102

Hear my prayer, Lord
Let my cry for help come to You
Do not hide your face from me
When I am in distress and very much need You

Turn Your ear to me
When I call, answer me quickly
For my days vanish like smoke
My bones burn like glowing embers endlessly

My heart is blighted and withered like grass
I forget to eat my food
In my distress I am reduced to skin and bones
And groan aloud

I am like a desert owl
Like an owl among the ruins
I lie awake; I have become
Like a bird on a roof, alone

All day long my enemies taunt me
Those who rail against me use my name as a curse
For I eat ashes as my food
And mingle my drink with tears because

Because of Your great wrath
For You have taken me up and thrown me aside
My days are like the evening shadow
I wither away like grass and go out of my mind

But You, Lord, sit enthroned forever
Your renown endures through all generations
You will arise and have compassion on Zion
And is ready to show it to all the nations

For it is time to show favor to her
The appointed time has come, has come for this city
For her stones are dear to Your servants
Her very dust moves them to pity

The nations will fear the name of the Lord
All the kings of the earth will revere Your glory
For the Lord will rebuild Zion
And appear in His glory

He will respond to the prayer of the destitute
He will not despise their plea
Let this be written for a future generation
That a people not yet created may praise the Lord who’ll forever be:

“The Lord looked down from His sanctuary on high
From heaven He viewed the earth
To hear the groans of the prisoners
And release those condemned to death”

So the name of the Lord will be declared in Zion
And His praise in Jerusalem
When the peoples and the kingdoms
Assemble to worship the Lord was, is and to come

In the course of my life He broke my strength
He cut short my days
So I said to the Lord
So I said to the Lord my praise:

“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days
Your years go on through all generations
The heavens are the work of your hands
And in the beginning You laid the earth’s foundations

They will perish, but You remain
They will all wear out like a garment
Like clothing You will change them
And they will be discarded

But You remain the same
And Your years will never end
The children of Your servants will live in Your presence
Their descendants will be established before You though it’s hard to believe and understand”