102:1 A prayer of the weak and oppressed, when he turns his complaints to the Eternal. Hear me, O Eternal One, hear my prayer! Hear my lonely desperate cry for help.
102:2 Do not hide from me when my days are filled with anguish; Lend Your ear to my wailing, and answer me quickly when I call.
102:3 For my days come and go, vanishing like smoke, and my bones are charred like bricks of a hearth.
102:4 My heart is beaten down like grass withered and scorched in the summer heat; I can’t even remember to eat.
102:5 My body is shaken by my groans; my bones cling to my skin, holding on for dear life.
102:6 I am like a solitary owl in the wilderness; I am a lost and lonely screech owl at home in the rubble.
102:7 I stare at the ceiling, awake in my bed; I am alone, a defenseless sparrow perched on a roof.
102:8 All day long my enemies chide me; those who mock me spit out my name as a curse.
102:9 For ashes have become my bread; my tears fall into my drink
102:10 Because of the depth of Your wrath. You have brought me up and then hurled me aside.
102:11 My days go by like a long shadow—stretched thin and disappearing— I shrivel up like grass baked in the hot sun.
102:12 But You, O Eternal One, remain forever, and Your name endures to all generations.
102:13 You will rise up once again and remember Your love for Zion; it is time to have mercy on Your city; yes, it is the divinely appointed time.
102:14 Your faithful servants take pleasure in her every stone; they even delight in the dust of her streets.
102:15 Days are coming when nations will tremble at the name of the Eternal; all the rulers of the earth will bow down to Your glory.
102:16 For He will return to rebuild His city, Zion; He will be seen in His splendor.
102:17 He will listen to the prayer of the impoverished and welcome their prayers.
102:18 Let this record be kept for posterity so that people not yet born may praise the Eternal.
102:19 Tell them that He looked down from holy heights, His heavenly sanctuary; the Eternal looked down from heaven and closely watched the earth,
102:20 Hearing the prisoners’ groans— releasing those awaiting execution—
102:21 That the name of the Eternal would resound in Zion, and His praise would be proclaimed in Jerusalem
102:22 When the peoples gather and the nations’ leaders assemble to worship the Eternal.
102:23 Along my way He has sapped my strength; He has shortened my days here on earth.
102:24 I said, “O my True God, don’t take me away in the middle of my life; Unlike me, Your years continually unfold throughout all generations.”
102:25 In the beginning, You laid the foundation of the earth and set the skies above us with Your own hands.
102:26 But while they will someday pass away, You remain forever; when they wear out like old clothes, You will roll them up and change them into something new, and they will pass away.
102:27 But You are the same, You will never change; Your years will never come to an end.
102:28 The children of those who serve You will enjoy a good, long life; their offspring will stand strong before You.
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