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Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

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

102 (A)O Yahweh, hear my prayer!
And let my cry for help (B)come to You.
(C)Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress;
(D)Incline Your ear to me;
In the day when I call (E)answer me quickly.
For my days (F)have [b]vanished in smoke,
And my (G)bones have been scorched like a hearth.
My heart (H)has been stricken like [c]grass and it has (I)dried up,
Indeed, I (J)forget to eat my bread.
Because of the sound 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 waste places.
I (M)lie awake,
I have become like a lonely bird on a roof.

My enemies (N)have reproached me all day long;
Those who [e](O)ridicule me (P)swear against me.
For I have eaten ashes like bread
And (Q)mixed my drinks with weeping
10 (R)Because of Your indignation and Your wrath,
For You have (S)lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like an (T)outstretched shadow,
And as for me, I (U)dry up like [f]grass.

12 But You, O Yahweh, [g](V)abide forever,
And the (W)remembrance of Your name [h]from generation to generation.
13 You will (X)arise and have (Y)compassion on Zion—
For (Z)it is time to be gracious to it,
For the (AA)appointed time has come.
14 For Your slaves [i]find pleasure in its stones
And show grace to its dust—
15 [j]So the [k](AB)nations will fear the name of Yahweh
And (AC)all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For Yahweh has (AD)built up Zion;
He has (AE)appeared in His glory.
17 He has (AF)turned toward the prayer of the [l]destitute
And has not despised their prayer.

18 [m]This will be (AG)written for the (AH)generation to come,
And (AI)a people yet to be created will praise Yah.
19 For He (AJ)looked down from His holy height;
(AK)From heaven Yahweh gazed [n]upon the earth,
20 To hear the (AL)groaning of the prisoner,
To (AM)set free [o]those who were doomed to death,
21 To (AN)recount the name of Yahweh in Zion
And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 When (AO)the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve Yahweh.

23 He has afflicted my strength in the way;
He has (AP)shortened my days.
24 I say, “O my God, (AQ)do not take me away in the [p]midst of my days,
Your (AR)years are from generation to all generations.
25 Of old You (AS)founded the earth,
And the (AT)heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 [q]Even they will (AU)perish, but You will remain;
And all of them will wear out like a garment;
Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.
27 But You are [r](AV)the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.
28 The (AW)children of Your slaves will dwell securely,
And their (AX)seed will be established before You.”

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 102 Title Ps 142:2
  2. Psalm 102:3 Or finished
  3. Psalm 102:4 Lit vegetation
  4. Psalm 102:5 Lit have cleaved
  5. Psalm 102:8 Or made a fool of
  6. Psalm 102:11 Lit vegetation
  7. Psalm 102:12 Or sit enthroned
  8. Psalm 102:12 Lit to
  9. Psalm 102:14 Or have found
  10. Psalm 102:15 Or And
  11. Psalm 102:15 Or Gentiles
  12. Psalm 102:17 Or naked
  13. Psalm 102:18 Or Let this be written
  14. Psalm 102:19 Lit toward
  15. Psalm 102:20 Lit the sons of death
  16. Psalm 102:24 Lit half
  17. Psalm 102:26 Lit They themselves
  18. Psalm 102:27 Lit He

Psalm 102

Prayer to the Eternal King for Help

A prayer of one afflicted, when faint and pleading before the Lord.

Hear my prayer, O Lord;
    let my cry come to you.(A)
Do not hide your face from me
    in the day of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
    answer me speedily in the day when I call.(B)

For my days pass away like smoke,
    and my bones burn like a furnace.(C)
My heart is stricken and withered like grass;
    I am too wasted to eat my bread.(D)
Because of my loud groaning,
    my bones cling to my skin.(E)
I am like a desert owl[a] of the wilderness,
    like a little owl of the waste places.(F)
I lie awake;
    I am like a lonely bird on the housetop.(G)
All day long my enemies taunt me;
    those who deride me use my name for a curse.(H)
Indeed, I eat ashes like bread
    and mingle tears with my drink,(I)
10 because of your indignation and anger,
    for you have lifted me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like a lengthening shadow;
    I wither away like grass.(J)

12 But you, O Lord, are enthroned forever;
    your name endures to all generations.(K)
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
    for it is time to favor it;
    the appointed time has come.(L)
14 For your servants hold its stones dear
    and have pity on its dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord
    and all the kings of the earth your glory.(M)
16 For the Lord will build up Zion;
    he will appear in his glory.(N)
17 He will regard the prayer of the destitute
    and will not despise their prayer.(O)

18 Let this be recorded for a generation to come,
    so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:(P)
19 that he looked down from his holy height,
    from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,(Q)
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners,
    to set free those who were doomed to die,(R)
21 so that the name of the Lord may be declared in Zion
    and his praise in Jerusalem,(S)
22 when peoples gather together,
    and kingdoms, to serve the Lord.(T)

23 He has broken my strength in midcourse;
    he has shortened my days.(U)
24 “O my God,” I say, “do not take me away
    at the midpoint of my life,
you whose years endure
    throughout all generations.”(V)

25 Long ago you laid the foundation of the earth,
    and the heavens are the work of your hands.(W)
26 They will perish, but you endure;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
You change them like clothing, and they pass away,(X)
27     but you are the same, and your years have no end.(Y)
28 The children of your servants shall live secure;
    their offspring shall be established in your presence.(Z)

Footnotes

  1. 102.6 Meaning of Heb uncertain