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

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

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

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

⁴ My heart ^(C1)has been struck like ^(F1)grass and has ^(C2)withered,
Indeed, I ^(C3)forget to eat my bread.

⁵ Because of the ^(F1)loudness of my groaning
My ^(C1)bones ^(F2)cling to my flesh.

⁶ I resemble a ^(C1)pelican of the wilderness;
I have become like an owl of the ruins.

⁷ I ^(C1)lie awake,
I have become like a solitary bird on a housetop.

⁸ My enemies ^(C1)have taunted me all day long;
Those who ^(F1)(C2)deride me ^(F2)have used my name as a ^(C3)curse.

⁹ For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And ^(C1)mixed my drink with weeping

^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 a ^(F1)(C1)lengthened shadow,
And ^(F2)I ^(C2)wither away like ^(F3)grass.

¹² But You, LORD, ^(F1)(C1)remain forever,
And Your ^(F2)(C2)name remains to all generations.

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

¹⁴ Surely Your servants ^(F1)take pleasure in her stones,
And feel pity for her dust.

^15 (F1)So the ^(F2)(C1)nations will fear the name of the LORD,
And ^(C2)all the kings of the earth, Your glory.

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

¹⁷ He has ^(C1)turned His attention to the prayer of the ^(F1)destitute
And has not despised their prayer.

^18 (F1)This will be ^(C1)written for the ^(C2)generation to come,
^(F2)That ^(C3)a people yet to be created ^(F3)may praise ^(F4)the LORD:

¹⁹ For He ^(C1)looked down from His holy height;
^(C2)From heaven the LORD looked ^(F1)upon the earth,

²⁰ To hear the ^(C1)groaning of the prisoner,
To ^(C2)set free ^(F1)those who were doomed to death,

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

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

²³ He has broken my strength in the way;
He has ^(C1)shortened my days.

²⁴ I say, "My God, ^(C1)do not take me away in the middle of my days,
Your ^(C2)years are ^(F1)throughout all generations.

²⁵ "In time of old You ^(C1)founded the earth,
And the ^(C2)heavens are the work of Your hands.

²⁶ "^(F1)Even they will ^(C1)perish, but You endure;
All of them will wear out like a garment;
Like clothing You will change them and they will pass away.

²⁷ "But You are ^(F1)(C1)the same,
And Your years will not come to an end.

²⁸ "The ^(C1)children of Your servants will continue,
And their ^(F1)(C2)descendants will be established before You."