Veritable King James Version
1Hear my prayer, O LORD, and let my cry come to You.
2Do not hide Your face from me in the day of my distress; incline Your ear to me; in the day I call, answer me quickly.
3For my days vanish like smoke, and my bones burn like a furnace.
4My heart is stricken and withered like grass; I forget to eat my bread.
5Because of my loud groaning, my bones cling to my flesh.
6I am like a desert owl of the wilderness, like an owl among the ruins.
7I lie awake; I am like a solitary bird on a housetop.
8All day long my enemies taunt me; those who mock me swear against me.
9For I eat ashes like bread and mingle my drink with tears,
10because of Your indignation and Your wrath; for You have lifted me up and cast me down.
11My days are like a shadow that lengthens; I wither like grass.
12But You, O LORD, endure forever, and Your name to all generations.
13You will arise and have mercy on Zion, for it is time to show favor to her; the appointed time has come.
14For Your servants take pleasure in her stones and cherish her dust.
15The nations will fear Your name, O LORD, and all the kings of the earth Your glory.
16For the LORD will build up Zion; He will appear in His glory.
17He will regard the prayer of the destitute and not despise their plea.
18This will be written for the generation to come, that a people yet to be created may praise the LORD.
19For He looked down from His holy height; from heaven the LORD gazed upon the earth,
20to hear the groans of the prisoner, to set free those appointed to death,
21to declare the name of the LORD in Zion and His praise in Jerusalem,
22when the peoples and kingdoms gather together to serve the LORD.
23He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days.
24I said, “O my God, do not take me away in the midst of my days; Your years endure through all generations.
25In the beginning You laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of Your hands.
26They will perish, but You remain; they will all wear out like a garment. Like clothing You will change them, and they will pass away.
27But You are the same, and Your years will have no end.
28The children of Your servants will dwell secure; their offspring will be established before You.”
Translation notes
Verse 1: The LXX uses proseuchē (prayer) and kraugē (cry), aligning with the KJV’s “prayer” and “cry.” The DSS (11QPsa) support this plea for divine attention. Verse 2: The LXX’s mē apostrepsēs (do not turn away) is rendered as “do not hide Your face,” echoing the KJV’s phrasing for poetic continuity. The DSS are fragmentary but consistent. Verse 3–4: The LXX’s exelipon hōs kapnos (vanish like smoke) and kardiā mou (my heart) are directly translated, with “furnace” and “withered” reflecting the KJV’s vivid imagery. The DSS align where preserved. Verse 5–7: The LXX’s stenagmou (groaning) and animal imagery (pelikanō, strouthion) are retained, with “desert owl” and “solitary bird” for clarity, inspired by the KJV’s “pelican” and “sparrow.” The DSS (11QPsa) support the desolate tone. Verse 8–9: The LXX’s ōneidisān (taunt) and spodon (ashes) are translated directly, with “swear against me” reflecting the KJV’s “use me as a curse.” The DSS are incomplete but suggest similar imagery. Verse 10–11: The LXX’s orgēs (wrath) and skia (shadow) align with the KJV, with “lengthens” modernizing the poetic tone. The DSS support the theme of divine judgment.
Verse 12: The LXX’s su de, kurie (but You, Lord) emphasizes God’s eternity, mirrored in the KJV’s “Thou, O LORD, shalt endure.” The DSS confirm this contrast. Verse 13–14: The LXX’s eleēseis (have mercy) and lithous (stones) are directly translated, with “show favor” aligning with the KJV’s “have mercy.” The DSS (11QPsa) support Zion’s restoration. Verse 15–16: The LXX’s phobēthēsontai (fear) and doxan sou (Your glory) align with the KJV, with “build up” modernizing “buildeth.” The DSS are fragmentary but consistent. Verse 17–18: The LXX’s tōn tapeinōn (the destitute) and graphēsetai (will be written) are retained, with “generation to come” echoing the KJV’s poetic phrasing. Verse 19–22: The LXX’s ek diastēmatos (from height) and stenagmon (groans) are translated directly, with “appointed to death” reflecting the KJV’s “children of death.” The DSS support the focus on divine intervention.
Verse 23–24: The LXX’s ēsthenēsen (weakened) and eis meson (in the midst) are translated directly, with “shortened my days” echoing the KJV. The DSS are incomplete but suggest a similar lament. Verse 25–26: The LXX’s kat’ archas (in the beginning) and hōs himation (like a garment) align with the KJV’s cosmic imagery, modernized for clarity. The DSS (11QPsa) support this creation motif. Verse 27–28: The LXX’s su de ho autos ei (You are the same) and paides sou (Your servants) are retained, with “dwell secure” modernizing the KJV’s “continue.” The DSS confirm the focus on God’s permanence.
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