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

Prayer of an afflicted one for mercy on himself and on Zion.

A Prayer of the afflicted, when he [a]is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah.

102 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah,
And let my cry come unto thee.
Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress:
Incline thine ear unto me;
In the day when I call answer me speedily.
For my days consume away [b]like smoke,
And my bones are burned [c]as a firebrand.
My heart is smitten like grass, and withered;
For I forget to eat my bread.
By reason of the voice of my groaning
My bones cleave to my flesh.
I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am become as an owl of the waste places.
I watch, and am become like a sparrow
That is alone upon the house-top.
Mine enemies reproach me all the day;
They that are mad against me do curse by me.
For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath:
For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.
11 My days are like a shadow that [d]declineth;
And I am withered like grass.

12 But thou, O Jehovah, [e]wilt abide for ever;
And thy memorial name unto all generations.
13 Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion;
For it is time to have pity upon her,
Yea, the set time is come.
14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
And have pity upon her dust.
15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah,
And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 For Jehovah hath built up Zion;
He hath appeared in his glory.
17 He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute,
And hath not despised their prayer.
18 This shall be written for the generation to come;
And a people which shall be created shall praise [f]Jehovah.
19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;
From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;
20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner;
To loose [g]those that are appointed to death;
21 That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion,
And his praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.

23 He [h]weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.
24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:
Thy years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth;
And the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure;
Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But thou art the same,
And thy years shall have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue,
And their seed shall be established before thee.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 102:1 Or, fainteth
  2. Psalm 102:3 Or, in smoke
  3. Psalm 102:3 Or, as a hearth
  4. Psalm 102:11 Or, is stretched out
  5. Psalm 102:12 Or, sittest as King
  6. Psalm 102:18 Hebrew Jah.
  7. Psalm 102:20 Hebrew the children of death.
  8. Psalm 102:23 Another reading is, afflicted me with his strength