Praise for the Lord’s Mercies

A Psalm of David.

103 Bless (A)the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless His holy name!
Bless the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
(B)Who forgives all your iniquities,
Who (C)heals all your diseases,
Who redeems your life from destruction,
(D)Who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies,
Who satisfies your mouth with good things,
So that (E)your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The Lord executes righteousness
And justice for all who are oppressed.
(F)He made known His ways to Moses,
His acts to the children of Israel.
(G)The Lord is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abounding in mercy.
(H)He will not always strive with us,
Nor will He keep His anger forever.
10 (I)He has not dealt with us according to our sins,
Nor punished us according to our iniquities.

11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is His mercy toward those who fear Him;
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far has He (J)removed our transgressions from us.
13 (K)As a father pities his children,
So the Lord pities those who fear Him.
14 For He [a]knows our frame;
He remembers that we are dust.

15 As for man, (L)his days are like grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
16 (M)For the wind passes over it, and it is [b]gone,
And (N)its place remembers it no more.
17 But the mercy of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting
On those who fear Him,
And His righteousness to children’s children,
18 (O)To such as keep His covenant,
And to those who remember His commandments to do them.

19 The Lord has established His throne in heaven,
And (P)His kingdom rules over all.

20 (Q)Bless the Lord, you His angels,
Who excel in strength, who (R)do His word,
Heeding the voice of His word.
21 Bless the Lord, all you His hosts,
(S)You [c]ministers of His, who do His pleasure.
22 Bless the Lord, all His works,
In all places of His dominion.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!

Praise to the Sovereign Lord for His Creation and Providence(T)

104 Bless (U)the Lord, O my soul!

O Lord my God, You are very great:
You are clothed with honor and majesty,
Who cover Yourself with light as with a garment,
Who stretch out the heavens like a curtain.

(V)He lays the beams of His upper chambers in the waters,
Who makes the clouds His chariot,
Who walks on the wings of the wind,
Who makes His angels spirits,
His [d]ministers a flame of fire.

You who [e]laid the foundations of the earth,
So that it should not be moved forever,
You (W)covered it with the deep as with a garment;
The waters stood above the mountains.
At Your rebuke they fled;
At the voice of Your thunder they hastened away.
[f]They went up over the mountains;
They went down into the valleys,
To the place which You founded for them.
You have (X)set a boundary that they may not pass over,
(Y)That they may not return to cover the earth.

10 He sends the springs into the valleys;
They flow among the hills.
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 By them the birds of the heavens have their home;
They sing among the branches.
13 (Z)He waters the hills from His upper chambers;
The earth is satisfied with (AA)the fruit of Your works.

14 (AB)He causes the grass to grow for the cattle,
And vegetation for the service of man,
That he may bring forth (AC)food from the earth,
15 And (AD)wine that makes glad the heart of man,
Oil to make his face shine,
And bread which strengthens man’s heart.
16 The trees of the Lord are full of sap,
The cedars of Lebanon which He planted,
17 Where the birds make their nests;
The stork has her home in the fir trees.
18 The high hills are for the wild goats;
The cliffs are a refuge for the (AE)rock[g] badgers.

19 (AF)He appointed the moon for seasons;
The (AG)sun knows its going down.
20 (AH)You make darkness, and it is night,
In which all the beasts of the forest creep about.
21 (AI)The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they gather together
And lie down in their dens.
23 Man goes out to (AJ)his work
And to his labor until the evening.

24 (AK)O Lord, how manifold are Your works!
In wisdom You have made them all.
The earth is full of Your (AL)possessions—
25 This great and wide sea,
In which are innumerable teeming things,
Living things both small and great.
26 There the ships sail about;
There is that (AM)Leviathan[h]
Which You have [i]made to play there.

27 (AN)These all wait for You,
That You may give them their food in due season.
28 What You give them they gather in;
You open Your hand, they are filled with good.
29 You hide Your face, they are troubled;
(AO)You take away their breath, they die and return to their dust.
30 (AP)You send forth Your Spirit, they are created;
And You renew the face of the earth.

31 May the glory of the Lord endure forever;
May the Lord (AQ)rejoice in His works.
32 He looks on the earth, and it (AR)trembles;
(AS)He touches the hills, and they smoke.

33 (AT)I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
34 May my (AU)meditation be sweet to Him;
I will be glad in the Lord.
35 May (AV)sinners be consumed from the earth,
And the wicked be no more.

Bless the Lord, O my soul!
[j]Praise the Lord!

The Eternal Faithfulness of the Lord(AW)

105 Oh, (AX)give thanks to the Lord!
Call upon His name;
(AY)Make known His deeds among the peoples!
Sing to Him, sing psalms to Him;
(AZ)Talk of all His wondrous works!
Glory in His holy name;
Let the hearts of those rejoice who seek the Lord!
Seek the Lord and His strength;
(BA)Seek His face evermore!
(BB)Remember His marvelous works which He has done,
His wonders, and the judgments of His mouth,
O seed of Abraham His servant,
You children of Jacob, His chosen ones!

He is the Lord our God;
(BC)His judgments are in all the earth.
He (BD)remembers His covenant forever,
The word which He commanded, for a thousand generations,
(BE)The covenant which He made with Abraham,
And His oath to Isaac,
10 And confirmed it to Jacob for a statute,
To Israel as an everlasting covenant,
11 Saying, (BF)“To you I will give the land of Canaan
As the allotment of your inheritance,”
12 (BG)When they were few in number,
Indeed very few, (BH)and strangers in it.

13 When they went from one nation to another,
From one kingdom to another people,
14 (BI)He permitted no one to do them wrong;
Yes, (BJ)He rebuked kings for their sakes,
15 Saying, “Do not touch My anointed ones,
And do My prophets no harm.”

16 Moreover (BK)He called for a famine in the land;
He destroyed all the (BL)provision of bread.
17 (BM)He sent a man before them—
Joseph—who (BN)was sold as a slave.
18 (BO)They hurt his feet with fetters,
[k]He was laid in irons.
19 Until the time that his word came to pass,
(BP)The word of the Lord tested him.
20 (BQ)The king sent and released him,
The ruler of the people let him go free.
21 (BR)He made him lord of his house,
And ruler of all his possessions,
22 To [l]bind his princes at his pleasure,
And teach his elders wisdom.

23 (BS)Israel also came into Egypt,
And Jacob dwelt (BT)in the land of Ham.
24 (BU)He increased His people greatly,
And made them stronger than their enemies.
25 (BV)He turned their heart to hate His people,
To deal craftily with His servants.

26 (BW)He sent Moses His servant,
And Aaron whom He had chosen.
27 They (BX)performed His signs among them,
And wonders in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness, and made it dark;
And they did not rebel against His word.
29 (BY)He turned their waters into blood,
And killed their fish.
30 (BZ)Their land abounded with frogs,
Even in the chambers of their kings.
31 (CA)He spoke, and there came swarms of flies,
And lice in all their territory.
32 (CB)He gave them hail for rain,
And flaming fire in their land.
33 (CC)He struck their vines also, and their fig trees,
And splintered the trees of their territory.
34 (CD)He spoke, and locusts came,
Young locusts without number,
35 And ate up all the vegetation in their land,
And devoured the fruit of their ground.
36 (CE)He also [m]destroyed all the firstborn in their land,
(CF)The first of all their strength.

37 (CG)He also brought them out with silver and gold,
And there was none feeble among His tribes.
38 (CH)Egypt was glad when they departed,
For the fear of them had fallen upon them.
39 (CI)He spread a cloud for a covering,
And fire to give light in the night.
40 (CJ)The people asked, and He brought quail,
And (CK)satisfied them with the bread of heaven.
41 (CL)He opened the rock, and water gushed out;
It ran in the dry places like a river.

42 For He remembered (CM)His holy promise,
And Abraham His servant.
43 He brought out His people with joy,
His chosen ones with [n]gladness.
44 (CN)He gave them the lands of the [o]Gentiles,
And they inherited the labor of the nations,
45 (CO)That they might observe His statutes
And keep His laws.

[p]Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 103:14 Understands our constitution
  2. Psalm 103:16 not
  3. Psalm 103:21 servants
  4. Psalm 104:4 servants
  5. Psalm 104:5 Lit. founded the earth upon her bases
  6. Psalm 104:8 Or The mountains rose up; The valleys sank down
  7. Psalm 104:18 rock hyraxes
  8. Psalm 104:26 A large sea creature of unknown identity
  9. Psalm 104:26 Lit. formed
  10. Psalm 104:35 Heb. Hallelujah
  11. Psalm 105:18 His soul came into iron
  12. Psalm 105:22 Bind as prisoners
  13. Psalm 105:36 Lit. struck down
  14. Psalm 105:43 a joyful shout
  15. Psalm 105:44 nations
  16. Psalm 105:45 Heb. Hallelujah

Psalm 103

Of David.

Praise the Lord,(A) my soul;(B)
    all my inmost being, praise his holy name.(C)
Praise the Lord,(D) my soul,
    and forget not(E) all his benefits—
who forgives all your sins(F)
    and heals(G) all your diseases,
who redeems your life(H) from the pit
    and crowns you with love and compassion,(I)
who satisfies(J) your desires with good things
    so that your youth is renewed(K) like the eagle’s.(L)

The Lord works righteousness(M)
    and justice for all the oppressed.(N)

He made known(O) his ways(P) to Moses,
    his deeds(Q) to the people of Israel:
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,(R)
    slow to anger, abounding in love.
He will not always accuse,
    nor will he harbor his anger forever;(S)
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve(T)
    or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
    so great is his love(U) for those who fear him;(V)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
    so far has he removed our transgressions(W) from us.

13 As a father has compassion(X) on his children,
    so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,(Y)
    he remembers that we are dust.(Z)
15 The life of mortals is like grass,(AA)
    they flourish like a flower(AB) of the field;
16 the wind blows(AC) over it and it is gone,
    and its place(AD) remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
    the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
    and his righteousness with their children’s children(AE)
18 with those who keep his covenant(AF)
    and remember(AG) to obey his precepts.(AH)

19 The Lord has established his throne(AI) in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules(AJ) over all.

20 Praise the Lord,(AK) you his angels,(AL)
    you mighty ones(AM) who do his bidding,(AN)
    who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,(AO)
    you his servants(AP) who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works(AQ)
    everywhere in his dominion.

Praise the Lord, my soul.(AR)

Psalm 104

Praise the Lord, my soul.(AS)

Lord my God, you are very great;
    you are clothed with splendor and majesty.(AT)

The Lord wraps(AU) himself in light(AV) as with a garment;
    he stretches(AW) out the heavens(AX) like a tent(AY)
    and lays the beams(AZ) of his upper chambers on their waters.(BA)
He makes the clouds(BB) his chariot(BC)
    and rides on the wings of the wind.(BD)
He makes winds his messengers,[a](BE)
    flames of fire(BF) his servants.

He set the earth(BG) on its foundations;(BH)
    it can never be moved.
You covered it(BI) with the watery depths(BJ) as with a garment;
    the waters stood(BK) above the mountains.
But at your rebuke(BL) the waters fled,
    at the sound of your thunder(BM) they took to flight;
they flowed over the mountains,
    they went down into the valleys,
    to the place you assigned(BN) for them.
You set a boundary(BO) they cannot cross;
    never again will they cover the earth.

10 He makes springs(BP) pour water into the ravines;
    it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water(BQ) to all the beasts of the field;
    the wild donkeys(BR) quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky(BS) nest by the waters;
    they sing among the branches.(BT)
13 He waters the mountains(BU) from his upper chambers;(BV)
    the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.(BW)
14 He makes grass grow(BX) for the cattle,
    and plants for people to cultivate—
    bringing forth food(BY) from the earth:
15 wine(BZ) that gladdens human hearts,
    oil(CA) to make their faces shine,
    and bread that sustains(CB) their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord(CC) are well watered,
    the cedars of Lebanon(CD) that he planted.
17 There the birds(CE) make their nests;
    the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;(CF)
    the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.(CG)

19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,(CH)
    and the sun(CI) knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness,(CJ) it becomes night,(CK)
    and all the beasts of the forest(CL) prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey(CM)
    and seek their food from God.(CN)
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
    they return and lie down in their dens.(CO)
23 Then people go out to their work,(CP)
    to their labor until evening.(CQ)

24 How many are your works,(CR) Lord!
    In wisdom you made(CS) them all;
    the earth is full of your creatures.(CT)
25 There is the sea,(CU) vast and spacious,
    teeming with creatures beyond number—
    living things both large and small.(CV)
26 There the ships(CW) go to and fro,
    and Leviathan,(CX) which you formed to frolic(CY) there.(CZ)

27 All creatures look to you
    to give them their food(DA) at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
    they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
    they are satisfied(DB) with good things.
29 When you hide your face,(DC)
    they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
    they die and return to the dust.(DD)
30 When you send your Spirit,(DE)
    they are created,
    and you renew the face of the ground.

31 May the glory of the Lord(DF) endure forever;
    may the Lord rejoice in his works(DG)
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,(DH)
    who touches the mountains,(DI) and they smoke.(DJ)

33 I will sing(DK) to the Lord all my life;
    I will sing praise to my God as long as I live.
34 May my meditation be pleasing to him,
    as I rejoice(DL) in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish(DM) from the earth
    and the wicked be no more.(DN)

Praise the Lord, my soul.

Praise the Lord.[b](DO)

Psalm 105(DP)

Give praise to the Lord,(DQ) proclaim his name;(DR)
    make known among the nations what he has done.
Sing to him,(DS) sing praise to him;(DT)
    tell of all his wonderful acts.(DU)
Glory in his holy name;(DV)
    let the hearts of those who seek the Lord rejoice.
Look to the Lord and his strength;
    seek his face(DW) always.

Remember the wonders(DX) he has done,
    his miracles, and the judgments he pronounced,(DY)
you his servants, the descendants of Abraham,(DZ)
    his chosen(EA) ones, the children of Jacob.
He is the Lord our God;
    his judgments are in all the earth.

He remembers his covenant(EB) forever,
    the promise he made, for a thousand generations,
the covenant he made with Abraham,(EC)
    the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it(ED) to Jacob as a decree,
    to Israel as an everlasting covenant:(EE)
11 “To you I will give the land of Canaan(EF)
    as the portion you will inherit.”(EG)

12 When they were but few in number,(EH)
    few indeed, and strangers in it,(EI)
13 they wandered from nation to nation,(EJ)
    from one kingdom to another.
14 He allowed no one to oppress(EK) them;
    for their sake he rebuked kings:(EL)
15 “Do not touch(EM) my anointed ones;
    do my prophets(EN) no harm.”

16 He called down famine(EO) on the land
    and destroyed all their supplies of food;
17 and he sent a man before them—
    Joseph, sold as a slave.(EP)
18 They bruised his feet with shackles,(EQ)
    his neck was put in irons,
19 till what he foretold(ER) came to pass,
    till the word(ES) of the Lord proved him true.
20 The king sent and released him,
    the ruler of peoples set him free.(ET)
21 He made him master of his household,
    ruler over all he possessed,
22 to instruct his princes(EU) as he pleased
    and teach his elders wisdom.(EV)

23 Then Israel entered Egypt;(EW)
    Jacob resided(EX) as a foreigner in the land of Ham.(EY)
24 The Lord made his people very fruitful;
    he made them too numerous(EZ) for their foes,
25 whose hearts he turned(FA) to hate his people,
    to conspire(FB) against his servants.
26 He sent Moses(FC) his servant,
    and Aaron,(FD) whom he had chosen.(FE)
27 They performed(FF) his signs(FG) among them,
    his wonders(FH) in the land of Ham.
28 He sent darkness(FI) and made the land dark—
    for had they not rebelled against(FJ) his words?
29 He turned their waters into blood,(FK)
    causing their fish to die.(FL)
30 Their land teemed with frogs,(FM)
    which went up into the bedrooms of their rulers.
31 He spoke,(FN) and there came swarms of flies,(FO)
    and gnats(FP) throughout their country.
32 He turned their rain into hail,(FQ)
    with lightning throughout their land;
33 he struck down their vines(FR) and fig trees(FS)
    and shattered the trees of their country.
34 He spoke,(FT) and the locusts came,(FU)
    grasshoppers(FV) without number;(FW)
35 they ate up every green thing in their land,
    ate up the produce of their soil.
36 Then he struck down all the firstborn(FX) in their land,
    the firstfruits of all their manhood.
37 He brought out Israel, laden with silver and gold,(FY)
    and from among their tribes no one faltered.
38 Egypt was glad when they left,
    because dread of Israel(FZ) had fallen on them.

39 He spread out a cloud(GA) as a covering,
    and a fire to give light at night.(GB)
40 They asked,(GC) and he brought them quail;(GD)
    he fed them well with the bread of heaven.(GE)
41 He opened the rock,(GF) and water gushed out;
    it flowed like a river in the desert.

42 For he remembered his holy promise(GG)
    given to his servant Abraham.
43 He brought out his people with rejoicing,(GH)
    his chosen ones with shouts of joy;
44 he gave them the lands of the nations,(GI)
    and they fell heir to what others had toiled(GJ) for—
45 that they might keep his precepts
    and observe his laws.(GK)

Praise the Lord.[c](GL)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 104:4 Or angels
  2. Psalm 104:35 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; in the Septuagint this line stands at the beginning of Psalm 105.
  3. Psalm 105:45 Hebrew Hallelu Yah