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 TranslationPsalms 102
102
PSALM 102
Common Meter: 8,6,8,6
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the Lord.
1O Lord, unto my pray'r give ear,
my cry let come to thee;
2And in the day of my distress
hide not thy face from me.
Give ear to me; what time I call,
to answer me make haste:
3For, as an hearth, my bones are burnt,
my days, like smoke, do waste.
4My heart within me smitten is,
and it is withered
Like very grass; so that I do
forget to eat my bread.
5By reason of my groaning voice
my bones cleave to my skin.
6Like pelican in wilderness
forsaken I have been:
I like an owl in desert am,
that nightly there doth moan;
7I watch, and like a sparrow am
on the house-top alone.
8My bitter en'mies all the day
reproaches cast on me;
And, being mad at me, with rage
against me sworn they be.
9For why? I ashes eaten have
like bread, in sorrows deep;
My drink I also mingled have
with tears that I did weep.
10Thy wrath and indignation
did cause this grief and pain;
For thou hast lift me up on high,
and cast me down again.
11My days are like unto a shade,
which doth declining pass;
And I am dry'd and withered,
ev'n like unto the grass.
12But thou, Lord, everlasting art,
and thy remembrance shall
Continually endure,
and be to generations all.
13Thou shalt arise, and mercy have
upon thy Sion yet;
The time to favour her is come,
the time that thou hast set.
14For in her rubbish and her stones
thy servants pleasure take;
Yea, they the very dust thereof
do favour for her sake.
15So shall the heathen people fear
the Lord's most holy name;
And all the kings on earth shall dread
thy glory and thy fame.
16When Sion by the mighty Lord
built up again shall be,
In glory then and majesty
to men appear shall he.
17The prayer of the destitute
he surely will regard;
Their prayer will he not despise,
by him it shall be heard.
18For generations yet to come
this shall be on record:
So shall the people that shall be
created praise the Lord.
19He from his sanctuary's height
hath downward cast his eye;
And from his glorious throne in heav'n
the Lord the earth did spy;
20That of the mournful prisoner
the groanings he might hear,
To set them free that unto death
by men appointed are:
21That they in Sion may declare
the Lord's most holy name,
And publish in Jerusalem
the praises of the same;
22When as the people gather shall
in troops with one accord,
When kingdoms shall assembled be
to serve the highest Lord.
23My wonted strength and force he hath
abated in the way,
And he my days hath shortened:
24Thus therefore did I say,
My God, in mid-time of my days
take thou me not away:
From age to age eternally
thy years endure and stay.
25The firm foundation of the earth
of old time thou hast laid;
The heavens also are the work
which thine own hands have made.
26Thou shalt for evermore endure,
but they shall perish all;
Yea, ev'ry one of them wax old,
like to a garment, shall:
Thou, as a vesture, shalt them change,
and they shall changed be:
27But thou the same art,
and thy years are to eternity.
28The children of thy servants shall
continually endure;
And in thy sight, O Lord, their seed
shall be establish'd sure.
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