The Prayer of a Man in Trouble
102 Hear my prayer, O Lord! Let my cry for help come to You. 2 Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my trouble. Turn Your ear to me. Hurry to answer me in the day when I call. 3 For my days go up in smoke. And my bones are burned as with fire. 4 My heart is crushed and dried like grass. And I forget to eat my food. 5 I am nothing but skin and bones because of my loud cries. 6 I am like a pelican in the desert. I am like an owl of the waste places. 7 I lie awake. And I feel like a bird alone on the roof.
8 Those who hate me have made it hard for me all day long. Those who are angry with me curse my name. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread and have mixed my drink with tears, 10 because of Your great anger. For You have lifted me up and thrown me away. 11 My days are like the evening shadow. I dried up like grass.
12 But You and Your name, O Lord, will always be forever and to all people for all time. 13 You will rise up and have loving-pity on Zion. For it is time to show favor to her. The set time has come. 14 For Your servants respect her stones and show pity for her dust. 15 The nations will fear the name of the Lord. All the kings of the earth will fear Your shining-greatness. 16 For the Lord has built up Zion. He will come in His shining-greatness. 17 He will answer the prayer of those in need. He will not turn from their prayer.
18 This will be written for the children-to-come. So a people not yet born may give thanks to the Lord. 19 For He looked down from His holy place. He watched the earth from heaven, 20 to hear the loud cries of those in prison and to set free those who are being sent to death. 21 So the name of the Lord will be made known in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem, 22 when the people gather together and the nations gather to serve the Lord.
23 He has taken away my strength. He has taken days from my life. 24 I said, “O my God, do not take me away when my days are only half done. Your years go on to all people of all time. 25 You made the earth in the beginning. You made the heavens with Your hands. 26 They will be destroyed but You will always live. They will all become old as clothing becomes old. You will change them like a coat. And they will be changed, 27 but You are always the same. Your years will never end. 28 The children of those who work for You will live on. And their children will be set before You.”