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 prayer of an oppressed person, when weak and pouring out grief to the Lord.

102 Lord, hear my prayer!
    Let my cry reach you!
Don’t hide your face from me
    in my time of trouble!
Listen to me!
    Answer me quickly as I cry out!
Because my days disappear like smoke,
    my bones are burned up as if in an oven;
    my heart is smashed like dried-up grass.
    I even forget to eat my food
    because of my intense groans.
    My bones are protruding from my skin.
I’m like some wild owl—
    like some screech owl in the desert.
I lie awake all night.
    I’m all alone like a bird on a roof.
All day long my enemies make fun of me;
    those who mock me curse using my name!
I’ve been eating ashes instead of bread.
    I’ve been mixing tears into my drinks
10         because of your anger and wrath,
        because you picked me up and threw me away.
11 My days are like a shadow soon gone.
    I’m dried up like dead grass.

12 But you, Lord, rule forever!
    Your fame lasts from one generation to the next!
13 You will stand up—
        you’ll have compassion on Zion
        because it is time to have mercy on her—
    the time set for that has now come!
14 Your servants cherish Zion’s stones;
    they show mercy even to her dirt.
15 The nations will honor the Lord’s name;
    all the earth’s rulers will honor your glory
16     because the Lord will rebuild Zion;
    he will be seen there in his glory.
17 God will turn to the prayer of the impoverished;
    he won’t despise their prayers.

18 Let this be written down for the next generation
    so that people not yet created will praise the Lord:
19     The Lord looked down from his holy summit,
        surveyed the earth from heaven,
20         to hear the prisoners’ groans,
        to set free those condemned to death,
21         that the Lord’s name may be declared in Zion
        and his praise declared in Jerusalem,
22         when all people are gathered together—
        all kingdoms—to serve the Lord.

23 God broke my strength in midstride,
    cutting my days short.
24 I said, “My God, don’t take me away in the prime of life—
    your years go on from one generation to the next!
25 You laid the earth’s foundations long ago;
    the skies are your handiwork.
26 These things will pass away, but you will last.
    All of these things will wear out like clothing;
    you change them like clothes, and they pass on.
27 But you are the one!
    Your years never end!
28 Let your servants’ children live safe;
    let your servants’ descendants live secure in your presence.”