Chapter 102

אתְּ֭פִלָּה לְעָנִ֣י כִֽי־יַעֲטֹ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ שִׂיחֽוֹ׃

1A prayer of one who is lowly and faint, pouring forth a plea before GOD.

ביְ֭הוָה שִׁמְעָ֣ה תְפִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝שַׁוְעָתִ֗י אֵלֶ֥יךָ תָבֽוֹא׃

2O ETERNAL One, hear my prayer;
let my cry come before You.

גאַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ בְּי֪וֹם צַ֫ר לִ֥י הַטֵּֽה־אֵלַ֥י אָזְנֶ֑ךָ בְּי֥וֹם אֶ֝קְרָ֗א מַהֵ֥ר עֲנֵֽנִי׃

3Do not hide Your face from me
in my time of trouble;
turn Your ear to me;
when I cry, answer me speedily.

דכִּֽי־כָל֣וּ בְעָשָׁ֣ן יָמָ֑י וְ֝עַצְמוֹתַ֗י כְּמוֹ־קֵ֥ד נִחָֽרוּ׃

4For my days have vanished like smoke
and my bones are charred like a hearth.

ההוּכָּֽה־כָ֭עֵשֶׂב וַיִּבַ֣שׁ לִבִּ֑י כִּֽי־שָׁ֝כַ֗חְתִּי מֵאֲכֹ֥ל לַחְמִֽי׃

5My body is stricken and withered like grass;
too wasted¹ to eat my food;

ומִקּ֥וֹל אַנְחָתִ֑י דָּבְקָ֥ה עַ֝צְמִ֗י לִבְשָׂרִֽי׃

6on account of my vehement groaning
my bones show through my skin.²

זדָּ֭מִיתִי לִקְאַ֣ת מִדְבָּ֑ר הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כְּכ֣וֹס חֳרָבֽוֹת׃

7I am like a great owl in the wilderness,
an owl among the ruins.

חשָׁקַ֥דְתִּי וָאֶֽהְיֶ֑ה כְּ֝צִפּ֗וֹר בּוֹדֵ֥ד עַל־גָּֽג׃

8I lie awake; I am like
a lone bird upon a roof.

טכָּל־הַ֭יּוֹם חֵרְפ֣וּנִי אוֹיְבָ֑י מְ֝הוֹלָלַ֗י בִּ֣י נִשְׁבָּֽעוּ׃

9All day long my enemies revile me;
my deriders use my name to curse.

יכִּי־אֵ֭פֶר כַּלֶּ֣חֶם אָכָ֑לְתִּי וְ֝שִׁקֻּוַ֗י בִּבְכִ֥י מָסָֽכְתִּי׃

10For I have eaten ashes like bread
and mixed my drink with tears,

יאמִפְּנֵֽי־זַֽעַמְךָ֥ וְקִצְפֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֥י נְ֝שָׂאתַ֗נִי וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵֽנִי׃

11because of Your wrath and Your fury;
for You have cast me far away.

יביָ֭מַי כְּצֵ֣ל נָט֑וּי וַ֝אֲנִ֗י כָּעֵ֥שֶׂב אִיבָֽשׁ׃

12My days are like a lengthening shadow;
I wither like grass.

יגוְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם תֵּשֵׁ֑ב וְ֝זִכְרְךָ֗ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃

13But You, O ETERNAL One, are enthroned forever;
Your fame endures throughout the ages.

ידאַתָּ֣ה תָ֭קוּם תְּרַחֵ֣ם צִיּ֑וֹן כִּי־עֵ֥ת לְ֝חֶֽנְנָ֗הּ כִּי־בָ֥א מוֹעֵֽד׃

14You will surely arise and take pity on Zion,
for it is time to be gracious to her;
the appointed time has come.

טוכִּֽי־רָצ֣וּ עֲ֭בָדֶיךָ אֶת־אֲבָנֶ֑יהָ וְֽאֶת־עֲפָרָ֥הּ יְחֹנֵֽנוּ׃

15Your servants take delight in its stones,
and cherish its dust.

טזוְיִֽירְא֣וּ ג֭וֹיִם אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וְֽכָל־מַלְכֵ֥י הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ אֶת־כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃

16The nations will fear the name of GOD,
all the kings of the earth, Your glory.

יזכִּֽי־בָנָ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה צִיּ֑וֹן נִ֝רְאָ֗ה בִּכְבוֹדֽוֹ׃

17For GOD has built Zion,
appearing in divine glory—

יחפָּ֭נָה אֶל־תְּפִלַּ֣ת הָעַרְעָ֑ר וְלֹֽא־בָ֝זָ֗ה אֶת־תְּפִלָּתָֽם׃

18turning to the prayer of the destitute³
and not spurning their prayer.

יטתִּכָּ֣תֶב זֹ֭את לְד֣וֹר אַחֲר֑וֹן וְעַ֥ם נִ֝בְרָ֗א יְהַלֶּל־יָֽהּ׃

19May this be written down for a coming generation,
that people yet to be created may praise Yah.⁴

ככִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁקִיף מִמְּר֣וֹם קָדְשׁ֑וֹ יְ֝הוָ֗ה מִשָּׁמַ֤יִם ׀ אֶל־אֶ֬רֶץ הִבִּֽיט׃

20Looking down from the holy heights,
GOD beholds the earth from heaven

כאלִ֭שְׁמֹעַ אֶנְקַ֣ת אָסִ֑יר לְ֝פַתֵּ֗חַ בְּנֵ֣י תְמוּתָֽה׃

21to hear the groans of the prisoner,
to release those condemned to death;

כבלְסַפֵּ֣ר בְּ֭צִיּוֹן שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וּ֝תְהִלָּת֗וֹ בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃

22that GOD’s fame may be recounted in Zion,
with praises offered in Jerusalem,

כגבְּהִקָּבֵ֣ץ עַמִּ֣ים יַחְדָּ֑ו וּ֝מַמְלָכ֗וֹת לַעֲבֹ֥ד אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃

23when the nations gather together,
the kingdoms, to serve GOD.

כדעִנָּ֖ה בַדֶּ֥רֶךְ כחו [כֹּחִ֗י] קִצַּ֥ר יָמָֽי׃

24My strength was drained in mid-course,
my days shortened.

כהאֹמַ֗ר אֵלִ֗י אַֽל־תַּ֭עֲלֵנִי בַּחֲצִ֣י יָמָ֑י בְּד֖וֹר דּוֹרִ֣ים שְׁנוֹתֶֽיךָ׃

25I say, “O my God, do not take me away
in the midst of my days,
You whose years go on for generations on end.

כולְ֭פָנִים הָאָ֣רֶץ יָסַ֑דְתָּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדֶ֣יךָ שָׁמָֽיִם׃

26Of old You established the earth;
the heavens are the work of Your hands.

כזהֵ֤מָּה ׀ יֹאבֵדוּ֮ וְאַתָּ֪ה תַ֫עֲמֹ֥ד וְ֭כֻלָּם כַּבֶּ֣גֶד יִבְל֑וּ כַּלְּב֖וּשׁ תַּחֲלִיפֵ֣ם וְֽיַחֲלֹֽפוּ׃

27They shall perish, but You shall endure;
they shall all wear out like a garment;
You change them like clothing and they pass away.

כחוְאַתָּה־ה֑וּא וּ֝שְׁנוֹתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִתָּֽמּוּ׃

28But You are the same, and Your years never end.

כטבְּנֵֽי־עֲבָדֶ֥יךָ יִשְׁכּ֑וֹנוּ וְ֝זַרְעָ֗ם לְפָנֶ֥יךָ יִכּֽוֹן׃

29May the children of Your servants dwell securely
and their offspring endure in Your presence.”

Sefaria: Tanach with Ta'amei Hamikra · Public domain · sefaria.org

Sefaria: THE JPS TANAKH: Gender-Sensitive Edition · CC BY-NC · sefaria.org