1  ^zHear my prayer, O Lord;

let my cry ^acome to you!

2  ^bDo not hide your face from me

in ^cthe day of my distress!

^dIncline your ear to me;

^eanswer me speedily ^fin the day when I call!

3  For my days ^gpass away like smoke,

and my ^hbones burn like a furnace.

4  My heart is ⁱstruck down like grass and ^jhas withered;

I ^kforget to eat my bread.

5  Because of my loud groaning

my ^lbones cling to my flesh.

6  I am like ^ma desert owl of the wilderness,

like an owl¹ of the waste places;

7  I ⁿlie awake;

I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.

8  All the day my enemies taunt me;

those who ^oderide me ^puse my name for a curse.

9  For I eat ashes like bread

and ^qmingle tears with my drink,

10  because of your indignation and anger;

for you have ^rtaken me up and ^sthrown me down.

11  My days are like ^tan evening shadow;

I ^jwither away like grass.

12  But you, O Lord, are ^uenthroned forever;

you ^vare remembered throughout all generations.

13  You will ^warise and have ^xpity on Zion;

it is the time to favor her;

^ythe appointed time has come.

14  For your servants hold her ^zstones dear

and have pity on her dust.

15  Nations will ^afear the name of the Lord,

and all ^bthe kings of the earth will fear your glory.

16  For the Lord ^cbuilds up Zion;

he ^dappears in his glory;

17  he ^eregards the prayer of the destitute

and does not despise their prayer.

18  Let this be ^frecorded for ^ga generation to come,

so that ^ha people yet to be created may praise the Lord:

19  that he ⁱlooked down from his holy height;

from heaven the Lord looked at the earth,

20  to hear ^jthe groans of the prisoners,

to set free ^kthose who were doomed to die,

21  that they may ^ldeclare in Zion the name of the Lord,

and in Jerusalem his praise,

22  when ^mpeoples gather together,

and kingdoms, to worship the Lord.

23  He has broken my strength in midcourse;

he ⁿhas shortened my days.

24  “O my God,” ^oI say, “take me not away

in the midst of my days—

^pyou whose years endure

throughout all generations!”

25  ^qOf old you laid the foundation of the earth,

and ^rthe heavens are the work of your hands.

26  ^sThey will perish, but ^tyou will remain;

they will all wear out like a garment.

You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,

27  but ^uyou are the same, and your years have no end.

28  ^vThe children of your servants ^wshall dwell secure;

^xtheir offspring shall be established before you.