The Prayer of a Troubled Youth
1 Listen to my prayer, O Lord,
and hear my cry for help!
2 When I am in trouble,
don't turn away from me!
Listen to me,
and answer me quickly when I call!
3 My life is disappearing like smoke;
my body is burning like fire.
4 I am beaten down like dry grass;
I have lost my desire for food.
5 I groan aloud;
I am nothing but skin and bones.
6 I am like a wild bird in the desert,
like an owl in abandoned ruins.
7 I lie awake;
I am like a lonely bird on a housetop.
8 All day long my enemies insult me;
those who mock me use my name in cursing.
9-10 Because of your anger and fury,
ashes are my food,
and my tears are mixed with my drink.
You picked me up and threw me away.
11 My life is like the evening shadows;
I am like dry grass.
12 But you, O Lord, are king forever;
all generations will remember you.
13 You will rise and take pity on Zion;
the time has come to have mercy on her;
this is the right time.
14 Your servants love her,
even though she is destroyed;
they have pity on her,
even though she is in ruins.
15 The nations will fear the Lord;
all the kings of the earth will fear his power.
16 When the Lord rebuilds Zion,
he will reveal his greatness.
17 He will hear his forsaken people
and listen to their prayer.
18 Write down for the coming generation what the Lord has done,
so that people not yet born will praise him.
19 The Lord looked down from his holy place on high,
he looked down from heaven to earth.
20 He heard the groans of prisoners
and set free those who were condemned to die.
21 And so his name will be proclaimed in Zion,
and he will be praised in Jerusalem
22 when nations and kingdoms come together
and worship the Lord.
23 The Lord has made me weak while I am still young;
he has shortened my life.
24 O God, do not take me away now
before I grow old.
O Lord, you live forever;
25 long ago you created the earth,
and with your own hands you made the heavens.
26 They will disappear, but you will remain;
they will all wear out like clothes.
You will discard them like clothes,
and they will vanish.
27 But you are always the same,
and your life never ends.
28 Our children will live in safety,
and under your protection
their descendants will be secure.
Nelaimīga cilvēka lūgšana mūžīgajam Dievam
1 Nabaga lūgšana, kad tas paguris izlej savas žēlabas Kunga priekšā.
2 Kungs, uzklausi manu lūgšanu,
lai mans sauciens nonāk pie tevis!
3 Neslēp savu vaigu no manis posta dienā!
Pievērs ausi dienā, kad saucu, steidz atbildēt man!
4 Prom kā dūmi rit manas dienas,
un mani kauli kā krāsns gruzd.
5 Kā samīta zāle vīst mana sirds –
pat aizmirstu ēst maizi.
6 Tā stenu, ka sprūst kauli man miesā!
7 Līdzīgs es tuksneša pūcei
un kā apogs starp drupu kaudzēm!
8 Bez miega nīkstu –
man klājas kā vientuļam putnam uz juma!
9 Augu dienu mani peļ naidnieki,
kam trakums pret mani, tie mani lād!
10 Es pīšļus kā maizi ēdu,
ar asarām savu dzērienu jaucu –
11 tava piktuma dēļ, tavas dusmības dēļ,
jo tu ņēmi un padzini mani!
12 Mūžs man noliecies kā ēna,
un es kā zāle vīstu.
13 Bet tu, Kungs, mūžam valdi,
un tevi piemin audžu audzēs!
14 Celies un glāb Ciānu –
laiks apžēlot to, tas brīdis ir klāt,
15 jo tavi kalpi mīl tās akmeņus
un tās pīšļu viņiem žēl!
16 Tautas bīsies Kunga vārda
un visi zemes ķēniņi tavas godības,
17 kad Kungs būs uzcēlis Ciānu
un parādīsies savā godībā!
18 Viņš ir uzklausījis tukšinieku lūgšanu
un nav noniecinājis viņu lūgšanos.
19 Tas tiks uzrakstīts nākamajai audzei,
lai tie, kas dzims, slavētu Kungu –
20 ka viņš noliecās no svētajiem augstumiem,
Kungs no debesīm paskatījās uz zemi,
21 lai dzirdētu gūstekņu vaidus,
lai atlaistu tos, kam nolemts mirt!
22 Teiks Ciānā Kunga vārdu
un slavēs viņu Jeruzālemē,
23 kad pulcēsies kopā tautas
un valstis, lai kalpotu Kungam.
24 Viņš ceļā ir salauzis manu spēku,
īsinājis manu mūžu,
25 es saku: mans Dievs,
neņem mani pusmūžā –
audžu audzēs tavi gadi!
26 Sākumā zemei tu pamatus liki,
un tavu roku darbs ir debesis –
27 tās zudīs, bet tu paliksi,
tās izdils kā drānas,
tu tās novilksi – tās būs nost!
28 Bet tu esi tas,
un taviem gadiem nav gala!
29 Tavu kalpu dēli gūs mājvietu,
un viņu dzimums drošs tavā priekšā!
