Psalm 102
Prayer of an Exile
1 The prayer of one afflicted. When he is wasting away and pours out his anguish before the Lord.
2 O Lord, give heed to my prayer;
let my plea for help reach you.
3 Do not conceal your face from my sight
in the time of my distress.
Incline your ear to me;
on the day when I call out to you, answer me speedily.
4 For my days are fading away like smoke,
and my bones are burning like live coals.
5 My heart is stricken, withered like grass;
I am too exhausted to eat my bread.
6 As a result of my incessant groaning,
I am now nothing more than skin and bones.
7 I am like a pelican of the wilderness,
like an owl among the ruins.
8 I am sleepless and I moan
like a lone sparrow on a rooftop.
9 All day long my enemies revile me;
those who rage against me use my name as a curse.
10 I eat ashes as though they were bread,
and I mingle tears with my drink.
11 Because of your indignation and wrath,
you have raised me up only to cast me down.
12 My days are like a lengthening shadow,
and I am withering away like grass.
13 But, you, O Lord, are enthroned forever,
and your renown will endure for all generations.
14 You will arise and show mercy to Zion,
for it is time for you to have pity on her;
the appointed time has come.
15 For her stones are precious to your servants,
and her dust causes them to weep.
16 The nations will revere your name, O Lord,
and all the kings of the earth will sing of your glory.
17 For the Lord will rebuild Zion
and reveal himself in all his glory.
18 He will answer the prayer of the destitute,
and he will not ignore their petition.
19 Let this be written for future generations
so that a people yet unborn may praise the Lord:
20 “The Lord looked down from his sanctuary on high
and gazed on the earth from heaven,
21 to hear the sighs of the prisoners
and to set free those under sentence of death.”
22 Then the name of the Lord will be proclaimed in Zion,
and his praise in Jerusalem
23 when all peoples and kingdoms come together
to worship the Lord.
24 He has taken away my strength on my life’s journey;
he has cut short my days.
25 So I said: “Do not carry me off, O my God,
before half my days are done,
for your years endure from age to age.
26 “Long ago you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens are the work of your hands.
27 They will pass away but you endure;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like clothing,
and they will perish.
28 “However, you remain always the same,
and your years will have no end.
29 The children of your servants will be secure,
and their descendants will dwell in your presence.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 102:1
- Psalm 102:1
- Psalm 102:2
- Psalm 102:3
- Psalm 102:5
- Psalm 102:7
- Psalm 102:8
- Psalm 102:9
- Psalm 102:10
- Psalm 102:13
- Psalm 102:14
- Psalm 102:15
- Psalm 102:16
- Psalm 102:17
- Psalm 102:19
- Psalm 102:21
- Psalm 102:22
- Psalm 102:23
- Psalm 102:24
- Psalm 102:25
- Psalm 102:26
- Psalm 102:27
- Psalm 102:28
- Psalm 102:29
