Psalms
Psalms 102
A prayer for the poor man, when he grows weary and pours out his plea before the Lord.
1 Lord, hear my prayer, and may my cry reach you.
2 Do not turn your face away from me. On the day I am afflicted, incline your ear to me. On the day I call upon you, hear me quickly.
3 My days vanished like smoke, and my bones were dried like firewood.
4 My heart was struck like grass and dried up, because I forgot to eat my bread.
5 Because of the sound of my groaning, my bone clung to my flesh.
6 I became like a pelican in the wilderness, like an owl in a ruined building.
7 I kept watch and became like a sparrow living alone on a roof.
8 My enemies reproached me all day long, and those who praised me swore against me.
9 I ate ashes like bread and mixed my drink with weeping
10 because of your anger and wrath. You lifted me up and threw me down.
11 My days declined like a shadow, and I dried up like grass.
12 But you, Lord, remain forever, and your remembrance from generation to generation.
13 You will rise and have compassion on Zion, because it is time to have compassion on her; the appointed time has come.
14 Your servants took pleasure in her stones and will have compassion on her dust.
15 The nations will revere the Lord’s name, and all the kings of the earth your glory,
16 because the Lord will build Zion and appear in his glory.
17 He looked upon the prayer of the humble and did not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written for another generation, and a people being created will praise the Lord,
19 because he looked out from the height of his holy place; the Lord looked from heaven upon the earth
20 to hear the groaning of prisoners and release the children of those put to death,
21 to proclaim the Lord’s name in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem
22 when peoples and kingdoms gather together to serve the Lord.
23 He answered him in the way of his strength: “Tell me how few my days are.
24 Do not take me away in the middle of my days. Your years continue through every generation.”
25 In the beginning, Lord, you founded the earth, and the heavens are the works of your hands.
26 They will perish, but you remain. All of them will grow old like clothing; you will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed.
27 But you are the same, and your years will not fail.
28 The children of your servants will settle down, and their offspring will prosper forever.