102 A Prayer of the afflicted when he is feeble, and before Jehovah poureth out his plaint. O Jehovah, hear my prayer, yea, my cry to Thee cometh.

² Hide not Thou Thy face from me, In a day of mine adversity, Incline unto me Thine ear, In the day I call, haste, answer me.

³ For consumed in smoke have been my days, And my bones as a fire-brand have burned.

⁴ Smitten as the herb, and withered, is my heart, For I have forgotten to eat my bread.

⁵ From the voice of my sighing Hath my bone cleaved to my flesh.

⁶ I have been like to a pelican of the wilderness, I have been as an owl of the dry places.

⁷ I have watched, and I am As a bird alone on the roof.

⁸ All the day mine enemies reproached me, Those mad at me have sworn against me.

⁹ Because ashes as bread I have eaten, And my drink with weeping have mingled,

¹⁰ From Thine indignation and Thy wrath, For Thou hast lifted me up, And dost cast me down.

¹¹ My days as a shadow [are] stretched out, And I -- as the herb I am withered.

¹² And Thou, O Jehovah, to the age abidest, And Thy memorial to all generations.

¹³ Thou -- Thou risest -- Thou pitiest Zion, For the time to favour her, For the appointed time hath come.

¹⁴ For Thy servants have been pleased with her stones, And her dust they favour.

¹⁵ And nations fear the name of Jehovah, And all kings of the earth Thine honour,

¹⁶ For Jehovah hath builded Zion, He hath been seen in His honour,

¹⁷ He turned unto the prayer of the destitute, And He hath not despised their prayer.

¹⁸ This is written for a later generation, And the people created do praise Jah.

¹⁹ For He hath looked From the high place of His sanctuary. Jehovah from heaven unto earth looked attentively,

²⁰ To hear the groan of the prisoner, To loose sons of death,

²¹ To declare in Zion the name of Jehovah, And His praise in Jerusalem,

²² In the peoples being gathered together, And the kingdoms -- to serve Jehovah.

²³ He hath humbled in the way my power, He hath shortened my days.

²⁴ I say, `My God, take me not up in the midst of my days,' Through all generations [are] Thine years.

²⁵ Beforetime the earth Thou didst found, And the work of Thy hands [are] the heavens.

²⁶ They -- They perish, and Thou remainest, And all of them as a garment become old, As clothing Thou changest them, And they are changed.

²⁷ And Thou [art] the same, and Thine years are not finished.

²⁸ The sons of Thy servants do continue, And their seed before Thee is established!

103 By David. Bless, O my soul, Jehovah, And all my inward parts -- His Holy Name.

² Bless, O my soul, Jehovah, And forget not all His benefits,

³ Who is forgiving all thine iniquities, Who is healing all thy diseases,

⁴ Who is redeeming from destruction thy life, Who is crowning thee -- kindness and mercies,

⁵ Who is satisfying with good thy desire, Renew itself as an eagle doth thy youth.

⁶ Jehovah is doing righteousness and judgments For all the oppressed.

⁷ He maketh known His ways to Moses, To the sons of Israel His acts.

⁸ Merciful and gracious [is] Jehovah, Slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.

⁹ Not for ever doth He strive, Nor to the age doth He watch.

¹⁰ Not according to our sins hath He done to us, Nor according to our iniquities Hath He conferred benefits upon us.

¹¹ For, as the height of the heavens [is] above the earth, His kindness hath been mighty over those fearing Him.

¹² As the distance of east from west He hath put far from us our transgressions.

¹³ As a father hath mercy on sons, Jehovah hath mercy on those fearing Him.

¹⁴ For He hath known our frame, Remembering that we [are] dust.

¹⁵ Mortal man! as grass [are] his days, As a flower of the field so he flourisheth;

¹⁶ For a wind hath passed over it, and it is not, And its place doth not discern it any more.

¹⁷ And the kindness of Jehovah [Is] from age even unto age on those fearing Him, And His righteousness to sons' sons,

¹⁸ To those keeping His covenant, And to those remembering His precepts to do them.

¹⁹ Jehovah in the heavens Hath established His throne, And His kingdom over all hath ruled.

²⁰ Bless Jehovah, ye His messengers, Mighty in power -- doing His word, To hearken to the voice of His Word.

²¹ Bless Jehovah, all ye His hosts, His ministers -- doing His pleasure.

²² Bless Jehovah, all ye His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless, O my soul, Jehovah!

104 Bless, O my soul, Jehovah! Jehovah, my God, Thou hast been very great, Honour and majesty Thou hast put on.

² Covering himself [with] light as a garment, Stretching out the heavens as a curtain,

³ Who is laying the beam of His upper chambers in the waters, Who is making thick clouds His chariot, Who is walking on wings of wind,

⁴ Making His messengers -- the winds, His ministers -- the flaming fire.

⁵ He hath founded earth on its bases, It is not moved to the age and for ever.

⁶ The abyss! as with clothing Thou hast covered it, Above hills do waters stand.

⁷ From Thy rebuke they flee, From the voice of Thy thunder haste away.

⁸ They go up hills -- they go down valleys, Unto a place Thou hast founded for them.

⁹ A border Thou hast set, they pass not over, They turn not back to cover the earth.

¹⁰ Who is sending forth fountains in valleys, Between hills they go on.

¹¹ They water every beast of the field, Wild asses break their thirst.

¹² By them the fowl of the heavens doth dwell, From between the branches They give forth the voice.

¹³ Watering hills from His upper chambers, From the fruit of Thy works is the earth satisfied.

¹⁴ Causing grass to spring up for cattle, And herb for the service of man, To bring forth bread from the earth,

¹⁵ And wine -- it rejoiceth the heart of man, To cause the face to shine from oil, And bread -- the heart of man it supporteth.

¹⁶ Satisfied [are] the trees of Jehovah, Cedars of Lebanon that He hath planted,

¹⁷ Where birds do make nests, The stork -- the firs [are] her house.

¹⁸ The high hills [are] for wild goats, Rocks [are] a refuge for conies,

¹⁹ He made the moon for seasons, The sun hath known his place of entrance.

²⁰ Thou settest darkness, and it is night, In it doth every beast of the forest creep.

²¹ The young lions are roaring for prey, And to seek from God their food.

²² The sun riseth, they are gathered, And in their dens they crouch.

²³ Man goeth forth to his work, And to his service -- till evening.

²⁴ How many have been Thy works, O Jehovah, All of them in wisdom Thou hast made, Full is the earth of thy possessions.

²⁵ This, the sea, great and broad of sides, There [are] moving things -- innumerable, Living creatures -- small with great.

²⁶ There do ships go: leviathan, That Thou hast formed to play in it.

²⁷ All of them unto Thee do look, To give their food in its season.

²⁸ Thou dost give to them -- they gather, Thou dost open Thy hand -- they [are] satisfied [with] good.

²⁹ Thou hidest Thy face -- they are troubled, Thou gatherest their spirit -- they expire, And unto their dust they turn back.

³⁰ Thou sendest out Thy Spirit, they are created, And Thou renewest the face of the ground.

³¹ The honour of Jehovah is to the age, Jehovah rejoiceth in His works,

³² Who is looking to earth, and it trembleth, He cometh against hills, and they smoke.

³³ I sing to Jehovah during my life, I sing praise to my God while I exist.

³⁴ Sweet is my meditation on Him, I -- I do rejoice in Jehovah.

³⁵ Consumed are sinners from the earth, And the wicked are no more. Bless, O my soul, Jehovah. Praise ye Jehovah!