1The prayer of the poor man, when he was anxious, and poured out his supplication before the Lord.
2Hear, O Lord, my prayer: and let my cry come to thee.
3Turn not away thy face from me: in the day when I am in trouble, incline thy ear to me. In what day soever I shall call upon thee, hear me speedily.
4For my days are vanished like smoke, and my bones are grown dry like fuel for the fire.
5I am smitten as grass, and my heart is withered: because I forgot to eat my bread.
6Through the voice of my groaning, my bone hath cleaved to my flesh.
7I am become like to a pelican of the wilderness: I am like a night raven in the house.
8I have watched, and am become as a sparrow all alone on the housetop.
9All the day long my enemies reproached me: and they that praised me did swear against me.
10For I did eat ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping.
11Because of thy anger and indignation: for having lifted me up thou hast thrown me down.
12My days have declined like a shadow, and I am withered like grass.
13But thou, O Lord, endurest for ever: and thy memorial to all generations.
14Thou shalt arise and have mercy on Sion: for it is time to have mercy on it, for the time is come.
15For the stones thereof have pleased thy servants: and they shall have pity on the earth thereof.
16All the Gentiles shall fear thy name, O Lord, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.
17For the Lord hath built up Sion: and he shall be seen in his glory.
18He hath had regard to the prayer of the humble: and he hath not despised their petition.
19Let these things be written unto another generation: and the people that shall be created shall praise the Lord:
20Because he hath looked forth from his high sanctuary: from heaven the Lord hath looked upon the earth.
21That he might hear the groans of them that are in fetters: that he might release the children of the slain:
22That they may declare the name of the Lord in Sion: and his praise in Jerusalem;
23When the people assemble together, and kings, to serve the Lord.
24He answered him in the way of his strength: Declare unto me the fewness of my days.
25Call me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are unto generation and generation.
26In the beginning, O Lord, thou foundedst the earth: and the heavens are the works of thy hands.
27They shall perish but thou remainest: and all of them shall grow old like a garment: And as a vesture thou shalt change them, and they shall be changed.
28But thou art always the selfsame, and thy years shall not fail.
29The children of thy servants shall continue and their seed shall be directed for ever.