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

Psalm 102

Affliction in light of Eternity

A prayer of a suffering person who is weak and pours out his lament before the Lord.(A)

Lord, hear my prayer;
let my cry for help come before you.(B)
Do not hide your face from me in my day of trouble.
Listen closely to me;
answer me quickly when I call.(C)

For my days vanish like smoke,
and my bones burn like a furnace.(D)
My heart is suffering, withered like grass;(E)
I even forget to eat my food.(F)
Because of the sound of my groaning,
my flesh sticks to my bones.(G)
I am like an eagle owl,
like a little owl among the ruins.(H)
I stay awake;(I)
I am like a solitary bird on a roof.
My enemies taunt me all day long;
they ridicule and use my name as a curse.(J)
I eat ashes like bread
and mingle my drinks with tears(K)
10 because of your indignation and wrath;
for you have picked me up and thrown me aside.(L)
11 My days are like a lengthening shadow,
and I wither away like grass.(M)

12 But you, Lord, are enthroned forever;(N)
your fame endures to all generations.(O)
13 You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,
for it is time to show favor to her—
the appointed time has come.(P)
14 For your servants take delight in its stones
and favor its dust.(Q)

15 Then the nations will fear the name of the Lord,
and all the kings of the earth your glory,(R)
16 for the Lord will rebuild Zion;
he will appear in his glory.(S)
17 He will pay attention to the prayer of the destitute
and will not despise their prayer.(T)

18 This will be written for a later generation,
and a people who have not yet been created will praise the Lord:(U)
19 He looked down from his holy heights—
the Lord gazed out from heaven to earth(V)
20 to hear a prisoner’s groaning,
to set free those condemned to die,[a](W)
21 so that they might declare
the name of the Lord in Zion
and his praise in Jerusalem(X)
22 when peoples and kingdoms are assembled
to serve the Lord.(Y)

23 He has broken my[b] strength in midcourse;
he has shortened my days.(Z)
24 I say, “My God, do not take me
in the middle of my life![c]
Your years continue through all generations.(AA)
25 Long ago you established the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.(AB)
26 They will perish, but you will endure;
all of them will wear out like clothing.
You will change them like a garment,
and they will pass away.(AC)
27 But you are the same,
and your years will never end.(AD)
28 Your servants’ children will dwell securely,
and their offspring will be established before you.”(AE)

Footnotes

  1. 102:20 Lit free sons of death
  2. 102:23 Some Hb mss, LXX read his
  3. 102:24 Lit my days