Psalm 102:1–28

¹Hear my prayer,^f Lord;

let my cry for help^g come to you.

²Do not hide your face^h from me

when I am in distress.

Turn your earⁱ to me;

when I call, answer me quickly.

³For my days vanish like smoke;^j

my bones^k burn like glowing embers.

⁴My heart is blighted and withered like grass;^l

I forget to eat my food.^m

⁵In my distress I groan aloudⁿ

and am reduced to skin and bones.

⁶I am like a desert owl,^o

like an owl among the ruins.

⁷I lie awake;^p I have become

like a bird alone^q on a roof.

⁸All day long my enemies^r taunt me;^s

those who rail against me use my name as a curse.^t

⁹For I eat ashes^u as my food

and mingle my drink with tears^v

¹⁰because of your great wrath,^w

for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.

¹¹My days are like the evening shadow;^x

I wither^y away like grass.

¹²But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;^z

your renown endures^a through all generations.^b

¹³You will arise^c and have compassion^d on Zion,

for it is time^e to show favor^f to her;

the appointed time^g has come.

¹⁴For her stones are dear to your servants;

her very dust moves them to pity.

¹⁵The nations will fear^h the name of the Lord,

all the kingsⁱ of the earth will revere your glory.

¹⁶For the Lord will rebuild Zion^j

and appear in his glory.^k

¹⁷He will respond to the prayer^l of the destitute;

he will not despise their plea.

¹⁸Let this be written^m for a future generation,

that a people not yet createdⁿ may praise the Lord:

¹⁹“The Lord looked down^o from his sanctuary on high,

from heaven he viewed the earth,

²⁰to hear the groans of the prisoners^p

and release those condemned to death.”

²¹So the name of the Lord will be declared^q in Zion

and his praise^r in Jerusalem

²²when the peoples and the kingdoms

assemble to worship^s the Lord.

²³In the course of my life^b he broke my strength;

he cut short my days.^t

²⁴So I said:

“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;

your years go on^u through all generations.

²⁵In the beginning^v you laid the foundations of the earth,

and the heavens^w are the work of your hands.^x

²⁶They will perish,^y but you remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

Like clothing you will change them

and they will be discarded.

²⁷But you remain the same,^z

and your years will never end.^a

²⁸The children of your servants^b will live in your presence;

their descendants^c will be established before you.”