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¹ A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is faint and pours out his complaint before Jehovah. Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, and let my cry come to You.² Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble; bow down Your ear to me in the day I call; answer me quickly.³ For my days are finished in smoke, and my bones are burned like a burning heap.⁴ My heart is stricken and dried like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread.⁵ Because of the voice of my sighing, my bones cleave to my flesh.⁶ I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am like an owl of the desert.⁷ I watch and am like a sparrow alone on the housetop.⁸ My enemies curse me all the day long; those who rave against me have sworn against me.⁹ For I have eaten ashes like bread, and have mixed my drink with weeping,¹⁰ because of Your anger and Your wrath; for You have lifted me and cast me down.¹¹ My days are like a shadow stretched out, and I wither like grass.

¹² But You, O Jehovah, shall dwell forever, and Your memory to generation and generation.¹³ You shall arise; have mercy on Zion, for the time to pity her, yea, the appointed time has come.¹⁴ For Your servants take pleasure in its stones, and pity its dust.¹⁵ So nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.¹⁶ When Jehovah shall build up Zion, He shall be seen in His glory.¹⁷ He will turn to the prayer of the destitute, and will not despise their prayer.¹⁸ This shall be written for the generation to come, and people to be created shall praise Jehovah.¹⁹ For He has looked down from the height of His sanctuary; Jehovah looked from Heaven to the earth,²⁰ to hear the groaning of the prisoner, to set free the sons of death,²¹ to declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, and His praise in Jerusalem,²² when the peoples and the kingdoms are gathered together to serve Jehovah.

²³ He diminished my strength in the way; He shortened my days.²⁴ I said, O my God, do not take me up in the half of my days; Your years are through the generation of generations.²⁵ Before time You founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.²⁶ They shall perish, but You shall endure; yea, all of them shall wear out like a garment; You shall change them like clothing, and they shall be changed.²⁷ But You are He, and Your years shall not be ended.²⁸ The sons of Your servants shall dwell, and their seed shall be established before You.