A Cry in Distress

1021 Hear my prayer, O Jehovah, And let my cry come unto thee. 2 Hide not thy face from me in the day of my distress: Incline thine ear unto me; In the day when I call answer me speedily. 3 For my days consume away like smoke, And my bones are burned as a firebrand. 4 My heart is smitten like grass, and withered; For I forget to eat my bread. 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning My bones cleave to my flesh. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness; I am become as an owl of the waste places. 7 I watch, and am become like a sparrow That is alone upon the house-top. 8 Mine enemies reproach me all the day; They that are mad against me do curse by me. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread, And mingled my drink with weeping, 10 Because of thine indignation and thy wrath: For thou hast taken me up, and cast me away. 11 My days are like a shadow that declineth; And I am withered like grass.

12 But thou, O Jehovah, wilt abide for ever; And thy memorial [name] unto all generations. 13 Thou wilt arise, and have mercy upon Zion; For it is time to have pity upon her, Yea, the set time is come. 14 For thy servants take pleasure in her stones, And have pity upon her dust. 15 So the nations shall fear the name of Jehovah, And all the kings of the earth thy glory. 16 For Jehovah hath built up Zion; He hath appeared in his glory. 17 He hath regarded the prayer of the destitute, And hath not despised their prayer. 18 This shall be written for the generation to come; And a people which shall be created shall praise Jehovah. 19 For he hath looked down from the height of his sanctuary; From heaven did Jehovah behold the earth; 20 To hear the sighing of the prisoner; To loose those that are appointed to death; 21 That men may declare the name of Jehovah in Zion, And his praise in Jerusalem; 22 When the peoples are gathered together, And the kingdoms, to serve Jehovah.

23 He weakened my strength in the way; He shortened my days. 24 I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of my days: Thy years are throughout all generations. 25 Of old didst thou lay the foundation of the earth; And the heavens are the work of thy hands. 26 They shall perish, but thou shalt endure; Yea, all of them shall wax old like a garment; As a vesture shalt thou change them, and they shall be changed: 27 But thou art the same, And thy years shall have no end. 28 The children of thy servants shall continue, And their seed shall be established before thee.

Praise for the LORD's Benefits

1031 Bless Jehovah, O my soul; And all that is within me, [bless] his holy name. 2 Bless Jehovah, O my soul, And forget not all his benefits: 3 Who forgiveth all thine iniquities; Who healeth all thy diseases; 4 Who redeemeth thy life from destruction; Who crowneth thee with lovingkindness and tender mercies; 5 Who satisfieth thy desire with good things, [So that] thy youth is renewed like the eagle.

6 Jehovah executeth righteous acts, And judgments for all that are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways unto Moses, His doings unto the children of Israel. 8 Jehovah is merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in lovingkindness. 9 He will not always chide; Neither will he keep [his anger] for ever. 10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins, Nor rewarded us after our iniquities. 11 For as the heavens are high above the earth, So great is his lovingkindness toward them that fear him. 12 As far as the east is from the west, So far hath he removed our transgressions from us. 13 Like as a father pitieth his children, So Jehovah pitieth them that fear him. 14 For he knoweth our frame; He remembereth that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are as grass; As a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. 16 For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; And the place thereof shall know it no more. 17 But the lovingkindness of Jehovah is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear him, And his righteousness unto children's children; 18 To such as keep his covenant, And to those that remember his precepts to do them.

19 Jehovah hath established his throne in the heavens; And his kingdom ruleth over all. 20 Bless Jehovah, ye his angels, That are mighty in strength, that fulfil his word, Hearkening unto the voice of his word. 21 Bless Jehovah, all ye his hosts, Ye ministers of his, that do his pleasure. 22 Bless Jehovah, all ye his works, In all places of his dominion: Bless Jehovah, O my soul.

The LORD's Care for His Creation

1041 Bless Jehovah, O my soul. O Jehovah my God, thou art very great; Thou art clothed with honor and majesty: 2 Who coverest thyself with light as with a garment; Who stretchest out the heavens like a curtain; 3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters; Who maketh the clouds his chariot; Who walketh upon the wings of the wind; 4 Who maketh winds his messengers; Flames of fire his ministers; 5 Who laid the foundations of the earth, That it should not be moved for ever. 6 Thou coveredst it with the deep as with a vesture; The waters stood above the mountains. 7 At thy rebuke they fled; At the voice of thy thunder they hasted away 8 (The mountains rose, the valleys sank down) Unto the place which thou hadst founded for them. 9 Thou hast set a bound that they may not pass over; That they turn not again to cover the earth.

10 He sendeth forth springs into the valleys; They run among the mountains; 11 They give drink to every beast of the field; The wild asses quench their thirst. 12 By them the birds of the heavens have their habitation; They sing among the branches. 13 He watereth the mountains from his chambers: The earth is filled with the fruit of thy works. 14 He causeth the grass to grow for the cattle, And herb for the service of man; That he may bring forth food out of the earth, 15 And wine that maketh glad the heart of man, [And] oil to make his face to shine, And bread that strengtheneth man's heart. 16 The trees of Jehovah are filled [with moisture], The cedars of Lebanon, which he hath planted; 17 Where the birds make their nests: As for the stork, the fir-trees are her house. 18 The high mountains are for the wild goats; The rocks are a refuge for the conies.

19 He appointed the moon for seasons: The sun knoweth his going down. 20 Thou makest darkness, and it is night, Wherein all the beasts of the forest creep forth. 21 The young lions roar after their prey, And seek their food from God. 22 The sun ariseth, they get them away, And lay them down in their dens. 23 Man goeth forth unto his work And to his labor until the evening. 24 O Jehovah, how manifold are thy works! In wisdom hast thou made them all: The earth is full of thy riches. 25 Yonder is the sea, great and wide, Wherein are things creeping innumerable, Both small and great beasts. 26 There go the ships; There is leviathan, whom thou hast formed to play therein. 27 These wait all for thee, That thou mayest give them their food in due season. 28 Thou givest unto them, they gather; Thou openest thy hand, they are satisfied with good. 29 Thou hidest thy face, they are troubled; Thou takest away their breath, they die, And return to their dust. 30 Thou sendest forth thy Spirit, they are created; And thou renewest the face of the ground.

31 Let the glory of Jehovah endure for ever; Let Jehovah rejoice in his works: 32 Who looketh on the earth, and it trembleth; He toucheth the mountains, and they smoke. 33 I will sing unto Jehovah as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have any being. 34 Let thy meditation be sweet unto him: I will rejoice in Jehovah. 35 Let sinners be consumed out of the earth. And let the wicked be no more. Bless Jehovah, O my soul. Praise ye Jehovah.