The Prayer of the Afflicted

1Prayer for the poor when he shall languish, and before Jehovah shall pour out his complaint O Jehovah, hear my prayer, and my cry shall come to thee.

2Thou wilt not hide thy face from me in the day of straits to me; incline thine ear to me: in the day I shall call, speedily answer me.

3For my days were finished in smoke, and my bones burnt as fuel.

4My heart was struck and dried up as grass, that I forget eating my bread.

5From the voice of my groaning my bone did cleave to my flesh.

6I was like to the pelican of the desert: I was as the owl of the dry places.

7I watched and I shall be as the sparrow being alone upon the roof.

8All the day mine enemies reproached me, they praising me aware against me.

9For I ate ashes as bread, and I mingled my drink with weeping.

10From the face of thine anger and thy wrath: for thou didst lift me up and thou wilt cast me down.

11My days declining as a shadow, and I shall be dried up as grass.

12And thou, O Jehovah, wilt remain forever; and thy remembrance to generation And generation.

13Thou wilt arise, thou wilt compassionate Zion: for the time to compassionate her for the appointment came.

14For thy servants delighted in her stones, and they will compassionate her dust.

15And the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah: and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

16For Jehovah built Zion, he was seen in his glory.

17He looked upon the prayer of the helpless, and he despised not their prayer.

18This shall be written for a later generation: and a people created shall praise Jah.

19For be looked forth from the height of his holy place; from the heavens Jehovah looked upon the earth;

20To hear the groaning of the bound; to loose the sons of death.

21To recount in Zion the name of Jehovah, and his praise in Jerusalem.

22In the gathering of the peoples together, and the kingdoms to serve Jehovah.

23He answered in the way of his strength: he shortened my days.

24Saying, O my God, thou wilt not take me away in the half of my days: thy years in generations of generations.

25Before time thou didst found the earth, and the heavens the work of thy hands.

26They shall perish and thou shalt stand. And all they shall fall away as a garment; as clothing thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed.

27And thou the same, and thy years shall not finish.

28The sons of thy servants shall abide, and their seed shall be prepared before thee.