Psalms 102
102
Prayer in Time of Distress
1The prayer of one afflicted and wasting away whose anguish is poured out before the Lord.
I
2Lord, hear my prayer;
let my cry come to you.
3Do not hide your face from me
in the day of my distress.#Ps 69:18; 143:7.
Turn your ear to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
4For my days vanish like smoke;#Ps 38:7–9.
my bones burn away as in a furnace.
5My heart is withered, dried up like grass,
too wasted to eat my food.
6From my loud groaning
I become just skin and bones.
7I am like a desert owl,
like an owl among the ruins.
8I lie awake and moan,
like a lone sparrow on the roof.
9All day long my enemies taunt me;
in their rage, they make my name a curse.#They make my name a curse: enemies use the psalmist’s name in phrases such as, “May you be as wretched as this person!”
10I eat ashes like bread,
mingle my drink with tears.#Ps 42:4; 80:6.
11Because of your furious wrath,
you lifted me up just to cast me down.
12#Ps 109:23; 144:4; Jb 8:9; 14:2; Eccl 6:12; Wis 2:5.My days are like a lengthening shadow;#Ps 90:5–6.
I wither like the grass.
II
13But you, Lord, are enthroned forever;
your renown is for all generations.#Ps 55:20; 90:2; 93:2; 135:13; 145:13; Lam 5:19; Heb 1:12.
14You will again show mercy to Zion;
now is the time for pity;
the appointed time has come.
15Its stones are dear to your servants;
its dust moves them to pity.
16The nations shall fear your name, Lord,
all the kings of the earth, your glory,#Is 59:19; 66:18.
17Once the Lord has rebuilt Zion
and appeared in glory,
18Heeding the plea of the lowly,
not scorning their prayer.
19Let this be written for the next generation,
for a people not yet born,
that they may praise the Lord:#Ps 22:31–32.
20#Both Ps 102:20–21 and Ps 102:22–23 depend on Ps 102:19.“The Lord looked down from the holy heights,
viewed the earth from heaven,#Ps 11:4; 14:2.
21To attend to the groaning of the prisoners,
to release those doomed to die.”#Ps 79:11.
22Then the Lord’s name will be declared on Zion,
his praise in Jerusalem,
23When peoples and kingdoms gather
to serve the Lord.#Is 60:3–4; Zec 2:15; 8:22.
III
24He has shattered my strength in mid-course,
has cut short my days.
25I plead, O my God,
do not take me in the midst of my days.#In the midst of my days: when the normal span of life is but half completed, cf. Is 38:10; Jer 17:11.#Ps 39:5; 90:10; Jb 14:5.
Your years last through all generations.
26Of old you laid the earth’s foundations;#Heb 1:10–12.
the heavens are the work of your hands.
27They perish, but you remain;
they all wear out like a garment;
Like clothing you change them and they are changed,
28but you are the same, your years have no end.
29May the children of your servants live on;
may their descendants live in your presence.#Ps 69:36–37.
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Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc
Psalm 102
102
Do Not Hide Your Face from Me
A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is #Ps. 61:2 faint and #Ps. 142:2pours out his complaint before the Lord.
1 #
Ps. 39:12 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry #Ps. 18:6; Ex. 2:23; 1 Sam. 9:16come to you!
2 # See Ps. 27:9 Do not hide your face from me
in #See Ps. 18:6 the day of my distress!
# See Ps. 31:2 Incline your ear to me;
# See Ps. 69:17 answer me speedily #Ps. 56:9in the day when I call!
3For my days #[James 4:14]; See Ps. 37:20 pass away like smoke,
and my #Job 30:30; Lam. 1:13; See Ps. 31:10bones burn like a furnace.
4My heart is #Ps. 121:6 struck down like grass and #Ps. 37:2; Isa. 40:7; [James 1:10, 11] has withered;
I #[1 Sam. 1:7; 2 Sam. 12:17; 1 Kgs. 21:4; Job 33:20]forget to eat my bread.
5Because of my loud groaning
my #See Job 19:20bones cling to my flesh.
6I am like #Isa. 34:11; Zeph. 2:14; [Job 30:29]a desert owl of the wilderness,
like an owl#102:6 The precise identity of these birds is uncertain of the waste places;
7I #Ps. 77:4lie awake;
I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
8All the day my enemies taunt me;
those who #[Acts 26:11] deride me #Isa. 65:15; Jer. 29:22use my name for a curse.
9For I eat ashes like bread
and #See Ps. 42:3mingle tears with my drink,
10because of your indignation and anger;
for you have #Ezek. 3:12, 14 taken me up and #Ps. 51:11thrown me down.
11My days are like #Ps. 109:23; 144:4; Job 8:9 an evening shadow;
I #[See ver. 4 above]wither away like grass.
12But you, O Lord, are #ver. 26; See Ps. 9:7 enthroned forever;
you #Ps. 135:13; Ex. 3:15are remembered throughout all generations.
13You will #Ps. 68:1 arise and have #Isa. 60:10; Zech. 1:12 pity on Zion;
it is the time to favor her;
#
Ps. 75:2; Jer. 29:10; Dan. 9:2; [Isa. 40:2] the appointed time has come.
14For your servants hold her #Neh. 4:2; [Lam. 4:1]stones dear
and have pity on her dust.
15Nations will #1 Kgs. 8:43; Isa. 59:19 fear the name of the Lord,
and all #Ps. 138:4; Isa. 60:3the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
16For the Lord #Ps. 147:2 builds up Zion;
he #Isa. 60:1, 2appears in his glory;
17he #Neh. 1:6, 11regards the prayer of the destitute
and does not despise their prayer.
18Let this be #[Deut. 31:19; Rom. 15:4; 1 Cor. 10:1] recorded for #Ps. 48:13; See Ps. 78:4, 6 a generation to come,
so that #See Ps. 22:31; [Isa. 43:21]a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
19that he #See Ps. 11:4looked down from his holy height;
from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
20to hear #Ps. 79:11 the groans of the prisoners,
to set free #Ps. 79:11those who were doomed to die,
21that they may #See Ps. 22:22declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
and in Jerusalem his praise,
22when #[Isa. 45:14]; See Ps. 22:27peoples gather together,
and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.
23He has broken my strength in midcourse;
he #Ps. 89:45has shortened my days.
24“O my God,” #[Isa. 38:10] I say, “take me not away
in the midst of my days—
#
Ps. 90:2; Job 36:26; Hab. 1:12 you whose years endure
throughout all generations!”
25 #
Gen. 1:1; 2:1; Cited Heb. 1:10 Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
and #See Ps. 96:5the heavens are the work of your hands.
26 #
Isa. 34:4; 51:6; Matt. 24:35; 2 Pet. 3:7, 10, 12; Rev. 20:11; 21:1; Cited Heb. 1:11, 12 They will perish, but #ver. 12you will remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
27but #Isa. 41:4; 48:12; Mal. 3:6; [Heb. 13:8; James 1:17]you are the same, and your years have no end.
28 # See Ps. 69:36 The children of your servants #Ps. 37:29 shall dwell secure;
#
Ps. 112:2
their offspring shall be established before you.
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