Psalm 103: Bless the LORD, O my soul

In this psalm David tells his own soul to bless the LORD and forget none of His benefits. Its first 13 verses and its last make a prayer of thanks.

Picture: Jean-François Millet, The Angelus, 1857–59

Plain English

Bless the LORD, O my soul;all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul,and forget none of His benefits.

He forgives all your sinsand heals all your diseases.He redeems your life from the pitand crowns you with love and compassion.He satisfies your desire with good things,so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The LORD acts with righteousness and justicefor all who are oppressed.He made known His ways to Moses,His deeds to the people of Israel.

The LORD is merciful and gracious,slow to anger and rich in love.He will not always accuse,nor will He stay angry for ever.He has not dealt with us as our sins deserve,nor repaid us as our wrongs deserve.

For as high as the heavens are above the earth,so great is His love for those who fear Him.As far as the east is from the west,so far has He removed our sins from us.As a father has compassion on his children,so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Bless the LORD, all His works,in every place where He rules.Bless the LORD, O my soul.

Traditional wording, 1611

Bless the LORD, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.

Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:

Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases;Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies;Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things; so that thy youth is renewed like the eagle’s.

The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.He made known His ways unto Moses, His acts unto the children of Israel.

The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever.He hath not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.

For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us.Like as a father pitieth his children, so the LORD pitieth them that fear Him.

Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion: bless the LORD, O my soul.

Plain English by Wiser Walk, from the Hebrew (verses 1 to 13 and 22, with one word of verse 5 from the Greek), with the King James Version beside it. How the wording is made. Traditional wording: The King James translators, The King James Version, 1611.

Translators read one Hebrew word of verse 5 in different ways. The King James Version has “thy mouth”; the plain wording follows the Greek Septuagint, which reads “thy desire”.

When it is said

Pray it whenever you want to thank God, for one gift or for all of them at once.

It also suits the end of a long trouble, when you can look back on what God forgave, healed and set right.

Where it comes from

Author by tradition

For thanking God in all things

St Athanasius wrote a letter on the Psalms to a man named Marcellinus. In it he says we ought to thank God through everything and in everything. He adds that when you want to bless God, you can stir up your own soul with this psalm and the one after it.

St Athanasius, Letter to Marcellinus (Greek)

Sung near the start of the Liturgy

In the translator Isabel Hapgood’s 1906 service book, this psalm is the first antiphon of the Divine Liturgy, a psalm sung near its start. On great feasts other verses take its place. The same book also has it read at Matins, the morning service, as one of its Six Psalms.

Isabel F. Hapgood, Service Book of the Holy Orthodox-Catholic Apostolic Church (1906)

The Scripture in it

Bless the LORD, O my soul; all that is within me, bless His holy name. Bless the LORD, O my soul, and do not forget all His kind deeds— He Who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases, Who redeems your life from the Pit and crowns you with loving devotion and compassion, Who satisfies you with good things, so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s. The LORD executes righteousness and justice for all the oppressed. He made known His ways to Moses, His deeds to the people of Israel. The LORD is compassionate and gracious, slow to anger, abounding in loving devotion. He will not always accuse us, nor harbor His anger forever. He has not dealt with us according to our sins or repaid us according to our iniquities. For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is His loving devotion for those who fear Him. As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us. As a father has compassion on his children, so the LORD has compassion on those who fear Him.

Psalm 103:1-13 Quoted The psalm’s first 13 verses.

Bless the LORD, all His works in all places of His dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!

Psalm 103:22 Quoted Its last verse, which ends as the psalm began.

Bible text: Berean Standard Bible, public domain.

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