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Psalm 102-104
American Standard Version
Psalm 102-104
American Standard Version
Prayer of an afflicted one for mercy on himself and on Zion.
A Prayer of the afflicted, when he [a]is overwhelmed, and poureth out his complaint before Jehovah.
102 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah,
And let my cry come unto thee.
2 Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress:
Incline thine ear unto me;
In the day when I call answer me speedily.
3 For my days consume away [b]like smoke,
And my bones are burned [c]as a firebrand.
4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered;
For I forget to eat my bread.
5 By reason of the voice of my groaning
My bones cleave to my flesh.
6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness;
I am become as an owl of the waste places.
7 I watch, and am become like a sparrow
That is alone upon the house-top.
8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day;
They that are mad against me do curse by me.
9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
And mingled my drink with weeping,
10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath:
For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away.
11 My days are like a shadow that [d]declineth;
And I am withered like grass.
12 But thou, O Jehovah, [e]wilt abide for ever;
And thy memorial name unto all generations.
13 Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion;
For it is time to have pity upon her,
Yea, the set time is come.
14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones,
And have pity upon her dust.
15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah,
And all the kings of the earth thy glory.
16 For Jehovah hath built up Zion;
He hath appeared in his glory.
17 He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute,
And hath not despised their prayer.
18 This shall be written for the generation to come;
And a people which shall be created shall praise [f]Jehovah.
19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary;
From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth;
20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner;
To loose [g]those that are appointed to death;
21 That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion,
And his praise in Jerusalem;
22 When the peoples are gathered together,
And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.
23 He [h]weakened my strength in the way;
He shortened my days.
24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days:
Thy years are throughout all generations.
25 Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth;
And the heavens are the work of thy hands.
26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure;
Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment;
As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed:
27 But thou art the same,
And thy years shall have no end.
28 The children of thy servants shall continue,
And their seed shall be established before thee.
Praise for Jehovah’s mercies.
A Psalm of David.
103 Bless Jehovah, O my soul;
And all that is within me, bless his holy name.
2 Bless Jehovah, O my soul,
And forget not all his benefits:
3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities;
Who healeth all thy diseases;
4 Who redeemeth thy life from [i]destruction;
Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
5 Who satisfieth [j]thy desire with good things,
So that thy youth is renewed like the eagle.
6 Jehovah executeth righteous acts,
And judgments for all that are oppressed.
7 He made known his ways unto Moses,
His doings unto the children of Israel.
8 Jehovah is merciful and gracious,
Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness.
9 He will not always chide;
Neither will he keep his anger for ever.
10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins,
Nor rewarded us after our iniquities.
11 For as the heavens are high above the earth,
So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him.
12 As far as the east is from the west,
So far hath he removed our transgressions from us.
13 Like as a father pitieth his children,
So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him.
14 For he knoweth our frame;
He remembereth that we are dust.
15 As for man, his days are as grass;
As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth.
16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone;
And the place thereof shall know it no more.
17 But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him,
And his righteousness unto children’s children;
18 To such as keep his covenant,
And to those that remember his precepts to do them.
19 Jehovah hath established his throne in the heavens;
And his kingdom ruleth over all.
20 Bless Jehovah, ye his angels,
That are mighty in strength, that fulfil his word,
Hearkening unto the voice of his word.
21 Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts,
Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure.
22 Bless Jehovah, all ye his works,
In all places of his dominion:
Bless Jehovah, O my soul.
Jehovah’s care over all his works.
104 Bless Jehovah, O my soul.
O Jehovah my God, thou art very great;
Thou art clothed with honor and majesty:
2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment;
Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain;
3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters;
Who maketh the clouds his chariot;
Who walketh upon the wings of the wind;
4 Who maketh [k]winds his messengers;
Flames of fire his ministers;
5 [l]Who laid the foundations of the earth,
That it should not be moved for ever.
6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture;
The waters stood above the mountains.
7 At thy rebuke they fled;
At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away
8 [m](The mountains rose, the valleys sank down)
Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them.
9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over;
That they turn not again to cover the earth.
10 He sendeth forth springs into the valleys;
They run among the mountains;
11 They give drink to every beast of the field;
The wild asses quench their thirst.
12 By them the birds of the heavens have their habitation;
They [n]sing among the branches.
13 He watereth the mountains from his chambers:
The earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.
14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle,
And herb for the [o]service of man;
That he may bring forth [p]food out of the earth,
15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man,
[q]And oil to make his face to shine,
And bread that strengtheneth man’s heart.
16 The trees of Jehovah are filled with moisture,
The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted;
17 Where the birds make their nests:
As for the stork, the fir-trees are her house.
18 The high mountains are for the wild goats;
The rocks are a refuge for the conies.
19 He appointed the moon for seasons:
The sun knoweth his going down.
20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night,
Wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth.
21 The young lions roar after their prey,
And seek their food from God.
22 The sun ariseth, they get them away,
And lay them down in their dens.
23 Man goeth forth unto his work
And to his labor until the evening.
24 O Jehovah, how manifold are thy works!
In wisdom hast thou made them all:
The earth is full of thy [r]riches.
25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide,
Wherein are things creeping innumerable,
Both small and great beasts.
26 There go the ships;
There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to play [s]therein.
27 These wait all for thee,
That thou mayest give them their food in due season.
28 Thou givest unto them, they gather;
Thou openest thy hand, they are satisfied with good.
29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled;
Thou [t]takest away their breath, they die,
And return to their dust.
30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created;
And thou renewest the face of the ground.
31 Let the glory of Jehovah endure for ever;
Let Jehovah rejoice in his works:
32 Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth;
He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke.
33 I will sing unto Jehovah as long as I live:
I will sing praise to my God while I have any being.
34 Let my meditation be sweet unto him:
I will rejoice in Jehovah.
35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth.
And let the wicked be no more.
Bless Jehovah, O my soul.
[u]Praise ye Jehovah.
Footnotes
- Psalm 102:1 Or, fainteth
- Psalm 102:3 Or, in smoke
- Psalm 102:3 Or, as a hearth
- Psalm 102:11 Or, is stretched out
- Psalm 102:12 Or, sittest as King
- Psalm 102:18 Hebrew Jah.
- Psalm 102:20 Hebrew the children of death.
- Psalm 102:23 Another reading is, afflicted me with his strength
- Psalm 103:4 Or, the pit
- Psalm 103:5 Or, thy years. Or, thy prime. Hebrew thine ornament.
- Psalm 104:4 Or, his angels winds
- Psalm 104:5 Hebrew He founded the earth upon its bases.
- Psalm 104:8 Or, They went up by the mountains, they went down by the valleys
- Psalm 104:12 Hebrew utter their voice.
- Psalm 104:14 Or, labor
- Psalm 104:14 Hebrew bread.
- Psalm 104:15 Hebrew To make his face to shine with oil.
- Psalm 104:24 Or, creatures
- Psalm 104:26 Or, with him. See Job 41:5.
- Psalm 104:29 Or, gatherest in
- Psalm 104:35 Hebrew Hallelujah.
Psalm 102-104
New International Version
Psalm 102-104
New International Version
Psalm 102[a]
A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.
1 Hear my prayer,(A) Lord;
let my cry for help(B) come to you.
2 Do not hide your face(C) from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear(D) to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
3 For my days vanish like smoke;(E)
my bones(F) burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(G)
I forget to eat my food.(H)
5 In my distress I groan aloud(I)
and am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,(J)
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake;(K) I have become
like a bird alone(L) on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies(M) taunt me;(N)
those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(O)
9 For I eat ashes(P) as my food
and mingle my drink with tears(Q)
10 because of your great wrath,(R)
for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;(S)
I wither(T) away like grass.
12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(U)
your renown endures(V) through all generations.(W)
13 You will arise(X) and have compassion(Y) on Zion,
for it is time(Z) to show favor(AA) to her;
the appointed time(AB) has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear(AC) the name of the Lord,
all the kings(AD) of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(AE)
and appear in his glory.(AF)
17 He will respond to the prayer(AG) of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written(AH) for a future generation,
that a people not yet created(AI) may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down(AJ) from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(AK)
and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(AL) in Zion
and his praise(AM) in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship(AN) the Lord.
23 In the course of my life[b] he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.(AO)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on(AP) through all generations.
25 In the beginning(AQ) you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens(AR) are the work of your hands.(AS)
26 They will perish,(AT) but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,(AU)
and your years will never end.(AV)
28 The children of your servants(AW) will live in your presence;
their descendants(AX) will be established before you.”
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord,(AY) my soul;(AZ)
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.(BA)
2 Praise the Lord,(BB) my soul,
and forget not(BC) all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins(BD)
and heals(BE) all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life(BF) from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,(BG)
5 who satisfies(BH) your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed(BI) like the eagle’s.(BJ)
7 He made known(BM) his ways(BN) to Moses,
his deeds(BO) to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,(BP)
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;(BQ)
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve(BR)
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love(BS) for those who fear him;(BT)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions(BU) from us.
13 As a father has compassion(BV) on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,(BW)
he remembers that we are dust.(BX)
15 The life of mortals is like grass,(BY)
they flourish like a flower(BZ) of the field;
16 the wind blows(CA) over it and it is gone,
and its place(CB) 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(CC)—
18 with those who keep his covenant(CD)
and remember(CE) to obey his precepts.(CF)
20 Praise the Lord,(CI) you his angels,(CJ)
you mighty ones(CK) who do his bidding,(CL)
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,(CM)
you his servants(CN) who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works(CO)
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.(CP)
Psalm 104
1 Praise the Lord, my soul.(CQ)
Lord my God, you are very great;
you are clothed with splendor and majesty.(CR)
2 The Lord wraps(CS) himself in light(CT) as with a garment;
he stretches(CU) out the heavens(CV) like a tent(CW)
3 and lays the beams(CX) of his upper chambers on their waters.(CY)
He makes the clouds(CZ) his chariot(DA)
and rides on the wings of the wind.(DB)
4 He makes winds his messengers,[c](DC)
flames of fire(DD) his servants.
5 He set the earth(DE) on its foundations;(DF)
it can never be moved.
6 You covered it(DG) with the watery depths(DH) as with a garment;
the waters stood(DI) above the mountains.
7 But at your rebuke(DJ) the waters fled,
at the sound of your thunder(DK) they took to flight;
8 they flowed over the mountains,
they went down into the valleys,
to the place you assigned(DL) for them.
9 You set a boundary(DM) they cannot cross;
never again will they cover the earth.
10 He makes springs(DN) pour water into the ravines;
it flows between the mountains.
11 They give water(DO) to all the beasts of the field;
the wild donkeys(DP) quench their thirst.
12 The birds of the sky(DQ) nest by the waters;
they sing among the branches.(DR)
13 He waters the mountains(DS) from his upper chambers;(DT)
the land is satisfied by the fruit of his work.(DU)
14 He makes grass grow(DV) for the cattle,
and plants for people to cultivate—
bringing forth food(DW) from the earth:
15 wine(DX) that gladdens human hearts,
oil(DY) to make their faces shine,
and bread that sustains(DZ) their hearts.
16 The trees of the Lord(EA) are well watered,
the cedars of Lebanon(EB) that he planted.
17 There the birds(EC) make their nests;
the stork has its home in the junipers.
18 The high mountains belong to the wild goats;(ED)
the crags are a refuge for the hyrax.(EE)
19 He made the moon to mark the seasons,(EF)
and the sun(EG) knows when to go down.
20 You bring darkness,(EH) it becomes night,(EI)
and all the beasts of the forest(EJ) prowl.
21 The lions roar for their prey(EK)
and seek their food from God.(EL)
22 The sun rises, and they steal away;
they return and lie down in their dens.(EM)
23 Then people go out to their work,(EN)
to their labor until evening.(EO)
24 How many are your works,(EP) Lord!
In wisdom you made(EQ) them all;
the earth is full of your creatures.(ER)
25 There is the sea,(ES) vast and spacious,
teeming with creatures beyond number—
living things both large and small.(ET)
26 There the ships(EU) go to and fro,
and Leviathan,(EV) which you formed to frolic(EW) there.(EX)
27 All creatures look to you
to give them their food(EY) at the proper time.
28 When you give it to them,
they gather it up;
when you open your hand,
they are satisfied(EZ) with good things.
29 When you hide your face,(FA)
they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to the dust.(FB)
30 When you send your Spirit,(FC)
they are created,
and you renew the face of the ground.
31 May the glory of the Lord(FD) endure forever;
may the Lord rejoice in his works(FE)—
32 he who looks at the earth, and it trembles,(FF)
who touches the mountains,(FG) and they smoke.(FH)
33 I will sing(FI) 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(FJ) in the Lord.
35 But may sinners vanish(FK) from the earth
and the wicked be no more.(FL)
Praise the Lord, my soul.
Footnotes
- Psalm 102:1 In Hebrew texts 102:1-28 is numbered 102:2-29.
- Psalm 102:23 Or By his power
- Psalm 104:4 Or angels
- Psalm 104:35 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; in the Septuagint this line stands at the beginning of Psalm 105.
American Standard Version (ASV)
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New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.