Psalm 102-103

New International Version

Psalm 102^[a]

A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.

¹Hear my prayer,^(A) Lord;
    let my cry for help^(B) come to you.
²Do not hide your face^(C) from me
    when I am in distress.
Turn your ear^(D) to me;
    when I call, answer me quickly.

³For my days vanish like smoke;^(E)
    my bones^(F) burn like glowing embers.
⁴My heart is blighted and withered like grass;^(G)
    I forget to eat my food.^(H)
⁵In my distress I groan aloud^(I)
    and am reduced to skin and bones.
⁶I am like a desert owl,^(J)
    like an owl among the ruins.
⁷I lie awake;^(K) I have become
    like a bird alone^(L) on a roof.
⁸All day long my enemies^(M) taunt me;^(N)
    those who rail against me use my name as a curse.^(O)
⁹For I eat ashes^(P) as my food
    and mingle my drink with tears^(Q)
¹⁰because of your great wrath,^(R)
    for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
¹¹My days are like the evening shadow;^(S)
    I wither^(T) away like grass.

¹²But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;^(U)
    your renown endures^(V) through all generations.^(W)
¹³You will arise^(X) and have compassion^(Y) on Zion,
    for it is time^(Z) to show favor^(AA) to her;
    the appointed time^(AB) has come.
¹⁴For her stones are dear to your servants;
    her very dust moves them to pity.
¹⁵The nations will fear^(AC) the name of the Lord,
    all the kings^(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
¹⁶For the Lord will rebuild Zion^(AE)
    and appear in his glory.^(AF)
¹⁷He will respond to the prayer^(AG) of the destitute;
    he will not despise their plea.

¹⁸Let this be written^(AH) for a future generation,
    that a people not yet created^(AI) may praise the Lord:
¹⁹“The Lord looked down^(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
    from heaven he viewed the earth,
²⁰to hear the groans of the prisoners^(AK)
    and release those condemned to death.”
²¹So the name of the Lord will be declared^(AL) in Zion
    and his praise^(AM) in Jerusalem
²²when the peoples and the kingdoms
    assemble to worship^(AN) the Lord.

²³In the course of my life^[b] he broke my strength;
    he cut short my days.^(AO)
²⁴So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
    your years go on^(AP) through all generations.
²⁵In the beginning^(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
    and the heavens^(AR) are the work of your hands.^(AS)
²⁶They will perish,^(AT) 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,^(AU)
    and your years will never end.^(AV)
²⁸The children of your servants^(AW) will live in your presence;
    their descendants^(AX) will be established before you.”

Psalm 103

Of David.

¹Praise the Lord,^(AY) my soul;^(AZ)
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.^(BA)
²Praise the Lord,^(BB) my soul,
    and forget not^(BC) all his benefits—
³who forgives all your sins^(BD)
    and heals^(BE) all your diseases,
⁴who redeems your life^(BF) from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,^(BG)
⁵who satisfies^(BH) your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed^(BI) like the eagle’s.^(BJ)

⁶The Lord works righteousness^(BK)
and justice for all the oppressed.^(BL)

⁷He made known^(BM) his ways^(BN) to Moses,
    his deeds^(BO) to the people of Israel:
⁸The Lord is compassionate and gracious,^(BP)
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
⁹He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;^(BQ)
¹⁰he does not treat us as our sins deserve^(BR)
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
¹¹For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love^(BS) for those who fear him;^(BT)
¹²as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions^(BU) from us.

¹³As a father has compassion^(BV) on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
¹⁴for he knows how we are formed,^(BW)
    he remembers that we are dust.^(BX)
¹⁵The life of mortals is like grass,^(BY)
    they flourish like a flower^(BZ) of the field;
¹⁶the wind blows^(CA) over it and it is gone,
    and its place^(CB) remembers it no more.
¹⁷But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children^(CC)—
¹⁸with those who keep his covenant^(CD)
    and remember^(CE) to obey his precepts.^(CF)

¹⁹The Lord has established his throne^(CG) in heaven,
and his kingdom rules^(CH) over all.

²⁰Praise the Lord,^(CI) you his angels,^(CJ)
    you mighty ones^(CK) who do his bidding,^(CL)
    who obey his word.
²¹Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,^(CM)
    you his servants^(CN) who do his will.
²²Praise the Lord, all his works^(CO)
    everywhere in his dominion.