Psalms 102

Psalm title: A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah.

1. ¹Jehovah, hear my prayer, and let my cry come unto thee.
2. ²Hide not thy face from me: in the day of my trouble, incline thine ear unto me; in the day I call, answer me speedily.
3. ³For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a firebrand.
4. ⁴My heart is smitten and withered like grass; yea, I have forgotten to eat my bread.
5. ⁵By reason of the voice of my groaning, my bones cleave to my flesh.
6. ⁶I am become like the pelican of the wilderness, I am as an owl in desolate places;
7. ⁷I watch, and am like a sparrow alone upon the housetop.
8. ⁸Mine enemies reproach me all the day; they that are mad against me swear by me.
9. ⁹For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
10. ¹⁰Because of thine indignation and thy wrath; for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
11. ¹¹My days are like a lengthened-out shadow, and I, I am withered like grass.
12. ¹²But thou, Jehovah, abidest for ever, and thy memorial from generation to generation.
13. ¹³*Thou* wilt rise up, thou wilt have mercy upon Zion: for it is the time to be gracious to her, for the set time is come.
14. ¹⁴For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour her dust.
15. ¹⁵And the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16. ¹⁶When Jehovah shall build up Zion, he will appear in his glory.
17. ¹⁷He will regard the prayer of the destitute one, and not despise their prayer.
18. ¹⁸This shall be written for the generation to come; and a people that shall be created shall praise Jah:
19. ¹⁹For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from the heavens hath Jehovah beheld the earth,
20. ²⁰To hear the groaning of the prisoner, to loose those that are appointed to die;
21. ²¹That the name of Jehovah may be declared in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem,
22. ²²When the peoples shall be gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.
23. ²³He weakened my strength in the way, he shortened my days.
24. ²⁴I said, My God, take me not away in the midst of my days! ... Thy years are from generation to generation.
25. ²⁵Of old hast thou founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands:
26. ²⁶*They* shall perish, but *thou* continuest; and all of them shall grow old as a garment: as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed.
27. ²⁷But thou art the Same, and thy years shall have no end.
28. ²⁸The children of thy servants shall abide, and their seed shall be established before thee.

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