Psalm 102

English Standard Version

Do Not Hide Your Face from Me

A Prayer of one afflicted, when he is ^(A)faint and ^(B)pours out his complaint before the Lord.

102 ^(C)Hear my prayer, O Lord;
let my cry ^(D)come to you!
²^(E)Do not hide your face from me
in ^(F)the day of my distress!
^(G)Incline your ear to me;
^(H)answer me speedily ^(I)in the day when I call!

³For my days ^(J)pass away like smoke,
    and my ^(K)bones burn like a furnace.
⁴My heart is ^(L)struck down like grass and ^(M)has withered;
    I ^(N)forget to eat my bread.
⁵Because of my loud groaning
    my ^(O)bones cling to my flesh.
⁶I am like ^(P)a desert owl of the wilderness,
    like an owl^[a] of the waste places;
⁷I ^(Q)lie awake;
    I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.
⁸All the day my enemies taunt me;
    those who ^(R)deride me ^(S)use my name for a curse.
⁹For I eat ashes like bread
    and ^(T)mingle tears with my drink,
¹⁰because of your indignation and anger;
    for you have ^(U)taken me up and ^(V)thrown me down.
¹¹My days are like ^(W)an evening shadow;
    I ^(X)wither away like grass.

¹²But you, O Lord, are ^(Y)enthroned forever;
    you ^(Z)are remembered throughout all generations.
¹³You will ^(AA)arise and have ^(AB)pity on Zion;
    it is the time to favor her;
    ^(AC)the appointed time has come.
¹⁴For your servants hold her ^(AD)stones dear
    and have pity on her dust.
¹⁵Nations will ^(AE)fear the name of the Lord,
    and all ^(AF)the kings of the earth will fear your glory.
¹⁶For the Lord ^(AG)builds up Zion;
    he ^(AH)appears in his glory;
¹⁷he ^(AI)regards the prayer of the destitute
    and does not despise their prayer.

¹⁸Let this be ^(AJ)recorded for ^(AK)a generation to come,
    so that ^(AL)a people yet to be created may praise the Lord:
¹⁹that he ^(AM)looked down from his holy height;
    from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,
²⁰to hear ^(AN)the groans of the prisoners,
    to set free ^(AO)those who were doomed to die,
²¹that they may ^(AP)declare in Zion the name of the Lord,
    and in Jerusalem his praise,
²²when ^(AQ)peoples gather together,
    and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

²³He has broken my strength in midcourse;
    he ^(AR)has shortened my days.
²⁴“O my God,” ^(AS)I say, “take me not away
    in the midst of my days—
^(AT)you whose years endure
    throughout all generations!”

²⁵^(AU)Of old you laid the foundation of the earth,
    and ^(AV)the heavens are the work of your hands.
²⁶^(AW)They will perish, but ^(AX)you will remain;
    they will all wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,
²⁷    but ^(AY)you are the same, and your years have no end.
²⁸^(AZ)The children of your servants ^(BA)shall dwell secure;
    ^(BB)their offspring shall be established before you.