Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

102 A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is xfaint and ypours out his complaint before the Lord.

1  zHear my prayer, O Lord;

let my cry acome to you!

2  bDo not hide your face from me

in cthe day of my distress!

dIncline your ear to me;

eanswer me speedily fin the day when I call!

3  For my days gpass away like smoke,

and my hbones burn like a furnace.

4  My heart is istruck down like grass and jhas withered;

I kforget to eat my bread.

5  Because of my loud groaning

my lbones cling to my flesh.

6  I am like ma desert owl of the wilderness,

like an owl1 of the waste places;

7  I nlie awake;

I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.

8  All the day my enemies taunt me;

those who oderide me puse my name for a curse.

9  For I eat ashes like bread

and qmingle tears with my drink,

10  because of your indignation and anger;

for you have rtaken me up and sthrown me down.

11  My days are like tan evening shadow;

I jwither away like grass.

12  But you, O Lord, are uenthroned forever;

you vare remembered throughout all generations.

13  You will warise and have xpity on Zion;

it is the time to favor her;

ythe appointed time has come.

14  For your servants hold her zstones dear

and have pity on her dust.

15  Nations will afear the name of the Lord,

and all bthe kings of the earth will fear your glory.

16  For the Lord cbuilds up Zion;

he dappears in his glory;

17  he eregards the prayer of the destitute

and does not despise their prayer.

18  Let this be frecorded for ga generation to come,

so that ha people yet to be created may praise the Lord:

19  that he ilooked down from his holy height;

from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,

20  to hear jthe groans of the prisoners,

to set free kthose who were doomed to die,

21  that they may ldeclare in Zion the name of the Lord,

and in Jerusalem his praise,

22  when mpeoples gather together,

and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

23  He has broken my strength in midcourse;

he nhas shortened my days.

24  “O my God,” oI say, “take me not away

in the midst of my days—

pyou whose years endure

throughout all generations!”

25  qOf old you laid the foundation of the earth,

and rthe heavens are the work of your hands.

26  sThey will perish, but tyou will remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,

27  but uyou are the same, and your years have no end.

28  vThe children of your servants wshall dwell secure;

xtheir offspring shall be established before you.