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 TranslationTehillim 102
102
(A tefillah of one afflicted; when he is faint, he pours out his si'akh [complaint] before Hashem)
1Hear my tefillah, Hashem, and let my cry for help come unto Thee.
2 Hide not Thy face from me in the yom tzar (day of distress); incline Thine ear unto me; in the yom when I call, answer me speedily.
3 For my yamim are consumed like ashan (smoke), and my atzmot burn like a furnace.
4 My lev is struck, and withered like esev; so that I forget to eat my lechem.
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning my atzmot have deveykus to my basar.
6 I am like a bird of the midbar; I am like an owl of the desert.
7 I keep watch, and am like a tzippor (bird) alone upon the gag (housetop, roof).
8 Mine oyevim (enemies) reproach me kol hayom; and they that revile me curse by me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like lechem, and mingled my drink with tears.
10 Because of Thine za'am (indignation) and Thy ketsef (wrath, anger); for Thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.
11 My days are like a tzel (shadow) that lengtheneth; and I am withered like esev (grass).
12 But Thou, Hashem, shall endure l'olam; and Thy memory unto dor vador.
13 Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Tziyon; for the time to favor her, the mo'ed (set time, appointed time) has come.
14 For Thy avadim cherish her avanim (stones), and pity her aphar.
15 So the Goyim shall fear the Shem Hashem, and all the melachim of ha'aretz will revere Thy glory.
16 When Hashem shall build up Tziyon, He shall appear in His Kavod.
17 He will regard the tefillah of the destitute, and not despise their tefillah.
18 This shall be written for a dor acharon (future generation); and the people which shall be created shall praise Hashem.
19 For He hath looked down from the height of His Kodesh; from Shomayim did Hashem behold Eretz;
20 To hear the groaning of the asir (prisoner); to release those that are bnei temutah (men#102:20 appointed to death);
21 To declare the Shem Hashem in Tziyon, and His tehillah (praise) in Yerushalayim;
22 When the peoples are gathered together in assembly, and the mamlachot (kingdoms), to serve Hashem.
23 He bowed down my ko'ach in the derech; He cut short my yamim.
24 I said, O my G-d, take me not away in the midst of my yamim; Thy years are dor dorim (throughout all generations).
25 Of old hast Thou laid the foundation of ha'aretz; and Shomayim is the ma'aseh (work) of Thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but Thou shalt remain; and all of them shall wear out like a beged (garment); like a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed;
27 But Thou art the same, and Thy shanot (years) shall have no end.
28 The children of Thy avadim shall dwell, and their zera shall be established before Thee.
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