1 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah,

And let my cry come unto thee.

2 Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress:

Incline thine ear unto me;

In the day when I call answer me speedily.

3 For my days consume away like smoke,

And my bones are burned as a firebrand.

4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered;

For I forget to eat my bread.

5 By reason of the voice of my groaning

My bones cleave to my flesh.

6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;

I am become as an owl of the waste places.

7 I watch, and am become like a sparrow

That is alone upon the house-top.

8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day;

They that are mad against me do curse by me.

9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,

And mingled my drink with weeping,

10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath:

For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.

11 My days are like a shadow that declineth;

And I am withered like grass.

12 But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever;

And thy memorial name unto all generations.

13 Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion;

For it is time to have pity upon her,

Yea, the set time is come.

14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,

And have pity upon her dust.

15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah,

And all the kings of the earth thy glory.

16 For Jehovah hath built up Zion;

He hath appeared in his glory.

17 He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute,

And hath not despised their prayer.

18 This shall be written for the generation to come;

And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah.

19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;

From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;

20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner;

To loose those that are appointed to death;

21 That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion,

And his praise in Jerusalem;

22 When the peoples are gathered together,

And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.

23 He weakened my strength in the way;

He shortened my days.

24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:

Thy years are throughout all generations.

25 Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth;

And the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26 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 thou art the same,

And thy years shall have no end.

28 The children of thy servants shall continue,

And their seed shall be established before thee.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

12 And Thou, O Jehovah, to the age abidest, And Thy memorial to all generations.

13 Thou -- Thou risest -- Thou pitiest Zion, For the time to favour her, For the appointed time hath come.

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

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

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

17 He turned unto the prayer of the destitute, And He hath not despised their prayer.

18 This is written for a later generation, And the people created do praise Jah.

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

20 To hear the groan of the prisoner, To loose sons of death,

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

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

23 He hath humbled in the way my power, He hath shortened my days.

24 I say, `My God, take me not up in the midst of my days,` Through all generations [are] Thine years.

25 Beforetime the earth Thou didst found, And the work of Thy hands [are] the heavens.

26 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 And Thou [art] the same, and Thine years are not finished.

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