Psalm 102 (New American Standard)

Prayer of an Afflicted Man for Mercy on Himself and on Zion.

1 ¹Hear my prayer, O LORD ! And let my cry for help ²come to You. 2 ³Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress ; ⁴Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call ⁵answer me quickly. 3 For my days ⁶have been ^aconsumed in smoke, And my ⁷bones have been scorched like a hearth. 4 My heart ⁸has been smitten like ^bgrass and has ⁹withered away, Indeed, I ¹⁰forget to eat my bread. 5 Because of the ^cloudness of my groaning My ¹¹bones ^dcling to my flesh. 6 I ^eresemble a ¹²pelican of the wilderness ; I have become like an owl of the waste places. 7 I ¹³lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop. 8 My enemies ¹⁴have reproached me all day long; Those who ^f15deride me ^ghave used my name as a ¹⁶curse. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread And ¹⁷mingled my drink with weeping 10 ¹⁸Because of Your indignation and Your wrath, For You have ¹⁹lifted me up and cast me away. 11 My days are like a ^h20lengthened shadow, And ⁱI ²¹wither away like ^jgrass. 12 But You, O LORD, ^k22abide forever, And Your ^l23name to all generations. 13 You will ²⁴arise and have ²⁵compassion on Zion ; For ²⁶it is time to be gracious to her, For the ²⁷appointed time has come. 14 Surely Your servants ^mfind pleasure in her stones And feel pity for her dust. 15 ⁿSo the ^o28nations will fear the name of the LORD And ²⁹all the kings of the earth Your glory. 16 For the LORD has ³⁰built up Zion ; He has ³¹appeared in His glory. 17 He has ³²regarded the prayer of the ^pdestitute And has not despised their prayer. 18 ^qThis will be ³³written for the ³⁴generation to come, ^rThat ³⁵a people yet to be created ^smay praise ^tthe LORD. 19 For He ³⁶looked down from His holy height ; ³⁷From heaven the LORD gazed ^uupon the earth, 20 To hear the ³⁸groaning of the prisoner, To ³⁹set free ^vthose who were doomed to death, 21 That men may ⁴⁰tell of the name of the LORD in Zion And His praise in Jerusalem, 22 When ⁴¹the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD. 23 He has weakened my strength in the way ; He has ⁴²shortened my days. 24 I say, "O my God, ⁴³do not take me away in the ^wmidst of my days, Your ⁴⁴years are throughout all generations. 25 "Of old You ⁴⁵founded the earth, And the ⁴⁶heavens are the work of Your hands. 26 "^xEven they will ⁴⁷perish, but You endure ; And all of them will wear out like a garment ; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed. 27 "But You are ^y48the same, And Your years will not come to an end. 28 "The ⁴⁹children of Your servants will continue, And their ^z50descendants will be established before You."