1 H ear my prayer, O Lord! 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 trouble. Turn Your ear to me. Hurry to answer me in the day when I call.

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 go up in smoke. And my bones are burned as with fire.

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

4 M y heart is crushed and dried like grass. And I forget to eat my food.

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

5 I am nothing but skin and bones because of my loud cries.

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

6 I am like a pelican in the desert. I am 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. And I feel like a bird alone on the roof.

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

8 T hose who hate me have made it hard for me all day long. Those who are angry with me curse my name.

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 have mixed my drink with tears,

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

10 b ecause of Your great anger. For You have lifted me up and thrown 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 the evening shadow. I dried up like grass.

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

12 B ut You and Your name, O Lord, will always be forever and to all people for all time.

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

13 Y ou will rise up and have loving-pity on Zion. For it is time to show favor to her. The set time has come.

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

14 F or Your servants respect her stones and show pity for her dust.

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

15 T he nations will fear the name of the Lord. All the kings of the earth will fear Your shining-greatness.

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 will come in His shining-greatness.

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

17 H e will answer the prayer of those in need. He will not turn from their prayer.

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

18 T his will be written for the children-to-come. So a people not yet born may give thanks to 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 place. He watched the earth from heaven,

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

20 t o hear the loud cries of those in prison and to set free those who are being sent to death.

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

21 S o the name of the Lord will be made known 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 people gather together and the nations gather to serve the Lord.

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

23 H e has taken away my strength. He has taken days from my life.

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

24 I said, “O my God, do not take me away when my days are only half done. Your years go on to all people of all time.

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

25 Y ou made the earth in the beginning. You made the heavens with Your hands.

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

26 T hey will be destroyed but You will always live. They will all become old as clothing becomes old. You will change them like a coat. 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 b ut You are always the same. Your years will never end.

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

28 T he children of those who work for You will live on. And their children will be set before You.”

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