Psalm 103

Dewey Westra, 1931

1. O bless the Lord, my soul, with all thy power!
   Exalt the God who is thy strength and tower;
   Let all within me bless His holy Name.
   Bless Him who heareth all thy supplication;
   Forget not thou His kindly ministration,
   But all His gracious benefits proclaim.
   
2. O bless the Lord, who all thy need supplieth!
   Thy soul with good He fully satisfieth,
   And, like the eagle’s, He renews thy youth.
   Jehovah doeth right, for He is holy;
   His judgments for the sore oppressed and lowly
   Are done in perfect righteousness and truth.
   
3. He spake to Moses from the midst of thunder,
   He brake the bonds of Israel asunder,
   And showed to them his mighty works and ways.
   The Lord is gracious and of kind compassion,
   He saved His own in truly wondrous fashion,
   To anger slow, He loved them all their days.
   
4. Jehovah will not chide with us forever
   Nor always keep His anger, but deliver
   His people from their sorrows and distress.
   He has not crushed the flock of His possession,
   Nor dealt with us according to transgression;
   He chastens, but with love and tenderness.
   
5. Like as a father looketh with compassion
   Upon his children, lo, in such a fashion
   The Lord doth look on them that fear and trust.
   He knoweth that our frame is weak and humble;
   How void of strength, how prone we are to stumble!
   And He is mindful that we are but dust.
   
6. Lo, as for man, his days are like a shadow,
   Like tender grass and flowers of the meadow,
   Whose morning beauty fadeth with the day;
   For when the wind but lightly passeth o’er it
   ‘Tis gone anon and nothing can restore it;
   ‘Tis found no more, it vanisheth for aye.
   
7. Jehovah’s mercy floweth, like a river,
   From everlasting, and abideth ever
   On those that love and worship Him with awe.
   His righteousness shall bless the habitations
   Of children’s children through the generations
   That keep His covenant and obey His law.
   
8. High in the heavens has Jehovah founded
   His lofty throne, by cherubim surrounded;
   And lo, His kingdom ruleth over all!
   O bless the Lord, ye angels full of glory,
   Ye mighty heroes, famed in sacred glory,
   Ye mighty heroes, famed in sacred story,
   That do His word, obedient to His call!
   
9. Bless Him, ye hosts, in praises without measure,
   Ye ministers of His that do His pleasure;
   Exalt His Name, His majesty extol.
   Bless ye Jehovah, all His works in union,
   In all the places of His wide dominion;
   Yea, bless the Lord with joy, O thou, my soul!