. 36 Truly I say to you, all these things will come upon (M)this generation.

Grieving over Jerusalem

37 (N)Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who (O)kills the prophets and stones those who have been sent to her! How often I wanted to gather your children together, (P)the way a hen gathers her chicks under her wings, and you were unwilling. 38 Behold, (Q)your house is being left to you desolate! 39 For I say to you, from now on you will not see Me until you say, ‘(R)Blessed is the One who comes in the name of the Lord!’”

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 23:31 Or descendants
  2. Matthew 23:32 I.e., finish what they started
  3. Matthew 23:33 Or brood
  4. Matthew 23:33 Lit are you to escape
  5. Matthew 23:33 Or judgment
  6. Matthew 23:33 Gr Gehenna
  7. Matthew 23:35 Or sanctuary

27 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You are like whitewashed tombs,(A) which look beautiful on the outside but on the inside are full of the bones of the dead and everything unclean. 28 In the same way, on the outside you appear to people as righteous but on the inside you are full of hypocrisy and wickedness.

29 “Woe to you, teachers of the law and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You build tombs for the prophets(B) and decorate the graves of the righteous. 30 And you say, ‘If we had lived in the days of our ancestors, we would not have taken part with them in shedding the blood of the prophets.’ 31 So you testify against yourselves that you are the descendants of those who murdered the prophets.(C) 32 Go ahead, then, and complete(D) what your ancestors started!(E)

33 “You snakes! You brood of vipers!(F) How will you escape being condemned to hell?(G) 34 Therefore I am sending you prophets and sages and teachers. Some of them you will kill and crucify;(H) others you will flog in your synagogues(I) and pursue from town to town.(J) 35 And so upon you will come all the righteous blood that has been shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel(K) to the blood of Zechariah son of Berekiah,(L) whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.(M) 36 Truly I tell you, all this will come on this generation.(N)

37 “Jerusalem, Jerusalem, you who kill the prophets and stone those sent to you,(O) how often I have longed to gather your children together, as a hen gathers her chicks under her wings,(P) and you were not willing. 38 Look, your house is left to you desolate.(Q) 39 For I tell you, you will not see me again until you say, ‘Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.’[a](R)

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Footnotes

  1. Matthew 23:39 Psalm 118:26