English Standard Version

King James Bible

1Hear my prayer, O LORD; let my cry come to you!

1A Prayer of the afflicted, when he is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before the LORD. Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come unto thee.

2Do not hide your face from me in the day of my distress! Incline your ear to me; answer me speedily in the day when I call!

2Hide not thy face from me in the day when I am in trouble; incline thine ear unto me: in the day when I call answer me speedily.

3For my days pass away like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.

3For my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burned as an hearth.

4My heart is struck down like grass and has withered; I forget to eat my bread.

4My heart is smitten, and withered like grass; so that I forget to eat my bread.

5Because of my loud groaning my bones cling to my flesh.

5By reason of the voice of my groaning my bones cleave to my skin.

6I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl of the waste places;

6I am like a pelican of the wilderness: I am like an owl of the desert.

7I lie awake; I am like a lonely sparrow on the housetop.

7I watch, and am as a sparrow alone upon the house top.

8All the day my enemies taunt me; those who deride me use my name for a curse.

8Mine enemies reproach me all the day; and they that are mad against me are sworn against me.

9For I eat ashes like bread and mingle tears with my drink,

9For I have eaten ashes like bread, and mingled my drink with weeping,

10because of your indignation and anger; for you have taken me up and thrown me down.

10Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: for thou hast lifted me up, and cast me down.

11My days are like an evening shadow; I wither away like grass.

11My days are like a shadow that declineth; and I am withered like grass.

12But you, O LORD, are enthroned forever; you are remembered throughout all generations.

12But thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever; and thy remembrance unto all generations.

13You will arise and have pity on Zion; it is the time to favor her; the appointed time has come.

13Thou shalt arise, and have mercy upon Zion: for the time to favour her, yea, the set time, is come.

14For your servants hold her stones dear and have pity on her dust.

14For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, and favour the dust thereof.

15Nations will fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth will fear your glory.

15So the heathen shall fear the name of the LORD, and all the kings of the earth thy glory.

16For the LORD builds up Zion; he appears in his glory;

16When the LORD shall build up Zion, he shall appear in his glory.

17he regards the prayer of the destitute and does not despise their prayer.

17He will regard the prayer of the destitute, and not despise their prayer.

18Let this be recorded for a generation to come, so that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD:

18This shall be written for the generation to come: and the people which shall be created shall praise the LORD.

19that he looked down from his holy height; from heaven the LORD looked at the earth,

19For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; from heaven did the LORD behold the earth;

20to hear the groans of the prisoners, to set free those who were doomed to die,

20To hear the groaning of the prisoner; to loose those that are appointed to death;

21that they may declare in Zion the name of the LORD, and in Jerusalem his praise,

21To declare the name of the LORD in Zion, and his praise in Jerusalem;

22when peoples gather together, and kingdoms, to worship the LORD.

22When the people are gathered together, and the kingdoms, to serve the LORD.

23He has broken my strength in midcourse; he has shortened my days.

23He weakened my strength in the way; he shortened my days.

24“O my God,” I say, “take me not away in the midst of my days— you whose years endure throughout all generations!”

24I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: thy years are throughout all generations.

25Of old you laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands.

25Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands.

26They will perish, but you will remain; they will all wear out like a garment. You will change them like a robe, and they will pass away,

26They shall perish, but thou shalt endure: yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; as a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:

27but you are the same, and your years have no end.

27But thou art the same, and thy years shall have no end.

28The children of your servants shall dwell secure; their offspring shall be established before you.

28The children of thy servants shall continue, and their seed shall be established before thee.

ESV Text Edition: 2016. The ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®) copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. The ESV® text has been reproduced in cooperation with and by permission of Good News Publishers. Unauthorized reproduction of this publication is prohibited. All rights reserved.

King James Bible, text courtesy of BibleProtector.com.