Psalms 103

1 BY DAVID. Bless, O my soul, YHWH, And all my inward parts—His Holy Name.

[I tell] myself that I should praise Yahweh. I will praise him [MTY] with all of my inner being, [because] he [MTY] is holy.

2 Bless, O my soul, YHWH, And do not forget all His benefits,

[I tell] myself that I should praise Yahweh and never forget all the kind things he has done for me:

3 Who is forgiving all your iniquities, Who is healing all your diseases,

He forgives all my sins, and he heals me from all my diseases/sicknesses;

4 Who is redeeming your life from destruction, Who is crowning you [with] kindness and mercies,

he keeps me from dying [MTY], and blesses me by faithfully loving me and acting mercifully to me.

5 Who is satisfying your desire with good, Your youth renews itself as an eagle.

He gives me good things during my entire life. He makes me feel young and strong like eagles.

6 YHWH is doing righteousness and judgments For all the oppressed.

Yahweh judges justly and (vindicates/does what is right for) all those who have been treated unfairly.

7 He makes His ways known to Moses, His acts to the sons of Israel.

[Long ago] he revealed to Moses what he planned to do; he showed to the [ancestors of us] Israeli people the mighty things that he was able to do.

8 YHWH [is] merciful and gracious, Slow to anger, and abundant in mercy.

Yahweh acts mercifully and kindly; he does not quickly (get angry/punish us) [when we sin]; he is always [showing us that he] faithfully loves us.

9 He does not strive forever, Nor does He watch for all time.

He will not keep rebuking us, and he will not remain angry forever.

10 He has not done to us according to our sins, Nor according to our iniquities Has He conferred benefits on us.

He punishes us for our sins, but he does not punish us [severely] as we deserve [DOU]!

11 For as the height of the heavens [is] above the earth, His kindness has been mighty over those fearing Him.

The skies are very high above the earth, and Yahweh’s faithful love for all those who revere him is just as great.

12 He has put our transgressions far from us—as the distance of east from west.

He has taken away [the guilt for] [MTY] our sins, taking it as far from us as the east is from the west.

13 As a father has mercy on sons, YHWH has mercy on those fearing Him.

Just like parents act mercifully toward their children, Yahweh is kind to those who revere him.

14 For He has known our frame, Remembering that we [are] dust.

He knows what our bodies are like; he remembers that [he created us from] dirt, and so we quickly fail [to do what pleases him] [MET].

15 Mortal man! His days [are] as grass, He flourishes as a flower of the field;

We humans do not live forever [SIM]; we are like grass [SIM] [that withers and dies]. We are like wild flowers: They bloom [for a short while],

16 For a wind has passed over it, and it is not, And its place does not discern it anymore.

but then the [hot] wind blows over them, and they disappear; no one sees them again.

17 And the kindness of YHWH [Is] from age even to age on those fearing Him, And His righteousness to sons’ sons,

But Yahweh will faithfully keep loving forever all those who revere him. He will act fairly to our children and to their children;

18 To those keeping His covenant, And to those remembering His precepts to do them.

he will act that way to all those who obey the agreement he made with them [to bless them if they did what he told them to do], to all those who obey what he has commanded.

19 YHWH has established His throne in the heavens, And His kingdom has ruled over all.

Yahweh made/caused the heavens to be the place where he rules [MTY]; from there he rules over everything.

20 Bless YHWH, you His messengers, Mighty in power—doing His word, To listen to the voice of His word.

You angels who belong to Yahweh, praise him! You are powerful creatures/beings who do what he tells you to do; you obey what he commands.

21 Bless YHWH, all you His hosts, His ministers—doing His pleasure.

Praise Yahweh, you armies/thousands of angels who serve him and do what he desires!

22 Bless YHWH, all you His works, In all places of His dominion. Bless, O my soul, YHWH!

All you things that Yahweh has created, praise him; praise him in every place where he rules, everywhere! And I [also] will praise Yahweh!