1 H ear my prayer, O Lord! And let my cry for help come to You.

Hear my prayer, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee.

2 D o 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.

Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

3 F or my days have been consumed in smoke, And my bones have been scorched like a hearth.

For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.

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

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

5 B ecause of the loudness of my groaning My bones cling to my flesh.

By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.

6 I resemble a pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the waste places.

I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

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

I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

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

Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.

9 F or I have eaten ashes like bread And 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 lifted me up and cast me away.

Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

11 M y days are like a lengthened shadow, And I wither away like grass.

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

12 B ut You, O Lord, abide forever, And Your name to all generations.

But thou, O Lord, shall endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

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

Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

14 S urely Your servants find pleasure in her stones And feel pity for her dust.

For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.

15 S o the nations will fear the name of the Lord And all the kings of the earth Your glory.

So the heathen shall fear the name of the Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

16 F or the Lord has built up Zion; He has appeared in His glory.

When the Lord shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

17 H e has regarded the prayer of the destitute And has not despised their prayer.

He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

18 T his will be written for the generation to come, That a people yet to be created may praise the Lord.

This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the Lord.

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

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

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

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

21 T hat men may tell of the name of the Lord in Zion And His praise in Jerusalem,

To declare the name of the Lord in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

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

When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the Lord.

23 H e has weakened my strength in the way; He has shortened my days.

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

24 I say, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days, Your years are 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 “ Of old You founded the earth, And the heavens are the work of Your hands.

Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26 “ 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.

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

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

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

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