Bless Our Father, My Soul
Of David.
A catalogue of our Father's kindnesses not to forget — sins forgiven, diseases healed, life redeemed from the pit. At its center is a comparison: as a father's heart goes out to his children, so his goes out to us. He remembers we are dust.
103 1Bless our Father, my soul; and all that is within me, bless his holy name!
2Bless our Father, my soul, and forget none of his kindnesses, 3who forgives all your sins, who heals all your diseases, 4who redeems your life from the grave, who crowns you with covenant love and compassion, 5who satisfies you with good things as long as you live, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
6Our Father works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed.
7He made known his ways to Moses, his deeds to the people of Israel. 8Our Father is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in covenant love. 9He will not always accuse, nor will he hold his anger forever. 10He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our wrongdoing. 11For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his covenant love toward those who fear him; 12as far as the east is from the west, so far has our Father removed our sins from us.
13As a father's heart goes out to his children, so our Father's heart goes out to those who fear him. 14For he knows how we are formed; he remembers that we are dust. 15People's days are like grass; they flourish like a wildflower in the field; 16for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place remembers it no more. 17But the covenant love of our Father is from everlasting to everlasting toward those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 18to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments.
19Our Father has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
20Bless our Father, you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying his every word! 21Bless our Father, all his armies, his servants who do his will! 22Bless our Father, all his works, throughout his kingdom. Bless our Father, my soul!
