Book of Common Prayer

³ For my days come and go, vanishing like smoke,
    and my bones are charred like bricks of a hearth.
⁴ My heart is beaten down like grass withered and scorched in the summer heat;
    I can’t even remember to eat.
⁵ My body is shaken by my groans;
    my bones cling to my skin, holding on for dear life.
⁶ I am like a solitary owl in the wilderness;
    I am a lost and lonely screech owl at home in the rubble.
⁷ I stare at the ceiling, awake in my bed;
    I am alone, a defenseless sparrow perched on a roof.
⁸ All day long my enemies chide me;
    those who mock me spit out my name as a curse.
⁹ For ashes have become my bread;
    my tears fall into my drink
¹⁰ Because of the depth of Your wrath.
    You have brought me up
    and then hurled me aside.
¹¹ My days go by like a long shadow—stretched thin and disappearing—
    I shrivel up like grass baked in the hot sun.

¹² But You, O Eternal One, remain forever,
    and Your name endures to all generations.
¹³ You will rise up once again and remember Your love for Zion;
    it is time to have mercy on Your city;
    yes, it is the divinely appointed time.
¹⁴ Your faithful servants take pleasure in her every stone;
    they even delight in the dust of her streets.
¹⁵ Days are coming when nations will tremble at the name of the Eternal;
    all the rulers of the earth will bow down to Your glory.
¹⁶ For He will return to rebuild His city, Zion;
    He will be seen in His splendor.
¹⁷ He will listen to the prayer of the impoverished
    and welcome their prayers.

¹⁸ Let this record be kept for posterity
    so that people not yet born may praise the Eternal.
¹⁹ Tell them that He looked down from holy heights, His heavenly sanctuary;
    the Eternal looked down from heaven and closely watched the earth,
²⁰ Hearing the prisoners’ groans—
    releasing those awaiting execution—
²¹ That the name of the Eternal would resound in Zion,
    and His praise would be proclaimed in Jerusalem
²² When the peoples gather
    and the nations’ leaders assemble to worship the Eternal.

²³ Along my way He has sapped my strength;
    He has shortened my days here on earth.
²⁴ I said, “O my True God, don’t take me away
    in the middle of my life;
Unlike me, Your years continually unfold
    throughout all generations.”

²⁵ In the beginning, You laid the foundation of the earth
    and set the skies above us with Your own hands.
²⁶ But while they will someday pass away, You remain forever;
    when they wear out like old clothes,
You will roll them up and change them into something new, and they will pass away.
²⁷ But You are the same, You will never change;
    Your years will never come to an end.^[a]
28 The children of those who serve You will enjoy a good, long life;
    their offspring will stand strong before You.

⁵ You are the One I called to, O Eternal One.
    I said, “You’re the only safe place I know;
    You’re all I’ve got in this world.
⁶ Oh, let me know that You hear my cry
    because I’m languishing and desperate;

Rescue me from those who torment me
    because there’s no way I can stand up to them;
    they are much too strong for me.
⁷ Lift my captive soul from this dark prison
    so I may render to You my gratitude;
Then Your righteous people will gather around me
    because You will treat me with astounding goodness.”

³ My adversary has pressed in, drawn closer, threatened my life;
    he’s crushed me, driven me underground.
    He’s forced me to live in the dark;
    it’s as if I joined those who died a long time ago.
⁴ That’s why my spirit is growing faint inside me; I have nothing left;
    my heart is completely empty and desolate.

⁵ And yet I can’t forget the days of old, the days I’ve heard so much about;
    I fix my mind on all You have done;
    I ponder the work of Your hands;
⁶ I reach out my hands to You.
    All that I am aches and yearns for You, like a dry land thirsting for rain.

[pause]^[b]

⁷ Hurry and answer me, O Eternal One,
    for my spirit is weak, my courage is gone.
Do not turn away; let me see Your face;
    otherwise, I’ll die and be like all those who have gone to the grave.
⁸ Make me hear of Your faithful love in the morning,
    for I trust in You.
Teach me how I should walk,
    for I offer my soul up to You.

⁹ Rescue me from my enemies, Eternal One,
    for You are my shelter from them.
¹⁰ Teach me how to do Your will,
    for You are my God.
Allow Your good Spirit to guide me
    on level ground, to guide me along Your path.

¹¹ For the sake of Your name and the good of Your reputation,
    preserve me, O Eternal One.
    In Your righteousness, save my life from burden and misery.
¹² In Your loyal love, silence my enemies for good;
    destroy all those who take pleasure in my suffering,
    for I am Your faithful servant!

⁷     O Eternal, You deceived me into being Your prophet,
        and I went along and allowed it to happen!
    Your strength is too much for me,
        and so You win; I speak Your words.
    Just look at what I have become: a laughingstock;
        all day long people mock me.
⁸     The only words coming out of my mouth
        are loud cries of “Violence and destruction!”
    It is the Eternal’s words—Your words—
        that bring me insults and jokes all day long.
⁹     But when I tell myself, I’ll never mention Your name
        or speak for You again, it’s no use.
    The word of God burns in my heart; it is like fire in my bones.
        I try to hold it all in, but I cannot.
¹⁰     I hear the crowds whispering behind my back and mocking my prophecies:
        “‘Terror is everywhere we turn,’ he says. Let’s report him for breaking some law.”
    Even my trusted friends are waiting for me to make a mistake:
        “Maybe he will be deceived,
        and then we’ll win, take control, and have our revenge on him.”
¹¹     But I am not alone. The Eternal is here with me.
        He stands beside me, as a dreaded warrior.
    That is why my tormentors will fail so miserably. They cannot win.
        Their humiliation and permanent dishonor will be remembered for all time.