Psalm 102-104

New International Version

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.”

⁶ The Lord works righteousness^(BK)
    and justice for all the oppressed.^(BL)

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)

¹⁹ The Lord has established his throne^(CG) in heaven,
    and his kingdom rules^(CH) over all.

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)

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.

Praise the Lord.^[d](FM)