PSALM 103
Bless the Lord, O my soul! O Lord, my God, you are great indeed!
You are clothed with majesty and glory, robed in light as with a cloak.
You have spread out the heavens like a tent cloth; you have constructed your palace upon the waters.
You make the clouds your chariot; you travel on the wings of the wind.
You make the winds your messengers, and flaming fire your ministers.
You fixed the earth upon its foundation, not to be moved forever;
With the ocean, as with a garment, you covered it; above the mountains the waters stood.
At your rebuke they fled, at the sound of your thunder they took to flight;
As the mountains rose, they went down the valleys to the place you had fixed for them.
You set a limit they may not pass, nor shall they cover the earth again.
You send forth springs into the watercourses that wind among the mountains,
And give drink to every beast of the field, till the wild asses quench their thirst.
Beside them the birds of heaven dwell; from among the branches they send forth their song.
You water the mountains from your palace; the earth is replete with the fruit of your works.
You raise grass for the cattle, and vegetation for men's use,
Producing bread from the earth, and wine to gladden men's hearts,
So that their faces gleam with oil, and bread fortifies the hearts of men.
Well watered are the trees of the Lord, the cedars of Lebanon, which he planted;
In them the birds build their nests; fir trees are the home of the stork.
The high mountains are for wild goats; the cliffs are a refuge for rock-badgers.
You make the moon to mark the seasons; the sun knows the hour of its setting.
You bring darkness, and it is night; then all the beasts of the forest roam about;
Young lions roar for the prey and seek their food from God.
When the sun rises, they withdraw and couch in their dens.
Man goes forth to his work and to his tillage till the evening.
How manifold are your works, O Lord! In wisdom you have wrought them all – the earth is full of your creatures;
The sea also, great and wide, in which are schools without number of living things both small and great,
And where ships move about with Leviathan, which you formed to make sport of it.
They all look to you to give them food in due time.
When you give it to them, they gather it; when you open your hand, they are filled with good things.
If you hide your face, they are dismayed; if you take away their breath, they perish and return to their dust.
When you send forth your spirit, they are created, and you renew the face of the earth.
May the glory of the Lord endure forever; may the Lord be glad in his works!
He who looks upon the earth, and it trembles; who touches the mountains, and they smoke!
I will sing to the Lord all my life; I will sing praise to my God while I live.
Pleasing to him be my theme; I will be glad in the Lord.
May sinners cease from the earth, and may the wicked be no more.
Bless the Lord, O my soul! Alleluia.
PSALM 117
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good, for his mercy endures forever.
Let the house of Israel say, "His mercy endures forever."
Let the house of Aaron say, "His mercy endures forever."
Let those who fear the Lord say, "His mercy endures forever."
In my straits I called upon the Lord; the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is with me; I fear not; what can man do against me?
The Lord is with me to help me, and I shall look down upon my foes.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord than to trust in princes.
All the nations encompassed me; in the name of the Lord I crushed them.
They encompassed me on every side; in the name of the Lord I crushed them.
They encompassed me like bees, they flared up like fire among thorns; in the name of the Lord I crushed them.
I was hard pressed and was falling, but the Lord helped me.
My strength and my courage is the Lord, and he has been my savior.
The joyful shout of victory in the tents of the just:
"The right hand of the Lord has struck with power; the right hand of the Lord is exalted; the right hand of the Lord has struck with power."
I shall not die, but live, and declare the works of the Lord.
Though the Lord has indeed chastised me, yet he has not delivered me to death.
Open to me the gates of justice; I will enter them and give thanks to the Lord.
This gate is the Lord's; the just shall enter it.
I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me and have been my savior.
The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.
By the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes.
This is the day the Lord has made; Let us be glad and rejoice in it.
O Lord, grant salvation! O Lord, grant prosperity!
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord; we bless you from the house of the Lord.
The Lord is God, and he has given us light.
Join in procession with leafy boughs up to the horns of the altar.
You are my God, and I give thanks to you; O my God, I extol you.
Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good; for his kindness endures forever.
PSALM 127
Happy are you who fear the Lord, who walk in his ways!
For you shall eat the fruit of your handiwork; happy shall you be, and favored.
Your wife shall be like a fruitful vine in the recesses of your home;
Your children like olive plants around your table.
Behold, thus is the man blessed who fears the Lord.
The Lord bless you from Zion: may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life.
May you see your children's children. Peace be upon Israel!
PSALM 146
Praise the Lord, for he is good; sing praise to our God, for he is gracious; it is fitting to praise him.
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem; the dispersed of Israel he gathers.
He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds.
He tells the number of the stars; he calls each by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power; to his wisdom there is no limit.
The Lord sustains the lowly; the wicked he casts to the ground.
Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise with the harp to our God,
Who covers the heavens with clouds, who provides rain for the earth;
Who makes grass sprout on the mountains and herbs for the service of men;
Who gives food to the cattle, and to the young ravens when they cry to him.
In the strength of the steed he delights not, nor is he pleased with the fleetness of men.
The Lord is pleased with those who fear him, with those who hope for his kindness.
PSALM 148
Praise the Lord from the heavens, praise him in the heights;
Praise him all you his angels, praise him, all you his hosts.
Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens.
Let them praise the name of the Lord, for he commanded and they were created;
He established them forever and ever; he gave them a duty which shall not pass away.
Praise the Lord from the earth, you sea monsters and all depths;
Fire and hail, snow and mist, storm winds that fulfill his word;
You mountains and all you hills, you fruit trees and all you cedars;
You wild beasts and all tame animals, you creeping things and you winged fowl.
Let the kings of the earth and all peoples, the princes and all the judges of earth,
Young men too, and maidens, old men and boys,
Praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted;
His majesty is above earth and heaven, and he has lifted up the horn of his people.
Be this his praise from all his faithful ones,
from the children of Israel, the people close to him.
Alleluia!