Psalms 102
102
From Tears to Praise
A prayer for those who are overwhelmed and for all the discouraged who come to pour out their hearts before the Lord # 102 As translated from the Septuagint.
1Lord, listen to my prayer! Listen to my cry for help!
2You can’t hide your face from me in the day of my distress.
Stoop down to hear my prayer and answer me quickly, Lord!
3-4For my days of happiness have gone up in smoke.
My body is raging with fever, my heart is sick,
and I’m consumed by this illness—
withered like a dead leaf. I can’t even eat.
5I’m nothing but skin and bones.
Nothing’s left of me but whispered groans.
6I’m like a pelican of the wilderness, # 102:6 Ancient expositors viewed the “pelican in the wilderness” as a reference to Christ. The famous legend and much medieval artwork taught that the pelican would give the gift of blood to her starving young by piercing her own breast with her beak, allowing her young to drink her blood and live. What an amazing example of sacrificial love. Augustine writes concerning this: “The mother wounds herself deeply and pours forth her blood over her young, bathed in which they recover life.” See Augustine, “Exposition on the Book of Psalms,” in Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, First Series, ed. A. Cleveland Coxe and Philip Schaff (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1955), 8:497.
like an owl among the ruins.
7I’m sleepless, shivering in the cold, forlorn, and friendless,
like a lonely bird on the rooftop.
8My every enemy mocks and insults me incessantly.
They even use my name as a curse to speak over others!
9-10Because of your great and furious anger against me,
all I do is suffer with sorrow,
with nothing to eat but a meal of mourning. # 102:9–10 Or “I eat ashes as if they were bread.” Ashes speak of mourning, for mourners would often throw dust and ashes over their heads.
My crying fills my cup with salty tears!
In your wrath you have rejected me,
sweeping me away like dirt on the floor.
11My days are marked by the lengthening shadows of death.
I’m withering away and there’s nothing left of me.
12But then I remember that you, O Lord,
still sit enthroned as King over all!
The fame of your name will be revealed to every generation.
13I know you are about to arise and show your tender love to Zion.
Now is the time, Lord,
for your compassion and mercy to be poured out—
the appointed time has come
for your prophetic promises to be fulfilled!
14For your servants weep in sympathy over Zion’s ruins
and feel love for her every stone.
15When you arise to intervene,
all the nations and kings will be stunned
and will fear your awesome name, trembling before your glory!
16Yes, you will reveal yourself to Zion
and appear in the brightness of your glory
to restore her and give her children.
17He responds to the prayer of the poor and broken
and will not despise the cry of the homeless.
18Write all this down for the coming generation,
so re-created people # 102:18 Or “those born anew [re-created].” will read it and praise the Lord!
19Tell them how Yah # 102:19 Taken from Yahweh. Yah is often used as the name of the God of Power. looked down from his high and holy place,
gazing from his glory to survey the earth.
20He listened to all the groaning of his people longing to be free,
and he set loose the sons of death to experience life.
21Multitudes will stream to Jerusalem to
praise the Lord and declare his name in Zion!
22Peoples from every land, their kings and kingdoms,
will gather together to worship the Lord.
23But God has brought me to my knees, shortening my life.
24So I cry out to you, my God, Father of eternity,
please don’t let me die!
I know my life is not yet finished.
25With your hands you once formed the foundations of the earth
and handcrafted the heavens above.
26-27They will all fade away one day like worn-out clothing,
ready to be discarded, but you’ll still be here.
You will replace it all!
Your first creation will be changed,
but you alone will endure, the God of all eternity!
28Generation after generation our descendants will live securely,
for you are the one protecting us, keeping us for yourself.
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Psalms 102: TPT
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Learn More About The Passion TranslationPsalm 102
102
Psalm 102
A prayer of a suffering person who has become weak. They pour out their problems to the Lord.
1 Lord, hear my prayer.
Listen to my cry for help.
2Don’t turn your face away from me
when I’m in trouble.
Pay attention to me.
When I call out for help, answer me quickly.
3My days are disappearing like smoke.
My body burns like glowing coals.
4My strength has dried up like grass.
I even forget to eat my food.
5I groan out loud because of my suffering.
I’m nothing but skin and bones.
6I’m like a desert owl.
I’m like an owl among destroyed buildings.
7I can’t sleep. I’ve become
like a bird alone on a roof.
8All day long my enemies laugh at me.
Those who make fun of me use my name as a curse.
9I eat ashes as my food.
My tears fall into what I’m drinking.
10You were very angry with me.
So you picked me up and threw me away.
11The days of my life are like an evening shadow.
I dry up like grass.
12But Lord, you are seated on your throne forever.
Your fame will continue for all time to come.
13You will rise up and show deep concern for Zion.
The time has come for you to help Zion.
14The stones of your destroyed city are priceless to us.
Even its dust brings deep concern to us.
15The nations will worship the Lord.
All the kings on earth will respect his glorious power.
16The Lord will build Zion again.
He will appear in his glory.
17He will answer the prayer of those who don’t have anything.
He won’t say no to their cry for help.
18Let this be written down for those born after us.
Then people who are not yet born can praise the Lord.
19Here is what should be written.
“The Lord looked down from his temple in heaven.
From heaven he viewed the earth.
20He heard the groans of the prisoners.
He set free those who were sentenced to death.”
21So people will talk about him in Zion.
They will praise him in Jerusalem.
22Nations and kingdoms
will gather there to worship the Lord.
23When I was still young, he took away my strength.
He wasn’t going to let me live much longer.
24So I said, “My God, don’t let me die in the middle of my life.
You will live for all time to come.
25In the beginning you made the earth secure.
You placed it on its foundations.
Your hands created the heavens.
26They will pass away. But you will remain.
They will all wear out like a piece of clothing.
You will make them like clothes
that are taken off and thrown away.
27But you remain the same.
Your years will never end.
28Our children will live with you.
Their sons and daughters will be safe in your care.”
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