תְּפִלָּה לְעָנִי כִי יַעֲטֹף וְלִפְנֵי ה' יִשְׁפֹּךְ שִׂיחוֹ

The prayer of a poor man, a weak and powerless man, when he feels overwhelmed, enveloped by distress and the sense of the world closing in on him. And he pours out his woes before the Lord in prayer to Him.

ה' שִׁמְעָה תְפִלָּתִי וְשַׁוְעָתִי אֵלֶיךָ תָבוֹא

Lord, hear my prayer; let my cry for help reach You.

אַל תַּסְתֵּר פָּנֶיךָ מִמֶּנִּי בּיוֹם צַר לִי הַטֵּה אֵלַי אָזְנֶךָ בּיוֹם אֶקְרָא מַהֵר עֲנֵנִי

Do not hide Your face from me at the time of my distress. Incline Your ear to hear me on the day that I call; answer me quickly. My anguish and feeling of imminent destruction are so profound that I beg God for His immediate assistance.

כִּי כָלוּ בְעָשָׁן יָמָי וְעַצְמוֹתַי כְּמוֹקֵד נִחָרוּ

For my days are consumed as if they are going up in smoke, destroyed without purpose; and my bones, as in a pyre, are burnt hollow.

הוּכָּה כָעֵשֶׂב וַיִּבַשׁ לִבִּי כִּי שָׁכַחְתִּי מֵאֲכֹל לַחְמִי

My heart is beaten down like trampled grass, and it withers, for I am so overcome with pain and sorrow that I neglect to fulfill even my most basic needs; I even forget to eat my bread.

מִקּוֹל אַנְחָתִי דָּבְקָה עַצְמִי לִבְשָׂרִי

From my groaning, in my agony, I feel as though I am shriveling up, that my bones cling to my flesh.

דָּמִיתִי לִקְאַת מִדְבָּר הָיִיתִי כְּכוֹס חֳרָבוֹת

I am like a desert owl; I have become like an owl of the ruins. Both of these nocturnal birds make sounds similar to crying or wailing.

שָׁקַדְתִּי וָאֶהְיֶה כְּצִפּוֹר בּוֹדֵד עַל גָּג

I am fixed in place, unable to move from where I am, and I am like a lonely bird on a rooftop, with no one coming to my aid.

כָּל הַיּוֹם חֵרְפוּנִי אוֹיְבָי מְהוֹלָלַי בִּי נִשְׁבָּעוּ

My enemies taunt me all day long; my pursuers swear oaths by me, using my name as a paradigm of wretchedness.

כִּי אֵפֶר כַּלֶּחֶם אָכָלְתִּי וְשִׁקֻּוַי בִּבְכִי מָסָכְתִּי

I eat ashes as if bread. Placing ashes on the head or dipping one’s food in ashes is a sign of mourning. In my current state, the psalmist says, instead of just dipping my bread in ashes, the ashes have become my food, in place of bread, and all of my drink is mixed with tears

מִפְּנֵי זַעַמְךָ וְקִצְפֶּךָ כִּי נְשָׂאתַנִי וַתַּשְׁלִיכֵנִי

because of Your wrath and Your fury, which are the ultimate source of my suffering. Indeed, You lifted me up and flung me away. You lifted me up just as one picks up an object in order to cast it away.

יָמַי כְּצֵל נָטוּי וַאֲנִי כָּעֵשֶׂב אִיבָשׁ

My days are like a cast shadow, which has no tangible substance and constantly shifts in accordance with the moving of the sun. And I wither away like grass that is not watered.

וְאַתָּה ה' לְעוֹלָם תֵּשֵׁב וְזִכְרְךָ לְדֹר וָדֹר

Up to this point, the psalmist has described the pain and affliction of the poor man who is overwhelmed by hardship. Despite his suffering, he has faith and trust in God: But You, Lord, abide forever, without interruption or diminishment; Your remembrance is recalled throughout the generations.

אַתָּה תָקוּם תְרַחֵם צִיּוֹן כִּי עֵת לְחֶנְנָהּ כִּי בָא מוֹעֵד

And when it is Your will to show us grace, You will arise from Your place, as it were, and have compassion for Zion, for it is time to be gracious to her, for the appointed time has come.

כִּי רָצוּ עֲבָדֶיךָ אֶת אֲבָנֶיהָ וְאֶת עֲפָרָהּ יְחֹנֵנוּ

Because we are devoted to You, we are determined to remain in Jerusalem, near Your Temple. For Your servants desire her very stones and cherish her very dust, loving even the inanimate and barren stones and dirt.

וְיִירְאוּ גוֹיִם אֶת שֵׁם ה'וְכָל מַלְכֵי הָאָרֶץ אֶת כְּבוֹדֶךָ

Therefore we pray: May nations also come to fear the name of the Lord, and may all kings of the earth learn to revere Your glory,

כִּי בָנָה ה' צִיּוֹן נִרְאָה בִּכְבוֹדוֹ

when the Lord rebuilds Zion and is seen in His glory.

פָּנָה אֶל תְּפִלַּת הָעַרְעָר וְלֹא בָזָה אֶת תְפִלָּתָם

He has heeded the prayer of the juniper. The psalmist depicts one who is alone and without support as an ar’ar, a juniper, which is a desert shrub that can survive on very little water, but does not bear fruit. The word is related to ariri, meaning childless. He did not despise their prayer.

תִּכָּתֶב זֹאת לְדוֹר אַחֲרוֹן וְעַם נִבְרָא יְהַלֶּל יָהּ

Let this divine salvation be recorded for the generation to come, so that those yet to be born may praise the Lord.

כִּי הִשְׁקִיף מִמְּרוֹם קָדְשׁוֹ ה' מִשָּׁמַיִם אֶל אֶרֶץ הִבִּיט

For He gazed down from His holy height to take note and to intervene in the events of this world; from heaven the Lord looked upon the earth,

לִשְׁמֹעַ אֶנְקַת אָסִיר לְפַתֵּחַ בְּנֵי תְמוּתָה

to hear the groaning of the captive, to unshackle those doomed to death,

לְסַפֵּר בְּצִיּוֹן שֵׁם ה' וּתְהִלָּתוֹ בִּירוּשָׁלִָם

so that the name of the Lord in Zion may be told, and His praise in Jerusalem,

בְּהִקָּבֵץ עַמִּים יַחְדָּו וּמַמְלָכוֹת לַעֲבֹד אֶת ה'

when the peoples are gathered together there in Jerusalem, and kingdoms come there to serve the Lord.

עִנָּה בַדֶּרֶךְ כֹּחִי קִצַּר יָמָי

The psalmist believes that this redemption will come, and he prays that he may live to witness it. But in the meantime, his current state remains precarious: Along the way, along life’s path as we await the future redemption, He has weakened my strength, and I feel as if He has shortened my days.

אֹמַר אֵלִי אַל תַּעֲלֵנִי בַּחֲצִי יָמָי בְּדוֹר דּוֹרִים שְׁנוֹתֶיךָ

Therefore I said in prayer to Him: My God, do not take me up in the midst of my days, that is, do not bring an end to my life; Your years last for all generations, and You can grant me a long life.

לְפָנִים הָאָרֶץ יָסַדְתָּ וּמַעֲשֵׂה יָדֶיךָ שָׁמָיִם

You laid the foundations of earth in times past, at Creation; the heavens are the work of Your hands.

הֵמָּה יֹאבֵדוּ וְאַתָּה תַעֲמֹד וְכֻלָּם כַּבֶּגֶד יִבְלוּ כַּלְּבוּשׁ תַּחֲלִיפֵם וְיַחֲלֹפוּ

Even they, the works of Your hands, will perish, but You will endure forever. All of them will wear out like a garment; You will change them like clothing, and they will be gone. All the creations of the world will eventually wear out and be replaced.

וְאַתָּה הוּא וּשְׁנוֹתֶיךָ לֹא יִתָּמּוּ

But You are He who exists forever, Your years never ending.

בְּנֵי עֲבָדֶיךָ יִשְׁכּוֹנוּ וְזַרְעָם לְפָנֶיךָ יִכּוֹן

Since You are eternal and omnipotent, You have the power to ensure that the children of Your servants will dwell safely and not be driven from their homes, their descendants standing firmly before You for all time.