Read the Bible

Prayer of an Afflicted Man for Mercy on Himself and on Zion.

^1 (C1)Hear my prayer, O LORD,
And let my cry for help ^(C2)come to You!

^2 (C1)Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress!
^(C2)Incline Your ear to me;
In the day when I call, ^(C1)answer me quickly.

³ For my days have ^(C1)vanished in smoke,
And my ^(C2)bones have been scorched like a hearth.

⁴ My heart ^(C1)has been struck like grass and ^(C2)withered,
Indeed, absorbed by my heartache I ^(C3)forget to eat my food.

⁵ Because of the sound of my groaning in suffering and trouble
My ^(C1)bones cling to my flesh.

⁶ I am like a mournful ^(F1)(C1)vulture of the wilderness;
I am like a desolate owl of the wasteland.

⁷ I am ^(C1)sleepless and lie awake mourning,
I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.

⁸ My enemies ^(C1)taunt me all day long;
Those who ^(C2)ridicule me use my name as a ^(C3)curse.

⁹ For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And have ^(C1)mingled my drink with tears ^(VR1)

^10 (C1)Because of Your indignation and Your wrath,
For You have ^(C2)lifted me up and thrown me away.

¹¹ My days are like an ^(C1)evening shadow that lengthens and vanishes with the sun;
And as for me, I ^(C2)wither away like grass.

¹² But You, O LORD, ^(C1)are enthroned forever ruling eternally as sovereign;
And the fame and glory of Your ^(C2)name endures to all generations.

¹³ You will ^(C1)arise and have ^(C2)compassion on Zion,
For ^(C3)it is time to be gracious and show favor to her;
Yes, the ^(C4)appointed time the moment designated has come. ^(VR1)

¹⁴ For Your servants find melancholy pleasure in the stones of her ruins
And feel pity for her dust.

¹⁵ So the ^(C1)nations will fear the name of the LORD,
And ^(C2)all the kings of the earth will recognize Your glory. ^(VR1)

¹⁶ For the LORD has ^(C1)built up Zion;
He has ^(C2)appeared in His glory and brilliance;

¹⁷ He has ^(C1)regarded the prayer of the destitute,
And has not despised their prayer.

¹⁸ Let this be ^(C1)recorded for the ^(C2)generation to come,
That ^(C3)a people yet to be created will praise the LORD.

¹⁹ For He ^(C1)looked down from His holy height of His sanctuary,
^(C2)From heaven the LORD gazed on the earth,

²⁰ To hear the ^(C1)sighing of the prisoner,
To ^(C2)set free those who were doomed to death,

²¹ So that people may ^(C1)declare the name of the LORD in Zion
And His praise in Jerusalem,

²² When the ^(C1)peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

²³ He has exhausted my strength humbling me with sorrow in the way;
He has ^(C1)shortened my days.

²⁴ I said, "O my God, ^(C1)do not take me away in the midst of my days;
Your ^(C2)years are eternal throughout all generations.

²⁵ "At the beginning You ^(C1)founded the earth;
The ^(C2)heavens are the work of Your hands.

²⁶ "Even they will ^(C1)perish, but You endure;
Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment.
Like clothing You will change them and they shall be changed.

²⁷ "But You remain ^(C1)the same,
And Your years will never end. ^(VR1)

²⁸ "The ^(C1)children of Your servants will continue,
And their ^(C2)descendants will be established before You."