Psalm 103

choir

¹O thou my soul, bless God the Lord;
and all that in me is
Be stirred up his holy name
to magnify and bless.

²Bless, O my soul, the Lord thy God,
and not forgetful be
Of all his gracious benefits
he hath bestow’d on thee.

³All thine iniquities who doth
most graciously forgive:
Who thy diseases all and pains
doth heal, and thee relieve.

⁴Who doth redeem thy life, that thou
to death may’st not go down;
Who thee with loving-kindness doth
and tender mercies crown:

⁵Who with abundance of good things
doth satisfy thy mouth;
So that, ev’n as the eagle’s age,
renewed is thy youth.

⁶God righteous judgment executes
for all oppressed ones.

⁷His ways to Moses, he his acts
made known to Isr’el’s sons.

⁸The Lord our God is merciful,
and he is gracious,
Long-suffering, and slow to wrath,
in mercy plenteous.

⁹He will not chide continually,
nor keep his anger still.

¹⁰With us he dealt not as we sinn’d,
nor did requite our ill.

¹¹For as the heaven in its height
the earth surmounteth far;
So great to those that do him fear
his tender mercies are:

¹²As far as east is distant from
the west, so far hath he
From us removed, in his love,
all our iniquity.

¹³Such pity as a father hath
unto his children dear;
Like pity shews the Lord to such
as worship him in fear.

¹⁴For he remembers we are dust,
and he our frame well knows.

¹⁵Frail man, his days are like the grass,
as flow’r in field he grows:

¹⁶For over it the wind doth pass,
and it away is gone;
And of the place where once it was
it shall no more be known.

¹⁷But unto them that do him fear
God’s mercy never ends;
And to their children’s children still
his righteousness extends:

¹⁸To such as keep his covenant,
and mindful are alway
Of his most just commandements,
that they may them obey.

¹⁹The Lord prepared hath his throne
in heavens firm to stand;
And ev’ry thing that being hath
his kingdom doth command.

²⁰O ye his angels, that excel
in strength, bless ye the Lord;
Ye who obey what he commands,
and hearken to his word.

²¹O bless and magnify the Lord,
ye glorious hosts of his;
Ye ministers, that do fulfil
whate’er his pleasure is.

²²O bless the Lord, all ye his works,
wherewith the world is stor’d
In his dominions ev’ry where.
My soul, bless thou the Lord.

Words: Scottish Psalter 1650
Tune: Ostend