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Psalm 102-104
Common English Bible
Psalm 102-104
Common English Bible
Psalm 102
A prayer of an oppressed person, when weak and pouring out grief to the Lord.
102 Lord, hear my prayer!
Let my cry reach you!
2 Don’t hide your face from me
in my time of trouble!
Listen to me!
Answer me quickly as I cry out!
3 Because my days disappear like smoke,
my bones are burned up as if in an oven;
4 my heart is smashed like dried-up grass.
I even forget to eat my food
5 because of my intense groans.
My bones are protruding from my skin.
6 I’m like some wild owl—
like some screech owl in the desert.
7 I lie awake all night.
I’m all alone like a bird on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies make fun of me;
those who mock me curse using my name!
9 I’ve been eating ashes instead of bread.
I’ve been mixing tears into my drinks
10 because of your anger and wrath,
because you picked me up and threw me away.
11 My days are like a shadow soon gone.
I’m dried up like dead grass.
12 But you, Lord, rule forever!
Your fame lasts from one generation to the next!
13 You will stand up—
you’ll have compassion on Zion
because it is time to have mercy on her—
the time set for that has now come!
14 Your servants cherish Zion’s stones;
they show mercy even to her dirt.
15 The nations will honor the Lord’s name;
all the earth’s rulers will honor your glory
16 because the Lord will rebuild Zion;
he will be seen there in his glory.
17 God will turn to the prayer of the impoverished;
he won’t despise their prayers.
18 Let this be written down for the next generation
so that people not yet created will praise the Lord:
19 The Lord looked down from his holy summit,
surveyed the earth from heaven,
20 to hear the prisoners’ groans,
to set free those condemned to death,
21 that the Lord’s name may be declared in Zion
and his praise declared in Jerusalem,
22 when all people are gathered together—
all kingdoms—to serve the Lord.
23 God broke my strength in midstride,
cutting my days short.
24 I said, “My God, don’t take me away in the prime of life—
your years go on from one generation to the next!
25 You laid the earth’s foundations long ago;
the skies are your handiwork.
26 These things will pass away, but you will last.
All of these things will wear out like clothing;
you change them like clothes, and they pass on.
27 But you are the one!
Your years never end!
28 Let your servants’ children live safe;
let your servants’ descendants live secure in your presence.”
Psalm 103
Of David.
103 Let my whole being[a] bless the Lord!
Let everything inside me bless his holy name!
2 Let my whole being bless the Lord
and never forget all his good deeds:
3 how God forgives all your sins,
heals all your sickness,
4 saves your life from the pit,
crowns you with faithful love and compassion,
5 and satisfies you with plenty of good things
so that your youth is made fresh like an eagle’s.
6 The Lord works righteousness;
does justice for all who are oppressed.
7 God made his ways known to Moses;
made his deeds known to the Israelites.
8 The Lord is compassionate and merciful,
very patient, and full of faithful love.
9 God won’t always play the judge;
he won’t be angry forever.
10 He doesn’t deal with us according to our sin
or repay us according to our wrongdoing,
11 because as high as heaven is above the earth,
that’s how large God’s faithful love is for those who honor him.
12 As far as east is from west—
that’s how far God has removed our sin from us.
13 Like a parent feels compassion for their children—
that’s how the Lord feels compassion for those who honor him.
14 Because God knows how we’re made,
God remembers we’re just dust.
15 The days of a human life are like grass:
they bloom like a wildflower;
16 but when the wind blows through it, it’s gone;
even the ground where it stood doesn’t remember it.
17 But the Lord’s faithful love is from forever ago to forever from now
for those who honor him.
And God’s righteousness reaches to the grandchildren
18 of those who keep his covenant
and remember to keep his commands.
19 The Lord has established his throne in heaven,
and his kingdom rules over all.
20 You divine messengers,
bless the Lord!
You who are mighty in power and keep his word,
who obey everything he says,
bless him!
21 All you heavenly forces,
bless the Lord!
All you who serve him and do his will,
bless him!
22 All God’s creatures,
bless the Lord!
Everywhere, throughout his kingdom,
let my whole being
bless the Lord!
Psalm 104
104 Let my whole being[b] bless the Lord!
Lord my God, how fantastic you are!
You are clothed in glory and grandeur!
2 You wear light like a robe;
you open the skies like a curtain.
3 You build your lofty house on the waters;
you make the clouds your chariot,
going around on the wings of the wind.
4 You make the winds your messengers;
you make fire and flame your ministers.
5 You established the earth on its foundations
so that it will never ever fall.
6 You covered it with the watery deep like a piece of clothing;
the waters were higher than the mountains!
7 But at your rebuke they ran away;
they fled in fear at the sound of your thunder.
8 They flowed over the mountains,
streaming down the valleys
to the place you established for them.
9 You set a boundary they cannot cross
so they’ll never again cover the earth.
10 You put gushing springs into dry riverbeds.
They flow between the mountains,
11 providing water for every wild animal—
the wild donkeys quench their thirst.
12 Overhead, the birds in the sky make their home,
chirping loudly in the trees.
13 From your lofty house, you water the mountains.
The earth is filled full by the fruit of what you’ve done.
14 You make grass grow for cattle;
you make plants for human farming
in order to get food from the ground,
15 and wine, which cheers people’s hearts,
along with oil, which makes the face shine,
and bread, which sustains the human heart.
16 The Lord’s trees are well watered—
the cedars of Lebanon, which God planted,
17 where the birds make their nests,
where the stork has a home in the cypresses.
18 The high mountains belong to the mountain goats;
the ridges are the refuge of badgers.
19 God made the moon for the seasons,
and the sun too, which knows when to set.
20 You bring on the darkness and it is night,
when every forest animal prowls.
21 The young lions roar for their prey,
seeking their food from God.
22 When the sun rises, they gather together
and lie down in their dens.
23 Then people go off to their work,
to do their work until evening.
24 Lord, you have done so many things!
You made them all so wisely!
The earth is full of your creations!
25 And then there’s the sea, wide and deep,
with its countless creatures—
living things both small and large.
26 There go the ships on it,
and Leviathan, which you made, plays in it!
27 All your creations wait for you
to give them their food on time.
28 When you give it to them, they gather it up;
when you open your hand, they are filled completely full!
29 But when you hide your face, they are terrified;
when you take away their breath,
they die and return to dust.
30 When you let loose your breath, they are created,
and you make the surface of the ground brand-new again.
31 Let the Lord’s glory last forever!
Let the Lord rejoice in all he has made!
32 He has only to look at the earth, and it shakes.
God just touches the mountains, and they erupt in smoke.
33 I will sing to the Lord as long as I live;
I will sing praises to my God while I’m still alive.
34 Let my praise be pleasing to him;
I’m rejoicing in the Lord!
35 Let sinners be wiped clean from the earth;
let the wicked be no more.
But let my whole being bless the Lord!
Praise the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 103:1 Or soul; also in 103:2, 22
- Psalm 104:1 Or soul; also in 104:35
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.
Common English Bible (CEB)
Copyright © 2011 by Common English Bible
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.