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

A Prayer of the afflicted when he is feeble, and before Jehovah poureth out his plaint. O Jehovah, hear my prayer, yea, my cry to Thee cometh.

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 Thou Thy face from me, In a day of mine adversity, Incline unto me Thine ear, In the day I call, haste, answer me.

3 F or my days go up in smoke. And my bones are burned as with fire.

For consumed in smoke have been my days, And my bones as a fire-brand have burned.

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

Smitten as the herb, and withered, is my heart, For I have forgotten to eat my bread.

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

From the voice of my sighing Hath my bone cleaved to my flesh.

6 I am like a pelican in the desert. I am like an owl of the waste places.

I have been like to a pelican of the wilderness, I have been as an owl of the dry places.

7 I lie awake. And I feel like a bird alone on the roof.

I have watched, and I am As a bird alone on the roof.

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

All the day mine enemies reproached me, Those mad at me have sworn against me.

9 F or I have eaten ashes like bread and have mixed my drink with tears,

Because ashes as bread I have eaten, And my drink with weeping have mingled,

10 b ecause of Your great anger. For You have lifted me up and thrown me away.

From Thine indignation and Thy wrath, For Thou hast lifted me up, And dost cast me down.

11 M y days are like the evening shadow. I dried up like grass.

My days as a shadow stretched out, And I -- as the herb I am withered.

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

And Thou, O Jehovah, to the age abidest, And Thy memorial to 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 -- Thou risest -- Thou pitiest Zion, For the time to favour her, For the appointed time hath come.

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

For Thy servants have been pleased with her stones, And her dust they favour.

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

And nations fear the name of Jehovah, And all kings of the earth Thine honour,

16 F or the Lord has built up Zion. He will come in His shining-greatness.

For Jehovah hath builded Zion, He hath been seen in His honour,

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

He turned unto the prayer of the destitute, And He hath not despised 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 is written for a later generation, And the people created do praise Jah.

19 F or He looked down from His holy place. He watched the earth from heaven,

For He hath looked From the high place of His sanctuary. Jehovah from heaven unto earth looked attentively,

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 groan of the prisoner, To loose sons of death,

21 S o the name of the Lord will be made known in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem,

To declare in Zion the name of Jehovah, And His praise in Jerusalem,

22 w hen the people gather together and the nations gather to serve the Lord.

In the peoples being gathered together, And the kingdoms -- to serve Jehovah.

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

He hath humbled in the way my power, He hath 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 say, `My God, take me not up in the midst of my days,' Through all generations Thine years.

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

Beforetime the earth Thou didst found, And the work of Thy hands the heavens.

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 -- They perish, and Thou remainest, And all of them as a garment become old, As clothing Thou changest them, And they are changed.

27 b ut You are always the same. Your years will never end.

And Thou the same, and Thine years are not finished.

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

The sons of Thy servants do continue, And their seed before Thee is established!