New International Version NIV
New King James Version NKJV
1 Hear my prayer, LORD; let my cry for help come to you.
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A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed and pours out his complaint before the Lord. Hear my prayer, O Lord, And let my cry come to You.
2 Do not hide your face from me when I am in distress. Turn your ear to me; when I call, answer me quickly.
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Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; Incline Your ear to me; In the day that I call, answer me speedily.
3 For my days vanish like smoke; my bones burn like glowing embers.
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For my days are consumed like smoke, And my bones are burned like a hearth.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass; I forget to eat my food.
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My heart is stricken and withered like grass, So that I forget to eat my bread.
5 In my distress I groan aloud and am reduced to skin and bones.
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Because of the sound of my groaning My bones cling to my skin.
6 I am like a desert owl, like an owl among the ruins.
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I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I lie awake; I have become like a bird alone on a roof.
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I lie awake, And am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.
8 All day long my enemies taunt me; those who rail against me use my name as a curse.
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My enemies reproach me all day long, Those who deride me swear an oath against me.
9 For I eat ashes as my food and mingle my drink with tears
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For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 because of your great wrath, for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
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Because of Your indignation and Your wrath; For You have lifted me up and cast me away.
11 My days are like the evening shadow; I wither away like grass.
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My days are like a shadow that lengthens, And I wither away like grass.
12 But you, LORD, sit enthroned forever; your renown endures through all generations.
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But You, O Lord, shall endure forever, And the remembrance of Your name to all generations.
13 You will arise and have compassion on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.
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You will arise and have mercy on Zion; For the time to favor her, Yes, the set time, has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants; her very dust moves them to pity.
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For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, And show favor to her dust.
15 The nations will fear the name of the LORD, all the kings of the earth will revere your glory.
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So the nations shall fear the name of the Lord, And all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16 For the LORD will rebuild Zion and appear in his glory.
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For the Lord shall build up Zion; He shall appear in His glory.
17 He will respond to the prayer of the destitute; he will not despise their plea.
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He shall regard the prayer of the destitute, And shall not despise their prayer.
18 Let this be written for a future generation, that a people not yet created may praise the LORD:
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This will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.
19 “The LORD looked down from his sanctuary on high, from heaven he viewed the earth,
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For He looked down from the height of His sanctuary; From heaven the Lord viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners and release those condemned to death.”
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To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To release those appointed to death,
21 So the name of the LORD will be declared in Zion and his praise in Jerusalem
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To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, And His praise in Jerusalem,
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms assemble to worship the LORD.
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When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.
23 In the course of my life he broke my strength; he cut short my days.
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He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.
24 So I said: “Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days; your years go on through all generations.
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I said, "O my God, Do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years are throughout all generations.
25 In the beginning you laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.
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Of old You laid the foundation of the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26 They will perish, but you remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing you will change them and they will be discarded.
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They will perish, but You will endure; Yes, they will all grow old like a garment; Like a cloak You will change them, And they will be changed.
27 But you remain the same, and your years will never end.
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But You are the same, And Your years will have no end.
28 The children of your servants will live in your presence; their descendants will be established before you.”
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The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You."
Scripture quoted by permission. Quotations designated (NIV) are from THE HOLY BIBLE: NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica. All rights reserved worldwide.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.