1 Lord, hear my prayer;

let my cry for help come before you.e

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

Listen closely to me;

answer me quickly when I call.f

3 For my days vanish like smoke,

and my bones burn like a furnace.g

4 My heart is suffering, withered like grass;h

I even forget to eat my food.i

5 Because of the sound of my groaning,

my flesh sticks to my bones.j

6 I am like an eagle owl,

like a little owl among the ruins.k

7 I stay awake;l

I am like a solitary bird on a roof.

8 My enemies taunt me all day long;

they ridicule and use my name as a curse.m

9 I eat ashes like bread

and mingle my drinks with tearsn

10 because of your indignation and wrath;

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

11 My days are like a lengthening shadow,

and I wither away like grass.p