1 A Prayer of the afflicted when he is feeble, and before Jehovah poureth out his plaint. O Jehovah, hear my prayer, yea, my cry to Thee cometh. 2 Hide not Thou Thy face from me, In a day of mine adversity, Incline unto me Thine ear, In the day I call, haste, answer me. 3 For consumed in smoke have been my days, And my bones as a fire-brand have burned. 4 Smitten as the herb, and withered, is my heart, For I have forgotten to eat my bread. 5 From the voice of my sighing Hath my bone cleaved to my flesh. 6 I have been like to a pelican of the wilderness, I have been as an owl of the dry places. 7 I have watched, and I am As a bird alone on the roof. 8 All the day mine enemies reproached me, Those mad at me have sworn against me. 9 Because ashes as bread I have eaten, And my drink with weeping have mingled, 10 From Thine indignation and Thy wrath, For Thou hast lifted me up, And dost cast me down. 11 My days as a shadow [are] stretched out, And I — as the herb I am withered. 12 And Thou, O Jehovah, to the age abidest, And Thy memorial to all generations. 13 Thou — Thou risest — Thou pitiest Zion, For the time to favour her, For the appointed time hath come. 14 For Thy servants have been pleased with her stones, And her dust they favour. 15 And nations fear the name of Jehovah, And all kings of the earth Thine honour, 16 For Jehovah hath builded Zion, He hath been seen in His honour, 17 He turned unto the prayer of the destitute, And He hath not despised their prayer. 18 This is written for a later generation, And the people created do praise Jah. 19 For He hath looked From the high place of His sanctuary. Jehovah from heaven unto earth looked attentively, 20 To hear the groan of the prisoner, To loose sons of death, 21 To declare in Zion the name of Jehovah, And His praise in Jerusalem, 22 In the peoples being gathered together, And the kingdoms — to serve Jehovah. 23 He hath humbled in the way my power, He hath shortened my days. 24 I say, 'My God, take me not up in the midst of my days,' Through all generations [are] Thine years. 25 Beforetime the earth Thou didst found, And the work of Thy hands [are] the heavens. 26 They — They perish, and Thou remainest, And all of them as a garment become old, As clothing Thou changest them, And they are changed. 27 And Thou [art] the same, and Thine years are not finished. 28 The sons of Thy servants do continue, And their seed before Thee is established!
Psalms · Young's Literal Translation
Psalm 102 Young's Literal Translation
Audio: World English Bible (WEB), read by Winfred W. Henson · About the recordings
Notes on this text (1)
- Greek and Latin Bibles number most Psalms one lower than Hebrew and English Bibles.
Cross references (28)
Related passages for each verse, from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge as collected and ranked by readers at OpenBible.info.
- 1 Psalm 18:6; Psalm 130:1–2; Exodus 2:23; Psalm 61:2; Psalm 142:2–3
- 2 Psalm 69:17; Psalm 27:9; Isaiah 8:17; Psalm 70:1; Psalm 88:2–18
- 3 James 4:14; Psalm 31:10; Lamentations 1:13; Job 30:30; Psalm 37:20
- 4 Isaiah 40:7; Psalm 37:2; Ezra 10:6; Acts 9:9; Matthew 26:37–38
- 5 Job 19:20; Proverbs 17:22; Lamentations 4:8; Psalm 32:3–4; Psalm 38:8–10
- 6 Zephaniah 2:14; Isaiah 38:14; Revelation 18:2; Isaiah 34:11–15; Job 30:29–30
- 7 Psalm 77:4; Lamentations 3:28–30; Mark 14:33–37; Psalm 130:6; Job 7:13–16
- 8 Acts 26:11; Romans 15:3; Psalm 69:9–10; Acts 23:12–35; Isaiah 65:15
- 9 Psalm 42:3; Job 3:24; Isaiah 44:20; Psalm 80:5; Lamentations 3:48–49
- 10 Psalm 38:3; 2 Corinthians 4:9; Lamentations 1:18; Psalm 90:7–9; Romans 3:19
- 11 Job 14:2; Psalm 109:23; Psalm 144:4; 1 Peter 1:24; James 4:14
- 12 Psalm 135:13; Lamentations 5:19; Exodus 3:15; Hebrews 13:8; Psalm 9:7
- 13 Galatians 4:4; Isaiah 40:2; Isaiah 60:1; Psalm 44:26; Psalm 69:35–36
- 14 Nehemiah 4:2; Ezra 1:5; Nehemiah 2:17; Nehemiah 1:3; Nehemiah 4:10
- 15 1 Kings 8:43; Psalm 138:4; Isaiah 60:3–22; Zechariah 8:20–23; Revelation 11:15
- 16 Isaiah 60:1–2; Jeremiah 33:7; Psalm 147:2; Isaiah 2:2–3; Jeremiah 31:4
- 17 Nehemiah 1:6; Psalm 22:24; Psalm 72:12; Psalm 9:18; Jeremiah 29:11–14
- 18 Romans 15:4; Psalm 22:30–31; Isaiah 43:21; Psalm 78:4–6; 1 Peter 2:9–10
- 19 Deuteronomy 26:15; Psalm 14:2; Hebrews 9:23–24; 1 Kings 8:43; 2 Chronicles 16:9
- 20 Psalm 79:11; Psalm 146:7; Isaiah 61:1–3; Exodus 3:7; Zechariah 9:9–12
- 21 Psalm 22:22; Isaiah 51:11; 1 Peter 2:9; Ephesians 3:21; Psalm 79:13
- 22 Zechariah 8:20–23; Matthew 24:14; Isaiah 49:22–23; Isaiah 60:3–22; Psalm 22:27
- 23 Revelation 11:2–19; Psalm 89:38–47; 2 Thessalonians 2:3–12; Job 21:21; 2 Timothy 3:1–17
- 24 Habakkuk 1:12; Psalm 39:13; Isaiah 38:10–22; Psalm 102:12; Revelation 1:8
- 25 Genesis 1:1; Exodus 20:11; Jeremiah 32:17; Hebrews 1:10–12; Hebrews 3:3–4
- 26 Isaiah 51:6; Matthew 24:35; Luke 21:33; Isaiah 34:4; Revelation 20:11
- 27 Hebrews 13:8; James 1:17; Malachi 3:6; Revelation 1:8; Psalm 90:4
- 28 Psalm 69:35–36; Psalm 45:16–17; Isaiah 66:22; Psalm 89:4; Psalm 90:16–17
Cross references: OpenBible.info (CC BY), drawn mainly from the public-domain Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. · Sources & licences
What the Fathers said
Passages from the Church Fathers that expound or quote this chapter, verbatim from the public-domain Schaff edition (19th-century English translations).
How these were chosen
“Commentary” is the opening of a homily or exposition on this chapter (John Chrysostom’s homilies, Augustine’s tractates, sermons and expositions of the Psalms). “Quotes” are sentences where the edition’s own footnotes identify a quotation of a verse here, kept only when the wording matches the verse. Only works whose authorship is not in doubt are used. Psalms follow the Hebrew/English numbering (Augustine numbers them as the Septuagint does: his Psalm 50 is Psalm 51 here).
In this Psalm, we ought to seek in the whole body of it what we find in the first verse: "Mercy and judgment will I sing unto Thee, O Lord" (ver. 1).
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 8 (1888)
The children of Thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established for ever;" pointing out plainly what things they are that pass away, and who it is that doth endure for ever--God, together with His servants.
So, then, by a humble piety we return to Thee; and thou purgest us from our evil customs, and art merciful unto the sins of those who confess unto Thee, and dost "hear the groaning of the prisoner," and dost loosen us from those fetters which we have forged for ourselves, if we lift not up against Thee the horns …
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 1 (1886)
On this account also one hath said, "My days have failed like smoke." He indeed was referring to their shortness of duration, and to their unsubstantial nature, but I would say that we should take what is said, not in this sense alone, but also as to their turbid character.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 1, vol. 10 (1888)
Hear David the Prophet saying, Thou, Lord, in the beginning didst lay the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Thy hands; they shall perish, but Thou remainest.
Read in context · Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers, series 2, vol. 7 (1894)