Psalm 102 - Easy To Read Version

¹ Lord, hear my prayer.\par Listen to my cry for help.\par

² Lord, don’t turn away from me when I have troubles.\par Listen to me.\par When I cry for help,\par quickly answer me.\par

³ My life is passing away like smoke.\par My life is like a fire slowly burning out.\par

⁴ My strength is gone—\par I am like dry, dying grass.\par I even forget to eat my food.\par

⁵ Because of my sadness, I am losing weight. {\cf2\super [537]} \par

⁶ I am lonely\par like an owl living in the desert.\par I am alone like an owl\par living in old ruined buildings.\par

⁷ I can’t sleep.\par I am like a lonely bird on a roof.\par

⁸ My enemies always insult me.\par They make fun of me and curse me.\par

⁹ My great sadness is my only food.\par My tears fall into my drinks.\par

¹⁰ Why? Because you are angry at me, Lord.\par You lifted me up\par and then you threw me away.\par

¹¹ My life is almost finished,\par like the long shadows\par at the end of the day.\par I am like dry and dying grass.\par

¹² But Lord, you will live forever!\par Your name will continue\par forever and ever!\par

¹³ You will rise and comfort Zion. {\cf2\super [538]} \par The time is coming\par when you will be kind to Zion.\par

¹⁴ Your servants love her (Zion‘s) stones.\par They love even the dust of that city!\par

¹⁵ People will worship the Lord’s name.\par God, all the kings on earth will honor you.\par

¹⁶ The Lord will build Zion again.\par People will again see her glory.\par

¹⁷ God will answer the prayers\par of the people he left alive.\par God will listen to their prayers.\par

¹⁸ Write these things for the future generation.\par And in the future, those people\par will praise the Lord.\par

¹⁹ The Lord will look down\par from his Holy Place above.\par The Lord will look down at the earth\par from heaven.\par

²⁰ And he will hear the prisoner’s prayers.\par He will free the people\par who were condemned to die.\par

²¹ Then people in Zion will tell about the Lord.\par They will praise his name in Jerusalem.\par

²² Nations will be gathered together.\par Kingdoms will come to serve the Lord.\par

²³ My strength failed me.\par My life is cut short.\par

²⁴ So I said,\par “Don’t let me die while I am still young.\par God, you will live forever and ever!\par

²⁵ Long ago, you made the world.\par You made the sky with your own hands!\par

²⁶ The world and sky will end,\par but you will live forever!\par They will wear out like clothes.\par And, like clothes, you will change them.\par They will all be changed.\par

²⁷ But you, God, never change.\par You will live forever!\par

²⁸ We are your servants \{today\}.\par Our children will live here.\par And even their descendants will be here\par to worship you.\par