Psalm 103

A Psalm of David.

¹ Bless the Lord, O my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name. ² Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all his praises: ³ who forgives all thy transgressions, who heals all thy diseases; ⁴ who redeems thy life from corruption; who crowns thee with mercy and compassion; ⁵ who satisfies thy desire with good things: so that thy youth shall be renewed like that of the eagle.

⁶ The Lord executes mercy and judgment for all that are injured. ⁷ He made known his ways to Moses, his will to the children of Israel. ⁸ The Lord is compassionate and pitiful, long-suffering, and full of mercy. ⁹ He will not be always angry; neither will he be wrathful for ever. ¹⁰ He has not dealt with us according to our sins, nor recompensed us according to our iniquities. ¹¹ For as the heaven is high above the earth, the Lord has so increased his mercy toward them that fear him. ¹² As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. ¹³ As a father pities his children, the Lord pities them that fear him. ¹⁴ For he knows our frame: remember that we are dust.

¹⁵ As for man, his days are as grass; as a flower of the field, so shall he flourish. ¹⁶ For the wind passes over it, and it shall not be; and it shall know its place no more. ¹⁷ But the mercy of the Lord is from generation to generation upon them that fear

760

him, and his righteousness to children's children; ¹⁸ to them that keep his covenant, and remember his commandments to do them.

¹⁹ The Lord has prepared his throne in the heaven; and his kingdom rules over all. ²⁰ Bless the Lord, all ye his angels, mighty in strength, who perform his bidding, ready to hearken to the voice of his words. ²¹ Bless the Lord, all ye his hosts; ye ministers of his that do his will. ²² Bless the Lord, all his works, in every place of his dominion: bless the Lord, O my soul.

Psalm 104

A Psalm of David.

¹ Bless the Lord, O my soul. O Lord my God, thou art very great; thou hast clothed thyself with praise and honour: ² who dost robe thyself with light as with a garment; spreading out the heaven as a curtain. ³ Who covers his chambers with waters; who makes the clouds his chariot; who walks on the wings of the wind. ^{4 1}Who makes his angels spirits, and his ministers a flaming fire.

⁵ Who establishes the earth on her sure foundation: it shall not be moved for ever. ⁶ The deep, as it were a garment, is his covering: the waters shall stand ²on the hills. ⁷ At thy rebuke they shall flee; at the voice of thy thunder they shall be alarmed. ⁸ They go up to the mountains, and down to the plains, to the place which thou hast founded for them. ⁹ Thou hast set a bound which they shall not pass, neither shall they turn again to cover the earth.

¹⁰ He sends forth his fountains among the valleys: the waters shall run between the mountains. ¹¹ They shall give drink to all the wild beasts of the field: the wild asses shall take of them to quench their thirst. ¹² By them shall the birds of the sky lodge: they shall utter a voice out of the midst of the rocks. ¹³ He waters the mountains from his chambers: the earth shall be satisfied with the fruit of thy works.

¹⁴ He makes grass to grow for the cattle, and green herb for the service of men, to bring bread out of the earth; ¹⁵ and wine makes glad the heart of man, to make his face cheerful with oil: and bread strengthens man's heart. ¹⁶ The trees of the plain shall be full of sap; even the cedars of Libanus which he has planted. ¹⁷ There the sparrows will build their nests; and the house of the heron takes the lead among them. ¹⁸ The high mountains are a refuge for the stags, and the rock for the rabbits.

¹⁹ He appointed the moon for seasons: the sun knows his going down. ²⁰ Thou didst make darkness, and it was night; in it all the wild beasts of the forest will be abroad: ²¹ even young lions roaring for prey, and to seek meat for themselves from God. ²² The sun arises, and they shall be gathered together, and shall lie down in their dens. ²³ Man shall go forth to his work, and to his labour till evening.

²⁴ How great are thy works, O Lord! in

761

wisdom hast thou wrought them all: the earth is filled with thy creation. ²⁵ So is this great and wide sea: there are things creeping innumerable, small animals and great. ²⁶ There go the ships; and this dragon whom thou hast made to play in it. ²⁷ All wait upon thee, to give them their food in due season. ²⁸ When thou hast given it them, they will gather it; and when thou hast opened thine hand, they shall all be filled with good. ²⁹ But when thou hast turned away thy face, they shall be troubled: thou wilt take away their breath, and they shall fail, and return to their dust. ³⁰ Thou shalt send forth thy Spirit, and they shall be created; and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.

³¹ Let the glory of the Lord be for ever: the Lord shall rejoice in his works; ³² who looks upon the earth, and makes it tremble; who touches the mountains, and they smoke. ³³ I will sing to the Lord while I live; I will sing praise to my God while I exist. ³⁴ Let my meditation be sweet to him: and I will rejoice in the Lord. ³⁵ Let the sinners fail from off the earth, and transgressors, so that they shall be no more. Bless the Lord, O my soul.