The Prayer of the Afflicted

תְּ֭פִלָּה (A Prayer) לְעָנִ֣י (of one afflicted), כִֽי־ (when) יַעֲטֹ֑ף (he grows weak) וְלִפְנֵ֥י (and before) יְ֝הוָ֗ה (YHWH) יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ (pours out) שִׂיחֽוֹ׃ (his complaint).

1יְ֭הוָה (O YHWH), שִׁמְעָ֣ה (may You hear) תְפִלָּתִ֑י (my prayer),

וְ֝שַׁוְעָתִ֗י (and my cry) אֵלֶ֥יךָ (to You) תָבֽוֹא׃ (may it come).

2  אַל־ (Do not) תַּסְתֵּ֬ר (hide) פָּנֶ֨יךָ׀ (Your face) מִמֶּנִּי֮ (from me)

בְּי֪וֹם (in the day) צַ֫ר (of distress) לִ֥י (for me)

הַטֵּֽה־ (Incline) אֵלַ֥י (to me) אָזְנֶ֑ךָ (Your ear)

בְּי֥וֹם (on the day) אֶ֝קְרָ֗א (that I call) מַהֵ֥ר (may You hurry) עֲנֵֽנִי׃ (and answer me).

3  כִּֽי־ (For) כָל֣וּ (come to an end) בְעָשָׁ֣ן (like smoke) יָמָ֑י (my days),

וְ֝עַצְמוֹתַ֗י (and my bones) כְּמוֹ־ (like) קֵ֥ד (a burning wick) נִחָֽרוּ׃ (have been charred).

4  הוּכָּֽה־ (Has been struck) כָ֭עֵשֶׂב (like the grass) וַיִּבַ֣שׁ (and has withered) לִבִּ֑י (my heart),

כִּֽי־ (that) שָׁ֝כַ֗חְתִּי (I forget) מֵאֲכֹ֥ל (to eat) לַחְמִֽי׃ (my bread).

5  מִקּ֥וֹל (From the voice) אַנְחָתִ֑י (of my groaning)

דָּבְקָ֥ה (has clung) עַ֝צְמִ֗י (my bone) לִבְשָׂרִֽי׃ (to my flesh).

6  דָּ֭מִיתִי (I am like) לִקְאַ֣ת (a vulture) מִדְבָּ֑ר (of the desert);

הָ֝יִ֗יתִי (I have become) כְּכ֣וֹס (like an owl) חֳרָבֽוֹת׃ (of the wasteland).

7  שָׁקַ֥דְתִּי (I stay awake),

וָאֶֽהְיֶ֑ה (and I am) כְּ֝צִפּ֗וֹר (like a bird) בּוֹדֵ֥ד (alone) עַל־ (on) גָּֽג׃ (the housetop).

8  כָּל־ (All) הַ֭יּוֹם (the day) חֵרְפ֣וּנִי (taunt me) אוֹיְבָ֑י (my enemies);

מְ֝הוֹלָלַ֗י (those shouting boastfully) בִּ֣י (against me) נִשְׁבָּֽעוּ׃ (they swear).

9  כִּי־ (For) אֵ֭פֶר (ashes) כַּלֶּ֣חֶם (like bread) אָכָ֑לְתִּי (I have eaten),

וְ֝שִׁקֻּוַ֗י (and my drink) בִּבְכִ֥י (with weeping) מָסָֽכְתִּי׃ (I have mingled)

10  מִפְּנֵֽי־ (from the face) זַֽעַמְךָ֥ (of Your anger) וְקִצְפֶּ֑ךָ (and Your wrath),

כִּ֥י (for) נְ֝שָׂאתַ֗נִי (You have lifted me up) וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵֽנִי׃ (and cast me away).

11  יָ֭מַי (My days are) כְּצֵ֣ל (like a shadow) נָט֑וּי (stretching out);

וַ֝אֲנִ֗י (and I) כָּעֵ֥שֶׂב (like the grass) אִיבָֽשׁ׃ (wither away).

12  וְאַתָּ֣ה (And You), יְ֭הוָה (O YHWH), לְעוֹלָ֣ם (forever) תֵּשֵׁ֑ב (dwell),

וְ֝זִכְרְךָ֗ (and Your memorial) לְדֹ֣ר (to generation) וָדֹֽר׃ (and generation).

13  אַתָּ֣ה (You) תָ֭קוּם (will rise up)— תְּרַחֵ֣ם (and have compassion on) צִיּ֑וֹן (Zion).

כִּי־ (For) עֵ֥ת (the time) לְ֝חֶֽנְנָ֗הּ (to show her favor)— כִּי־ (indeed),

בָ֥א (has come) מוֹעֵֽד׃ (the appointed time).

14  כִּֽי־ (For how) רָצ֣וּ (they take delight) עֲ֭בָדֶיךָ (Your servants) אֶת־ (-) אֲבָנֶ֑יהָ (in her stones),

וְֽאֶת־ (and) עֲפָרָ֥הּ (her dust) יְחֹנֵֽנוּ׃ (they favor).

15  וְיִֽירְא֣וּ (And will fear) ג֭וֹיִם (the nations) אֶת־ (-) שֵׁ֣ם (the name) יְהוָ֑ה (of YHWH),

וְֽכָל־ (and all) מַלְכֵ֥י (the kings) הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ (of the earth) אֶת־ (-) כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃ (Your glory).

16  כִּֽי־ (For) בָנָ֣ה (has built up) יְהוָ֣ה (YHWH) צִיּ֑וֹן (Zion);

נִ֝רְאָ֗ה (He has appeared) בִּכְבוֹדֽוֹ׃ (in His glory).

17  פָּ֭נָה (He has turned) אֶל־ (toward) תְּפִלַּ֣ת (the prayer) הָעַרְעָ֑ר (of the destitute),

וְלֹֽא־ (and not) בָ֝זָ֗ה (will He despise) אֶת־ (-) תְּפִלָּתָֽם׃ (their prayer).

18  תִּכָּ֣תֶב (Will be written) זֹ֭את (this) לְד֣וֹר (for the generation) אַחֲר֑וֹן (to come),

וְעַ֥ם (and a people) נִ֝בְרָ֗א (yet to be created) יְהַלֶּל־ (will praise) יָֽהּ׃ (YAH).

19  כִּֽי־ (For) הִ֭שְׁקִיף (He looked down) מִמְּר֣וֹם (from the height) קָדְשׁ֑וֹ (of His sanctuary)—

יְ֝הוָ֗ה (YHWH) מִשָּׁמַ֤יִם׀ (from the heavens) אֶל־ (to) אֶ֬רֶץ (the earth) הִבִּֽיט׃ (looked out)—

20  לִ֭שְׁמֹעַ (to hear) אֶנְקַ֣ת (the groaning) אָסִ֑יר (of the prisoner),

לְ֝פַתֵּ֗חַ (to release) בְּנֵ֣י (the sons) תְמוּתָֽה׃ (of death),

21  לְסַפֵּ֣ר (to declare) בְּ֭צִיּוֹן (in Zion) שֵׁ֣ם (the name) יְהוָ֑ה (of YHWH)

וּ֝תְהִלָּת֗וֹ (and His praise) בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃ (in Jerusalem),

22  בְּהִקָּבֵ֣ץ (in the gathering) עַמִּ֣ים (of the peoples) יַחְדָּ֑ו (together)— וּ֝מַמְלָכ֗וֹת (and the kingdoms)—

לַעֲבֹ֥ד (to serve) אֶת־ (-) יְהוָֽה׃ (YHWH).

23  עִנָּ֖ה (He has broken) בַדֶּ֥רֶךְ (on the way) כֹּחוֹ (my power);

קִצַּ֥ר (He has shortened) יָמָֽי׃ (my days).

24  אֹמַ֗ר (I said), אֵלִ֗י (O my God), אַֽל־ (do not) תַּ֭עֲלֵנִי (take me up) בַּחֲצִ֣י (in the midst) יָמָ֑י (of my days),

בְּד֖וֹר (generation) דּוֹרִ֣ים (to generations) שְׁנוֹתֶֽיךָ׃ (are Your years).

25  לְ֭פָנִים (Before time) הָאָ֣רֶץ (the earth) יָסַ֑דְתָּ (You founded),

וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה (and the work) יָדֶ֣יךָ (of Your hands) שָׁמָֽיִם׃ (the heavens are).

26  הֵ֤מָּה׀ (They) יֹאבֵדוּ֮ (will perish), וְאַתָּ֪ה (and You) תַ֫עֲמֹ֥ד (will stand);

וְ֭כֻלָּם (and all of them) כַּבֶּ֣גֶד (like a garment); יִבְל֑וּ (will wear out)

כַּלְּב֖וּשׁ (like clothing) תַּחֲלִיפֵ֣ם (You will pass them on)

וְֽיַחֲלֹֽפוּ׃ (and they will be passed on).

27  וְאַתָּה־ (And You) ה֑וּא (are the same),

וּ֝שְׁנוֹתֶ֗יךָ (and Your years) לֹ֣א (not) יִתָּֽמּוּ׃ (will end).

28  בְּנֵֽי־ (The sons) עֲבָדֶ֥יךָ (of Your servants) יִשְׁכּ֑וֹנוּ (will settle down),

וְ֝זַרְעָ֗ם (and their seed) לְפָנֶ֥יךָ (before Your face) יִכּֽוֹן׃ (will be established).