Psalm 102
New American Standard Bible
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.
2 (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.
3 For my days (F)have ended in smoke,
And my (G)bones have been scorched like a hearth.
4 My heart (H)has been struck like [b]grass and has (I)withered,
Indeed, I (J)forget to eat my bread.
5 Because of the [c]loudness of my groaning
My (K)bones [d]cling to my flesh.
6 I resemble a (L)pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl of the ruins.
7 I (M)lie awake,
I have become like a solitary bird on a housetop.
8 My enemies (N)have taunted me all day long;
Those who [e](O)deride me [f]have used my name as a (P)curse.
9 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
- Psalm 102 Title Ps 142:2
- Psalm 102:4 Lit herbage
- Psalm 102:5 Lit voice
- Psalm 102:5 Lit have cleaved
- Psalm 102:8 Or made a fool of
- Psalm 102:8 Lit have sworn by me
- Psalm 102:11 Lit stretched out
- Psalm 102:11 Or as for me, I
- Psalm 102:11 Lit herbage
- Psalm 102:12 Or sit enthroned
- Psalm 102:12 Lit memorial
- Psalm 102:14 Or have found
- Psalm 102:15 Or And
- Psalm 102:15 Or Gentiles, heathen
- Psalm 102:17 Or naked
- Psalm 102:18 Or Let this be written
- Psalm 102:18 Or And
- Psalm 102:18 Or will
- Psalm 102:18 Heb Yah
- Psalm 102:19 Lit toward
- Psalm 102:20 Lit the sons of death
- Psalm 102:24 Lit in generation of generations
- Psalm 102:26 Lit They themselves
- Psalm 102:27 Lit He
- Psalm 102:28 Lit seed
Psalm 102
International Standard Version
A prayer by the afflicted man who is overwhelmed and talks about his troubles with the Lord.
A Prayer for Help
102 Lord, hear my prayer!
May my cry for help come to you.
2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in trouble.
Listen to me.
When I call to out you,
hurry to answer me!
3 For my days are vanishing like smoke;
my bones are charred as in a fireplace.
4 Withered like grass, my heart is overwhelmed,
and I have even forgotten to eat my food.
5 Because of the sound of my sighing,
my bones cling to my skin.
6 I resemble a pelican in the wilderness
or an owl in a desolate land.
7 I lie awake,
yet I am like a bird isolated on a rooftop.
8 My enemies revile me all day long;
those who ridicule me use my name to curse.
9 I have eaten ashes as food
and mixed my drink with tears
10 because of your indignation and wrath,
when you lifted and threw me away.
11 My life is[a] like a declining shadow,
and I am withering like a plant.
12 But you, Lord, are enthroned forever;
You are remembered throughout all generations.
13 You will arise to extend compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show her favor—
the appointed time has come.
14 Your servants take pleasure in its stones
and delight in its debris.
15 Nations will fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth, your splendor.
16 When the Lord rebuilds Zion,
he will appear in his glory.
17 He will turn to the prayer of the destitute,
not despising their prayer.
18 Write this for the next generation,
that a people yet to be created will praise the Lord.
19 For when he looked down from his holy heights—
the Lord looked over the earth from heaven—
20 to listen to the groans of prisoners,
to set free those condemned to death,
21 so they would declare the name of the Lord in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem,
22 when people and kingdoms gather together
to serve the Lord.
23 He has weakened my[b] strength along the way.[c]
He has cut short my days.
24 I say, “My God, whose years continue through all generations,
do not take me in the middle of my life.
25 You established the earth long ago;
the heavens are the work[d] of your hands.
26 They will perish,
but you will remain;
and they all will become worn out,[e] like a garment.
You[f] will change them like clothing,
and they will pass away.
27 But you remain the same;
your years never end.
28 May the descendants of your servants live securely,
and may their children be established in your presence.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 102:11 Lit. My days are
- Psalm 102:23 So MT Qere (oral reading) DSS 4QPsb; Symmachus, Syr, Targ, and Hieronymous; MT Qetiv (written) reads his
- Psalm 102:23 Or strength in mid-course
- Psalm 102:25 So MT DSS 4QPsb; LXX Targ DSS 11QPsa read works
- Psalm 102:26 So MT DSS 4QPsb 11QPsa; LXX reads will grow old
- Psalm 102:26 So MT; LXX DSS 4QPsb 11QPsa read And you
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