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

Hear my prayer, O Lord! And let my cry for help come to You.

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.

Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call answer me quickly.

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

For my days have been consumed in smoke, And my bones have been scorched like a hearth.

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

My heart has been smitten like grass and has withered away, Indeed, I forget to eat my bread.

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

Because of the loudness of my groaning My bones cling 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 resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the waste places.

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

I lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.

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

My enemies have reproached me all day long; Those who deride me have used my name as a curse.

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 Your indignation and Your wrath, For You have lifted 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 lengthened shadow, And I wither away like grass.

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

But You, O Lord, abide forever, And Your name to 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.

You will arise and have compassion on Zion; For it is time to be gracious to her, For the appointed time has come.

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

Surely Your servants find pleasure in her stones And feel pity for 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 will fear the name of the Lord And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

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

For the Lord has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory.

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

He has regarded the prayer of the destitute And has 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 will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.

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

For He looked down from His holy height; From heaven the Lord gazed upon the earth,

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

To hear the groaning of the prisoner, To set free those who were doomed to death,

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

That men may tell of the name of the Lord 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 the Lord.

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

He has weakened my strength in the way; He has 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 say, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days, Your 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 You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your 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.

“ Even they will perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.

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

“But You are the same, And Your years will not come to an end.

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

“The children of Your servants will continue, And their descendants will be established before You.”