Revised Common Lectionary (Semicontinuous)

102 ⁽⁰⁾ Prayer of a sufferer overcome by weakness and pouring out his complaint before Adonai:

^2 (1) Adonai, hear my prayer!
Let my cry for help reach you!
^3 (2) Don’t hide your face from me
when I am in such distress!
Turn your ear toward me;
when I call, be quick to reply!

^4 (3) For my days are vanishing like smoke,
my bones are burning like a furnace.
^5 (4) I am stricken and withered like grass;
I forget to eat my food.
^6 (5) Because of my loud groaning,
I am just skin and bones.
^7 (6) I am like a great owl in the desert,
I’ve become like an owl in the ruins.
^8 (7) I lie awake and become
like a bird alone on the roof.

^9 (8) My enemies taunt me all day long;
mad with rage, they make my name a curse.
^10 (9) For I have been eating ashes like bread
and mingling tears with my drink
^11 (10) because of your furious anger,
since you picked me up just to toss me aside.
^12 (11) My days decline like an evening shadow;
I am drying up like grass.

^13 (12) But you, Adonai, are enthroned forever;
your renown will endure through all generations.
^14 (13) You will arise and take pity on Tziyon,
for the time has come to have mercy on her;
the time determined has come.
^15 (14) For your servants love her very stones;
they take pity even on her dust.

^16 (15) The nations will fear the name of Adonai
and all the kings on earth your glory,
^17 (16) when Adonai has rebuilt Tziyon,
and shows himself in his glory,

¹³ Happy the person who finds wisdom,
the person who acquires understanding;
¹⁴ for her profit exceeds that of silver,
gaining her is better than gold,
¹⁵ she is more precious than pearls —
nothing you want can compare with her.
¹⁶ Long life is in her right hand,
riches and honor in her left.
¹⁷ Her ways are pleasant ways,
and all her paths are peace.
¹⁸ She is a tree of life to those who grasp her;
whoever holds fast to her will be made happy.