1 H ear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come to You.

Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And let my cry come unto thee.

2 H ide not Your face from me in the day when I am in distress! Incline Your ear to me; in the day when I call, answer me speedily.

Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress: Incline thine ear unto me; In the day when I call answer me speedily.

3 F or my days consume away like smoke, and my bones burn like a firebrand or like a hearth.

For my days consume away like smoke, And my bones are burned as a firebrand.

4 M y heart is smitten like grass and withered, so that I forget to eat my food.

My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; For I forget to eat my bread.

5 B y reason of my loud groaning my flesh cleaves to my bones.

By reason of the voice of my groaning My bones cleave to my flesh.

6 I am like a melancholy pelican or vulture of the wilderness; I am like a owl of the waste places.

I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places.

7 I am sleepless and lie awake, like a bereaved sparrow alone on the housetop.

I watch, and am become like a sparrow That is alone upon the house-top.

8 M y adversaries taunt and reproach me all the day; and they who are angry with me use my name as a curse.

Mine enemies reproach me all the day; They that are mad against me do curse by me.

9 F or I have eaten the ashes as if they were bread and have mingled my drink with weeping

For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping,

10 B ecause of Your indignation and Your wrath, for You have taken me up and cast me away.

Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.

11 M y days are like an evening shadow that stretches out and declines; and I am withered like grass.

My days are like a shadow that declineth; And I am withered like grass.

12 B ut You, O Lord, are enthroned forever; and the fame of Your name endures to all generations.

But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever; And thy memorial name unto all generations.

13 Y ou will arise and have mercy and loving-kindness for Zion, for it is time to have pity and compassion for her; yes, the set time has come.

Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; For it is time to have pity upon her, Yea, the set time is come.

14 F or Your servants take pleasure in the stones and show pity for her dust.

For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, And have pity upon her dust.

15 S o the nations shall fear and worshipfully revere the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.

So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory.

16 W hen the Lord builds up Zion, He will appear in His glory;

For Jehovah hath built up Zion; He hath appeared in his glory.

17 H e will regard the plea of the destitute and will not despise their prayer.

He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, And hath not despised their prayer.

18 L et this be recorded for the generation yet unborn, that a people yet to be created shall praise the Lord.

This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah.

19 F or He looked down from the height of His sanctuary, from heaven did the Lord behold the earth,

For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;

20 T o hear the sighing and groaning of the prisoner, to loose those who are appointed to death,

To hear the sighing of the prisoner; To loose those that are appointed to death;

21 S o that men may declare the name of the Lord in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem

That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem;

22 W hen peoples are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to worship and serve the Lord.

When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.

23 H e has afflicted and weakened my strength, humbling and bringing me low in the way; He has shortened my days.

He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.

24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days, You Whose years continue throughout all generations.

I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: Thy years are throughout all generations.

25 A t the beginning You existed and laid the foundations of the earth; the heavens are the work of Your hands.

Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26 T hey shall perish, but You shall remain and endure; yes, all of them shall wear out and become old like a garment. Like clothing You shall change them, and they shall be changed and pass away.

They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

27 B ut You remain the same, and Your years shall have no end.

But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end.

28 T he children of Your servants shall dwell safely and continue, and their descendants shall be established before You.

The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee.