Psalm 102

Psalm 102

AFFLICTION IN LIGHT OF ETERNITY

A prayer of a suffering person who is weak and pours out his lament before the Lord.^d

¹Lord, hear my prayer;

let my cry for help come before you.^e

²Do not hide your face from me in my day of trouble.

Listen closely to me;

answer me quickly when I call.^f

³For my days vanish like smoke,

and my bones burn like a furnace.^g

⁴My heart is suffering, withered like grass;^h

I even forget to eat my food.ⁱ

⁵Because of the sound of my groaning,

my flesh sticks to my bones.^j

⁶I am like an eagle owl,

like a little owl among the ruins.^k

⁷I stay awake;^l

I am like a solitary bird on a roof.

⁸My enemies taunt me all day long;

they ridicule and use my name as a curse.^m

⁹I eat ashes like bread

and mingle my drinks with tearsⁿ

¹⁰because of your indignation and wrath;

for you have picked me up and thrown me aside.^o

¹¹My days are like a lengthening shadow,

and I wither away like grass.^p

¹²But you, Lord, are enthroned forever;^q

your fame endures to all generations.^r

¹³You will rise up and have compassion on Zion,

for it is time to show favor to her—

the appointed time has come.^s

¹⁴For your servants take delight in its stones

and favor its dust.^t

¹⁵Then the nations will fear the name of the Lord,

and all the kings of the earth your glory,^u

¹⁶for the Lord will rebuild Zion;

he will appear in his glory.^v

¹⁷He will pay attention to the prayer of the destitute

and will not despise their prayer.^w

¹⁸This will be written for a later generation,

and a people who have not yet been created will praise the Lord:^x

¹⁹He looked down from his holy heights—

the Lord gazed out from heaven to earth^y—

²⁰to hear a prisoner’s groaning,

to set free those condemned to die,^Az

²¹so that they might declare

the name of the Lord in Zion

and his praise in Jerusalem^aa

²²when peoples and kingdoms are assembled

to serve the Lord.^ab

²³He has broken my^B strength in midcourse;

he has shortened my days.^ac

²⁴I say, “My God, do not take me

in the middle of my life!^C

Your years continue through all generations.^ad

²⁵Long ago you established the earth,

and the heavens are the work of your hands.^ae

²⁶They will perish, but you will endure;

all of them will wear out like clothing.

You will change them like a garment,

and they will pass away.^af

²⁷But you are the same,

and your years will never end.^ag

²⁸Your servants’ children will dwell securely,

and their offspring will be established before you.”^ah