102.

(1) The prayer of the poor, when he is discouraged, and pours out his sorrow before God. (2) God! Hear my prayer, let my cry come to Thee! (3) Do not hide your face from me, in the day of my trouble incline your ear to me, in the day when I call, hear me quickly. (4) For my days have vanished like smoke, my bones are burned as in a hearth. (5) My heart is bruised and withered like grass, for I have forgotten to eat my bread. (6) At the voice of my groaning, my bones stuck together with my flesh. (7) I have become like an owl in the wilderness, I have become like an owl in the ruins. (8) I was in a hurry to run away, I became like a lonely bird on the roof. 9 All day long my enemies revile me, and those who laugh at me swear by me.247 (10) For I eat ashes like bread, and I dissolve my drink with tears. (11) From your wrath, from your indignation, for you lifted me up and threw me away. (12) My days are like a shadow on a slope, I am withered like grass. (13) But you, O God, abide forever, the remembrance of you from generation to generation. (14) Arise, then, and have mercy on Zion! For it is time to have mercy on him, for the time has come. (15) For your servants have coveted his stones, and they love his dust. (16) So that the nations may fear the name of God, and all the kings of the earth may fear your glory. (17) When God restores Zion, he will appear in his glory. (18) He will turn to the prayer of the broken, and will not despise his supplication. (19) This will be written down for the last generation, so that the new people may praise God. (20) For he has looked down from the height of his holiness, God has looked down from heaven to the earth, (21) to hear the groaning of the prisoners, to set the death row free, (22) to proclaim the name of God in Zion, his praise in Jerusalem, (23) when the nations are gathered together, the kingdoms to serve God. (24) He has worn out my strength in the way, he has shortened my days. (25) But I say: "My Almighty! Do not take me away in the middle of my days. You, whose years are forever and ever. (26) In the beginning you founded the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands. (27) They will be lost, but you will remain. And all of them, like a dress, will become dilapidated. Thou shalt change them as garments, and they shall pass away. (28) But you are still the same, and your years will not end. (29) The sons of your servants will remain, and their descendants will be established before you."

103.

(1) David. Bless God, O my soul, all my inward parts are the name of His holiness. (2) Bless God, O my soul, and forget not His blessings. (3) He who forgives all your sins, heals all your diseases. (4) He who delivers your life from destruction, surrounds you with mercy and goodness. (5) Him who fills your mouth with good things; Thy youth is renewed like an eagle. (6) God does justice and justice to all who are wronged. (7) He told Moses his ways, and his creatures to the children of Israel. (8) God is merciful and good, long-suffering and abundantly merciful. (9) He is not always indignant, nor does he ever exact. (10) He did not deal with us according to our sins, nor did He repay us according to our sins. (11) For as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so is his mercy exalted over those who fear him. (12) As far as the east is from the west, so far has he removed our transgressions from us. (13) As a father has pity on his sons, so God has pity on those who fear him. (14) For he knows our disposition, remembers that we are dust. (15) Man's days are like grass; Like the flower of the field, so it blooms. (16) As soon as the wind passes over it, it is gone, and its place will no longer recognize it. (17) But God's mercy is from age to age over those who fear him, and his justice is upon the children of the children, (18) who keep his covenant and remember his commandments to keep them. (19) God has established his throne in heaven, and his kingdom is the ruler of all things. (20) Bless God, His messengers, mighty heroes, who do His word, obeying the voice of His word. (21) Bless God, all his armies, his servants who do his will; (22) Bless God, all His creatures, in all the places of His dominion. Bless God, O my soul!

104.

(1) Bless God, O my soul! O God, my Almighty! Thou hast exalted Thyself infinitely, Thou hast clothed Thyself in majesty and beauty. (2) Clothed with light as with a cloak, he stretched out the heavens like a tent. (3) He has made his palaces on high in the waters, he makes the clouds his chariot, he walks on the wings of the wind. (4) He makes storms his messengers, his servants a blazing fire. (5) He founded the earth upon its foundations, that it should not be shaken forever and ever. (6) You covered it with an abyss as with a garment, and there were waters on the mountains. (7) At your cry they fled, at the voice of your thunder they quickly departed,249 (8) the mountains ascended, the valleys descended, to the place which you founded for them. (9) Thou hast set a limit that they should not transgress the earth, that they should not return to cover the earth. (10) You send springs into the valley rivers, and they flow between the mountains, (11) they give water to all the beasts of the field; wild asses quench their thirst. (12) Above them dwell the birds of the air, and from among the branches they give their voices. (13) Thou shalt water the mountains from Thy palaces on high, and the earth is filled with the fruits of Thy creations. (14) You cultivate grass for cattle, plants for man's work, in order to produce bread from the earth, (15) and wine, which makes man's heart gladden, and oil, which makes his face shine, and bread, which strengthens man's heart. (16) The trees of God, the cedars of Lebanon, which he planted, are satisfied. (17) Birds nest on them, cypresses are the abode of storks, (18) high mountains are the abode of chamois, and rocks are the refuge of hyraxes[250]. (19) He created the moon to determine the times,251 and the sun knows its setting.252 (20) You have established darkness, and there is night,253 during which all the beasts of the forest roam. (21) Young lions roar for their prey and ask the Almighty for food. (22) When the sun shines, they gather and lie down in their lairs. (23) A man goes out to his work, to his work until evening. (24) How numerous are your creatures, O God! Thou hast created all things with wisdom, and the earth is full of Thy works. (25) Behold, the sea is great and vast, there are creeping things, and there are no number, small animals with great ones. (26) There are ships sailing, this leviathan whom you created to frolic in it. (27) They all expect you to give them food in due time. (28) You give to them, and they receive, and when you open your hand, they are filled with goodness. (29) If you hide your countenance, confusion will envelop them, if you take away their spirit, they will die, they will return to their dust. (30) If you send your spirit, they will be reborn, and you will renew the face of the earth. (31) May God's words be forever and ever, may God rejoice in His creatures! (32) If he looks at the earth, it trembles, and if he touches the mountains, they smoke. (33) I will sing to God during my lifetime, I will sing to my Almighty as long as I exist. (34) May my prayer be pleasing to Him, and I may rejoice in God. (35) Sinners will disappear from the earth, and there will be no more evildoers. Bless God, O my soul! Praise God!

105.

(1) Give thanks to God, call on his name, proclaim his deeds among the nations. (2) Sing to Him, play with Him, tell of all His miracles. (3) Praise yourselves in his holy name, let the hearts of those who seek God rejoice. (4) Inquire of God and His might, seek His face continually. (5) Remember his miracles that he has done, his signs and the justice of his mouth, (6) [you] the descendants of Avraham his servant, the sons of Jacob, his chosen ones. (7) He is God, our Almighty, and his justice is in all the earth. (8) He remembers forever His covenant, a word bequeathed for a thousand generations, (9) which He made with Avraham, His oath to Yitzchak, (10) He established it for Yaakov as a law, and for Israel as an eternal covenant, (11) saying, "To you I will give the Land of Canaan, the inheritance of your inheritance." (12) When they were still few in number, barely sojourners in (that country), (13) and passed from nation to nation, from kingdom to tribe, (14) he did not allow anyone to oppress them, he punished kings for them:254 (15) "Do not touch my anointed, do not harm my prophets!" (16) He called famine to the earth, and crushed every support of bread[255]. (17) He sent a man before them: Joseph was sold into slavery. (18) His feet were bound with chains, his soul entered into iron, (19) until his word was fulfilled, the speech of God tested him. (20) The king sent, he was unchained, and the ruler of the nations removed his fetters. (21) He made him lord over his house, ruler over all his possessions, (22) so that his nobles might be attached to his soul,256 and his elders might learn wisdom from him. (23) Then Israel came to Egypt, and Jacob was a stranger in the land of Ham. (24) And he multiplied his people greatly, making them stronger than their enemies. (25) He turned their hearts to hate his people, to plot against his servants. (26) He sent Moses his servant, Aharon, whom he had chosen. (27) They presented to them the words of his signs, the wonders in the land of Ham. (28) He sent darkness and it became dark, and they did not oppose (the execution) of His word. (29) He turned their waters into blood, and killed their fish. (30) The land was infested with their frogs, which had entered the chambers of their kings. (31) He commanded, and there was confusion,258 and gnats all over their country. (32) Instead of rain, he sent hail upon them, and a kindling fire on their land. (33) He slew the grapes and their fig trees, and broke the trees in their edges. (34) He commanded, and locusts swept in, and the locusts were innumerable. (35) They have devoured all the grass in their country, they have devoured the fruits of their land. (36) And he smote every firstborn in their country, the firstfruits of all their strength. (37) And he brought out [the children of Israel] with silver and gold, and there was no fallen one among their tribes. (38) Egypt rejoiced at their departure, for fear of them had seized it. (39) He stretched out the cloud with a veil, and the fire to shine in the night. (40) He begged [Israel] – He brought quails and fed them with bread from heaven. (41) When he opened the rock, the waters flowed, flowed like a river through the dry places, (42) for he remembered his holy word to Avraham his servant. (43) And He brought out His people in rejoicing and singing, His chosen ones. (44) He gave them the lands of the nations, they inherited the goods of the nations, (45) so that they would keep his statutes and keep his teachings. Praise God!

106.

(1) Praise God! Give thanks to God, for He is good, for His mercy endures for ever. (2) Who will tell of the power of God, and declare all his praises? (3) Happy are those who observe justice, who do justice at all times! (4) Remember me, O God, in favor with your people, visit me with your salvation, (5) that I may see the prosperity of your chosen ones, that I may rejoice in the joy of your people, that I may be glorified with your inheritance. 6 We have committed transgressions, like our fathers, we have sinned and done evil. Our fathers in Egypt did not understand your miracles, they did not remember the abundance of your mercy, they disobeyed by the sea, in the Red Sea. (8) But he saved them for his name's sake, to make his power known. (9) He shouted menacingly at the Red Sea, for it had dried up, and He led them through the abysses as through the desert. (10) He saved them from the hand of the enemy, delivered them from the hand of the enemy. 11 The waters covered their enemies, and not one of them remained. (12) And they believed his words and sang his praises. (13) But they soon forgot his deeds without waiting for his counsel.260 (14) They were carried away by a whim in the wilderness, testing the Almighty in an uninhabited country. (15) But he gave them what they asked for, but he sent exhaustion into their souls. (16) They angered Moses in the camp, Aharon, the holy [servant] of God. (17) The earth opened up and swallowed up Datan, and covered the crowd of Aviram. (18) And a fire was kindled in their crowd, and the flames burned up the wicked. (19) They created a calf in Horeb,261 and worshipped the image. (20) They exchanged their glory for the image of a bull eating grass. (21) They have forgotten the Almighty, their savior, who did great things in Egypt, (22) miracles in the land of Ham, terrible miracles near the Red Sea. (23) He would have destroyed them, if it had not been for Moshe, his chosen one, who stood before him in a breach [of the wall] in order to turn away his wrath so that it would not destroy them. (24) They despised the land they desired, and did not believe his word. (25) They murmured in their tents, not obeying the voice of God. (26) And he lifted up his hand[262] against them, to cast them down in the wilderness (27) and to cast down their descendants among the nations, to scatter them to different countries. (28) They clung to Baal-Peor and ate from sacrifices to the dead. (29) They were annoying [God] with their deeds, and a pestilence broke out among them. (30) And Pinchas arose, pronounced judgment, and the pestilence ceased. (31) This was credited to him for generations and generations, forever. (32) And they angered [God] at the waters of Meribah, and Moses suffered for them, (33) for they had grieved his spirit, and he spoke with his mouth.263 (34) They did not destroy the nations of which God had spoken to them. (35) They mingled with the nations and learned their works. (36) They served their idols, which were a snare for them. (37) They sacrificed their sons and daughters to demons. (38) They shed innocent blood, the blood of their sons and daughters, who were sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was defiled with blood. (39) They have defiled themselves by their deeds, they have committed fornication by their deeds. (40) And God's wrath was kindled against his people, and he abhorred his inheritance. (41) He delivered them into the hands of the nations, and their enemies began to rule over them. [42] Their enemies oppressed them, and they were subdued under their rule. (43) Many times he delivered them, but they were disobedient in their decision and became poor because of their sin. (44) But he saw their grief when he heard their prayers. (45) And he remembered his covenant with them, and in his great mercy he changed [anger to mercy]. (46) He aroused mercy towards them in all those who had taken them captive. (47) Save us, O God our Almighty, and gather us from among the nations to give thanks to your holy name, to glory in your glory. (48) Blessed be God, the Almighty [God] of Israel, from the world to the world (to come). And let all the people say, Amen! Praise God!