The Prayer of the Afflicted

1Heare my prayer (o LORDE) and let my criege come vnto the.

2Hyde not thy face fro me in the tyme of my trouble: enclyne thine eares vnto me when I call, O heare me, and that right soone.

3For my dayes are consumed awaye like smoke, & my bones are brent vp as it were a fyre brande.

4My hert is smytte downe and wythered like grasse, so that I forget to eate my bred.

5For the voyce of my gronynge, my bone wil scarse cleue to my flesh.

6I am become like a Pellicane in the wildernes, and like an Oule in a broken wall.

7I wake, and am euen as it were a sparow sittinge alone vpon the house toppe.

8Myne enemies reuyle me all the daye longe, they laugh me to scorne, and are sworne together against me.

9I eate ashes with my bred, and mengle my drynke with wepynge.

10And that because of ye indignacion and wrath, for thou hast taken me vp, and cast me awaye.

11My dayes are gone like a shadowe, and I am wythered like grasse.

12But thou (o LORDE) endurest for euer, and thy remembraunce thorow out all generacions.

13Arise therfore and haue mercy vpon Sion, for it is tyme to haue mercy vpon her, yee the tyme is come.

14And why? thy seruauntes haue a loue to hir stones, & it pitieth them to se her in the dust.

15The Heithen shal feare thy name (o LORDE) and all the kynges of the earth thy maiesty.

16For the LORDE shal buylde vp Sion, and shal apeare in his glory.

17e turneth him vnto the prayer of the poore destitute, and despyseth not their desyre.

18This shalbe written for those yt come after, that the people which shalbe borne, maye prayse the LORDE.

19For He loketh downe from his Sanctuary, out of the heauen doth the LORDE beholde the earth.

20That he maye heare the mournynges of soch as be in captiuyte, and delyuer the children of death.

21That they maie preach the name of the LORDE in Sion, and his worshipe at Ierusalem.

22When the people are gathered together, and the kyngdomes also to serue ye LORDE.

23He hath brought downe my strength in my iourney, and shortened my dayes.

24Yet wil I saye: O my God, take me not awaye in ye myddest of myne age: as for thy yeares, they endure thorow out all generacions.

25Thou LORDE in the begynnynge hast layed ye foundacion of the earth, and the heauens are the workes of thy hondes.

26They shal perishe, but thou shalt endure: they all shall wexe olde as doth a garment, & as a vesture shalt thou chaunge the, and they shalbe chaunged.

27But thou art the same, and thy yeares shal not fayle.

28The children of thy seruauntes shall contynue, & their sede shal prospere in yi sight.