Study Desk

A Prayer of the Afflicted when he is faint and ^[a]pours out his complaint before the Lord .

^(a)Hear my prayer, O Lord ! And let my cry for help ^(b)come to You.

^(c)Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; ^(d)Incline Your ear to me; In the day when I call ^(e)answer me quickly.

For my days ^(f)have been ^[b]consumed in smoke, And my ^(g)bones have been scorched like a hearth.

My heart ^(h)has been smitten like ^[c]grass and has ⁽ⁱ⁾withered away, Indeed, I ^(j)forget to eat my bread.

Because of the ^[d]loudness of my groaning My ^(k)bones ^[e]cling to my flesh.

I ^[f]resemble a ^(l)pelican of the wilderness; I have become like an owl of the waste places.

I ^(m)lie awake, I have become like a lonely bird on a housetop.

My enemies ⁽ⁿ⁾have reproached me all day long; Those who ^[g](o)deride me ^[h]have used my name as a ^(p)curse.

For I have eaten ashes like bread And ^(q)mingled my drink with weeping

^(r)Because of Your indignation and Your wrath, For You have ^(s)lifted me up and cast me away.

My days are like a ^[i](t)lengthened shadow, And ^[j]I ^(u)wither away like ^[k]grass.

But You, O Lord , ^[l](v)abide forever, And Your ^[m](w)name to all generations.

You will ^(x)arise and have ^(y)compassion on Zion; For ^(z)it is time to be gracious to her, For the ^(aa)appointed time has come.

Surely Your servants ^[n]find pleasure in her stones And feel pity for her dust.

^[o]So the ^[p](ab)nations will fear the name of the Lord And ^(ac)all the kings of the earth Your glory.

For the Lord has ^(ad)built up Zion; He has ^(ae)appeared in His glory.

He has ^(af)regarded the prayer of the ^[q]destitute And has not despised their prayer.

^[r]This will be ^(ag)written for the ^(ah)generation to come, ^[s]That ^(ai)a people yet to be created ^[t]may praise ^[u]the Lord .

For He ^(aj)looked down from His holy height; ^(ak)From heaven the Lord gazed ^[v]upon the earth,

To hear the ^(al)groaning of the prisoner, To ^(am)set free ^[w]those who were doomed to death,

That men may ^(an)tell of the name of the Lord in Zion And His praise in Jerusalem,

When ^(ao)the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve the Lord .

He has weakened my strength in the way; He has ^(ap)shortened my days.

I say, "O my God, ^(aq)do not take me away in the ^[x]midst of my days, Your ^(ar)years are throughout all generations.

"Of old You ^(as)founded the earth, And the ^(at)heavens are the work of Your hands.

"^[y]Even they will ^(au)perish, but You endure; And all of them will wear out like a garment; Like clothing You will change them and they will be changed.

"But You are ^[z](av)the same, And Your years will not come to an end.

"The ^(aw)children of Your servants will continue, And their ^[aa](ax)descendants will be established before You."