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This is a song that David wrote.

The love of God[a]

103 I say to myself, ‘Praise the Lord!’
    Everything that is in me, praise his holy name!
I say to myself, ‘Praise the Lord!’
    Never forget all the good things that he has done for you!
He forgives all my sins.
    He makes me well again when I am ill.
He saves me from the deep hole of death's power.
    He always loves me and he is kind to me.
    That is how he blesses me so much!
He gives me many good things for my life here.
    So I become strong again, with the strength of a young eagle.
The Lord does what is right and fair.
    He helps poor people who suffer.
He showed Moses how he works to help his people.
    He showed the Israelites the great things that he could do.
The Lord is kind to people and he forgives them.
    He is slow to get angry and his love always continues.
He will not always tell us that we are wrong.
    He will not always continue to be angry.
10 We should receive much punishment for the bad things that we do.
    But the Lord does not punish us so much.
11 For people who worship him, his faithful love is very great.
    How far is the sky above the earth? His love is greater than that!
12 How far is the east from the west?
    The Lord has taken our sins further away than that!
    He no longer says that we are guilty.
13 As a father is kind to his children, the Lord is kind to us.
    He is kind to people who worship him.
14 He knows that we are weak humans.
    He remembers that he used dust to make us.
15 A person's life is like grass that quickly dies.
    He is strong only for a short time, like wild flowers in a field.
16 A hot wind blows over flowers and they die!
    Nobody even remembers where they were growing.
17 But the faithful love of the Lord
    will always be with people who worship him.
    He promises to be kind to their children's children for ever.
18 He continues to love people who obey his covenant.
    Those are the people who obey his laws.
19 The Lord rules from his throne in heaven.
    He rules as king over everything.
20 You who are the Lord's angels,
    you strong angels who do what he tells you to do,
    praise the Lord!
21 All of you who belong to his armies in heaven,
    his servants who do what he wants,
    praise the Lord!
22 Yes, everything that the Lord has made,
    in all the places that he rules over,
    praise the Lord!

I say to myself, ‘Praise the Lord!’

Footnotes

  1. 103:1 The psalm has three parts: Verses 1-5: David praises the Lord. Verses 6-18: the special love of the Lord for his people. Verses 19-22: the angels and everything that the Lord has made should praise him.

103 I bless the holy name of God with all my heart. Yes, I will bless the Lord and not forget the glorious things he does for me.

He forgives all my sins. He heals me. He ransoms me from hell. He surrounds me with loving-kindness and tender mercies. He fills my life with good things! My youth is renewed like the eagle’s! He gives justice to all who are treated unfairly. He revealed his will and nature to Moses and the people of Israel.

He is merciful and tender toward those who don’t deserve it; he is slow to get angry and full of kindness and love. He never bears a grudge, nor remains angry forever. 10 He has not punished us as we deserve for all our sins, 11 for his mercy toward those who fear and honor him is as great as the height of the heavens above the earth. 12 He has removed our sins as far away from us as the east is from the west. 13 He is like a father to us, tender and sympathetic to those who reverence him. 14 For he knows we are but dust 15 and that our days are few and brief, like grass, like flowers, 16 blown by the wind and gone forever.

17-18 But the loving-kindness of the Lord is from everlasting to everlasting to those who reverence him; his salvation is to children’s children of those who are faithful to his covenant and remember to obey him!

19 The Lord has made the heavens his throne; from there he rules over everything there is. 20 Bless the Lord, you mighty angels of his who carry out his orders, listening for each of his commands. 21 Yes, bless the Lord, you armies of his angels who serve him constantly.

22 Let everything everywhere bless the Lord. And how I bless him too!

Psalm 103

The Forgiving God

Of David.

My soul, bless the Lord,
and all that is within me, bless his holy name.(A)
My soul, bless the Lord,
and do not forget all his benefits.(B)

He forgives all your iniquity;(C)
he heals all your diseases.(D)
He redeems your life from the Pit;(E)
he crowns you with faithful love and compassion.(F)
He satisfies you[a] with good things;(G)
your youth is renewed like the eagle.(H)

The Lord executes acts of righteousness
and justice for all the oppressed.(I)
He revealed his ways to Moses,(J)
his deeds to the people of Israel.(K)
The Lord is compassionate and gracious,
slow to anger and abounding in faithful love.(L)
He will not always accuse us
or be angry forever.(M)
10 He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve
or repaid us according to our iniquities.(N)

11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his faithful love
toward those who fear him.(O)
12 As far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed
our transgressions from us.(P)
13 As a father has compassion on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him.(Q)
14 For he knows what we are made of,
remembering that we are dust.(R)

15 As for man, his days are like grass—
he blooms like a flower of the field;(S)
16 when the wind passes over it, it vanishes,
and its place is no longer known.[b](T)
17 But from eternity to eternity
the Lord’s faithful love is toward those who fear him,
and his righteousness toward the grandchildren(U)
18 of those who keep his covenant,
who remember to observe his precepts.(V)
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.(W)

20 Bless the Lord,
all his angels of great strength,
who do his word,
obedient to his command.(X)
21 Bless the Lord, all his armies,
his servants who do his will.(Y)
22 Bless the Lord, all his works
in all the places where he rules.(Z)
My soul, bless the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. 103:5 Lit satisfies your ornament; Hb obscure
  2. 103:16 Lit place no longer knows it