Mazmur 102:9-11

102:9 For I eat ashes as if they were bread, ¹ 

and mix my drink with my tears, ² 

102:10 because of your anger and raging fury.

Indeed, ³  you pick me up and throw me away.

102:11 My days are coming to an end, ⁴ 

and I am withered like grass.

Mazmur 102:19-20

102:19 For he will look down from his sanctuary above; ⁵ 

from heaven the Lord will look toward earth, ⁶ 

102:20 in order to hear the painful cries of the prisoners,

and to set free those condemned to die, ⁷ 

[102:9]  ¹ sn Mourners would sometimes put ashes on their head or roll in ashes as a sign of mourning (see 2 Sam 13:19; Job 2:8; Isa 58:5).

[102:9]  ² tn Heb “weeping.”

[102:10]  ³ tn Or “for.”

[102:11]  ⁴ tn Heb “my days [are] like an extended [or “lengthening”] shadow,” that is, like a late afternoon shadow made by the descending sun that will soon be swallowed up by complete darkness.

[102:19]  ⁵ tn Heb “from the height of his sanctuary.”

[102:19]  ⁶ tn The perfect verbal forms in v. 19 are functioning as future perfects, indicating future actions that will precede the future developments described in v. 18.

[102:20]  ⁷ tn Heb “the sons of death.” The phrase “sons of death” (see also Ps 79:11) is idiomatic for those condemned to die.