Psalm 102 (Tehillim 102) in Hebrew and English
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Text (469) 608-9944Psalm 102
A prayer of the afflicted, whose days are consumed like smoke and who withers like grass, to Hashem who endures for ever and will arise and have mercy upon Tziyon.
Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible, where the heading is verse 1. In most English Bibles the heading has no number, so each verse here is one higher than there (verse 2 here is verse 1 there).
102:1A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and pours out his complaint before Hashem.
אתְּ֭פִלָּה לְעָנִ֣י כִֽי־יַעֲטֹ֑ף וְלִפְנֵ֥י יְ֝הוָ֗ה יִשְׁפֹּ֥ךְ שִׂיחֽוֹ׃
102:2Hear my prayer, O Hashem, and let my cry come unto You.
ביְ֭הוָה שִׁמְעָ֣ה תְפִלָּתִ֑י וְ֝שַׁוְעָתִ֗י אֵלֶ֥יךָ תָבֽוֹא׃
102:3Hide not Your face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline Your ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.
גאַל־תַּסְתֵּ֬ר פָּנֶ֨יךָ ׀ מִמֶּנִּי֮ בְּי֪וֹם צַ֫ר לִ֥י הַטֵּֽה־אֵלַ֥י אָזְנֶ֑ךָ בְּי֥וֹם אֶ֝קְרָ֗א מַהֵ֥ר עֲנֵֽנִי׃
102:4For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as a hearth.
דכִּֽי־כָל֣וּ בְעָשָׁ֣ן יָמָ֑י וְ֝עַצְמוֹתַ֗י כְּמוֹ־קֵ֥ד נִחָֽרוּ׃
102:5My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.
ההוּכָּֽה־כָ֭עֵשֶׂב וַיִּבַ֣שׁ לִבִּ֑י כִּֽי־שָׁ֝כַ֗חְתִּי מֵאֲכֹ֥ל לַחְמִֽי׃
102:6By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.
ומִקּ֥וֹל אַנְחָתִ֑י דָּבְקָ֥ה עַ֝צְמִ֗י לִבְשָׂרִֽי׃
102:7I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.
זדָּ֭מִיתִי לִקְאַ֣ת מִדְבָּ֑ר הָ֝יִ֗יתִי כְּכ֣וֹס חֳרָבֽוֹת׃
102:8I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.
חשָׁקַ֥דְתִּי וָאֶֽהְיֶ֑ה כְּ֝צִפּ֗וֹר בּוֹדֵ֥ד עַל־גָּֽג׃
102:9My enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.
טכָּל־הַ֭יּוֹם חֵרְפ֣וּנִי אוֹיְבָ֑י מְ֝הוֹלָלַ֗י בִּ֣י נִשְׁבָּֽעוּ׃
102:10For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,
יכִּי־אֵ֭פֶר כַּלֶּ֣חֶם אָכָ֑לְתִּי וְ֝שִׁקֻּוַ֗י בִּבְכִ֥י מָסָֽכְתִּי׃
102:11Because of Your indignation and Your wrath: for You have lifted me up, and cast me down.
יאמִפְּנֵֽי־זַֽעַמְךָ֥ וְקִצְפֶּ֑ךָ כִּ֥י נְ֝שָׂאתַ֗נִי וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵֽנִי׃
102:12My days are like a shadow that declines; and I am withered like grass.
יביָ֭מַי כְּצֵ֣ל נָט֑וּי וַ֝אֲנִ֗י כָּעֵ֥שֶׂב אִיבָֽשׁ׃
102:13But You, O Hashem, shall endure for ever; and Your remembrance unto all generations.
יגוְאַתָּ֣ה יְ֭הוָה לְעוֹלָ֣ם תֵּשֵׁ֑ב וְ֝זִכְרְךָ֗ לְדֹ֣ר וָדֹֽר׃
102:14You shall arise, and have mercy upon Tziyon (Zion): for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.
ידאַתָּ֣ה תָ֭קוּם תְּרַחֵ֣ם צִיּ֑וֹן כִּי־עֵ֥ת לְ֝חֶֽנְנָ֗הּ כִּי־בָ֥א מוֹעֵֽד׃
102:15For Your servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.
טוכִּֽי־רָצ֣וּ עֲ֭בָדֶיךָ אֶת־אֲבָנֶ֑יהָ וְֽאֶת־עֲפָרָ֥הּ יְחֹנֵֽנוּ׃
102:16So the heathen shall fear the name of Hashem, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.
טזוְיִֽירְא֣וּ ג֭וֹיִם אֶת־שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וְֽכָל־מַלְכֵ֥י הָ֝אָ֗רֶץ אֶת־כְּבוֹדֶֽךָ׃
102:17When Hashem shall build up Tziyon, He shall appear in His glory.
יזכִּֽי־בָנָ֣ה יְהוָ֣ה צִיּ֑וֹן נִ֝רְאָ֗ה בִּכְבוֹדֽוֹ׃
102:18He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.
יחפָּ֭נָה אֶל־תְּפִלַּ֣ת הָעַרְעָ֑ר וְלֹֽא־בָ֝זָ֗ה אֶת־תְּפִלָּתָֽם׃
102:19This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise Yah.
יטתִּכָּ֣תֶב זֹ֭את לְד֣וֹר אַחֲר֑וֹן וְעַ֥ם נִ֝בְרָ֗א יְהַלֶּל־יָֽהּ׃
102:20For He has looked down from the height of His sanctuary; from heaven did Hashem behold the earth;
ככִּֽי־הִ֭שְׁקִיף מִמְּר֣וֹם קָדְשׁ֑וֹ יְ֝הוָ֗ה מִשָּׁמַ֤יִם ׀ אֶל־אֶ֬רֶץ הִבִּֽיט׃
102:21To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;
כאלִ֭שְׁמֹעַ אֶנְקַ֣ת אָסִ֑יר לְ֝פַתֵּ֗חַ בְּנֵ֣י תְמוּתָֽה׃
102:22To declare the name of Hashem in Tziyon, and His praise in Yerushalayim (Jerusalem);
כבלְסַפֵּ֣ר בְּ֭צִיּוֹן שֵׁ֣ם יְהוָ֑ה וּ֝תְהִלָּת֗וֹ בִּירוּשָׁלִָֽם׃
102:23When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve Hashem.
כגבְּהִקָּבֵ֣ץ עַמִּ֣ים יַחְדָּ֑ו וּ֝מַמְלָכ֗וֹת לַעֲבֹ֥ד אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
102:24He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.
כדעִנָּ֖ה בַדֶּ֥רֶךְ כֹּחִ֗י (כתיב כחו) קִצַּ֥ר יָמָֽי׃
102:25I said, “O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: Your years are throughout all generations.
כהאֹמַ֗ר אֵלִ֗י אַֽל־תַּ֭עֲלֵנִי בַּחֲצִ֣י יָמָ֑י בְּד֖וֹר דּוֹרִ֣ים שְׁנוֹתֶֽיךָ׃
102:26Of old have You laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
כולְ֭פָנִים הָאָ֣רֶץ יָסַ֑דְתָּ וּֽמַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יָדֶ֣יךָ שָׁמָֽיִם׃
102:27They shall perish, but You shall endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shall You change them, and they shall be changed:
כזהֵ֤מָּה ׀ יֹאבֵדוּ֮ וְאַתָּ֪ה תַ֫עֲמֹ֥ד וְ֭כֻלָּם כַּבֶּ֣גֶד יִבְל֑וּ כַּלְּב֖וּשׁ תַּחֲלִיפֵ֣ם וְֽיַחֲלֹֽפוּ׃
102:28But You are the same, and Your years shall have no end.
כחוְאַתָּה־ה֑וּא וּ֝שְׁנוֹתֶ֗יךָ לֹ֣א יִתָּֽמּוּ׃
102:29The children of Your servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before You.”
כטבְּנֵֽי־עֲבָדֶ֥יךָ יִשְׁכּ֑וֹנוּ וְ֝זַרְעָ֗ם לְפָנֶ֥יךָ יִכּֽוֹן׃
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Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. The Divine Name is printed as it appears in the codex.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Tziyon (Zion)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem,” the short form יָהּ is “Yah,” and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ is “Hallelujah”; “God” (Elohim) and “Lord” (Adonai) are unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew a psalm’s heading (“A Psalm of David…”) is part of the text and is counted as verse 1, or verses 1–2, so in psalms with a heading the verse numbers are often one or two higher than in English Bibles. Where that happens, a note under the summary says so.
- Quiz
- Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the psalm on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.