Psalm 102
A Call to Praise
The soul is exhorted to bless the Lord for his healing, redemption, and gracious rewards.
Bless the Lord, my soul, and everything within me. My soul honors God alone and praises his majesty. Remember what he has done: he will heal all your sickness and set you free from sin. He has redeemed your life once and for all, and it can never perish. It cost him his precious blood, and he did it out of love. He will surely crown you with his sweet grace, for he will reward your desires and fill you with every good thing.
The Abundant Mercy of God
God’s patience and compassion are described as vast, exceeding human sin and mirroring a father's love.
The Lord, who does all things well, is rich in grace, for he alone must protect those who suffer injustice here. His anger won't last, nor will he threaten fiercely forever. So don't grieve; take these words to heart. He doesn't treat us as our wrongdoing deserves, nor does he repay us according to our sinful, wicked condition, as we see every day. As high as he has set heaven above the earth, so greatly does he value those who live in fear of him. From the rising of the sun to its setting, God removes the evil of our sins from us; for this, we owe him thanks. Just as a father has compassion on his child, so God has compassion on all those in whom he finds reverence for him.1
The Frailty of Man and Eternal Grace
While human life is fleeting like a flower, God's mercy and righteousness endure forever for those who trust him.
He knows what we are made of; He remembers that we are dust. Listen: human life fades away like a small flower when the wind blows over it, and it quickly falls to the ground. Every human frame is more fragile than glass. God’s mercy is endless for those who honor him here. He has established righteousness and revealed his salvation to everyone who keeps his word, takes it deeply to heart, and trusts in him; he never forgets them.
Universal Worship
All creation, from the heavenly hosts to the earthly realm, is called to praise God's majesty and follow his ways.
His throne is set in heaven, and his kingdom extends over all. You angels, so glorious there above and countless in number, bless God! You who are mighty, his servants at all times, praise him with all your joy. Praise God for his perfect works, from the least to the greatest, which he performs throughout this earthly realm; my soul stands in awe of his majesty. Practice gratitude here; you won't find a greater treasure. Fear him in all your ways—that's the right path.
Read the original Latin
Mijn siel ghebenedijt den Heer Al mijn inwendicheyt Mijn siel geeft God alleen die eer En loeft zijn maiesteyt. Van dat hi heeft bewesen Weest zijnder ghedachtich ghi Hy wil v crancheyt al ghenesen En van sonden v maken vri.
Hy heeft v leuen eens verlost Ten mach nv niet vergaen Dat heeft zijn dierbaer bloet ghecost Wt liefden heeft hijt ghedaen, Certeyn hy wil v croonen Met zijnder ghenaden soet Want v begheerten wil hy loonen En veruullen met alle goet.
Die Heer, die alle goetheyt doet Is van ghenaden rijck Want hy alleen beschermen moet Die hier liden onghelijc. Sijn thoorn en sal niet dueren Noch eewich hi dreyghen fel Hier om en wilt niet trueren Verstaet dees woorden wel.
Hy en doet ons niet na ons misdaet Noch hy en verghelt ons niet Nae onsen sondighen boosen staet Soe alsmen daghelijcx siet. Soe hooghe als hy vander aerden Den hemel verscheyden heeft, Houdt hy in grooter waerden Die in zijnder vreesen leeft.
Soe ver als daer die Son op gaet Al tot den onderganck Doet God van ons ons sonden quaet Daer af behoort hem danck. Ghelijck recht als een vader Ontfermt hem ouer zijn kint Soe doet hyse alle gader Daer hy zijn vrees in vint.
Hy weet wat maecsel dat wij zijn Hy ghedenct dat wij zijn stof Des menschen leuen (hoort doch mijn) Valt als een bloemken of Daer op die winden blasen Dat haestelijck neder valt Crancker dan eenighe glasen Sijn alle menschen ghestalt.
God is bermhertich sonder eyndt Die hier zijn vrees bewaert Gherechticheyt heeft hy gheseyndt Sijn salicheyt hy verclaert Al die zijn woerden houwen En die ter herten seer Ontfanghen, ende betrouwen, Vergheten nemmermeer.
Sijn stoel is in des hemels throon Sijn rijck strect ouer al Ghi enghelen die daer zijt so schoon Hier bouen al sonder ghetal Wilt God ghebenediden Ghi die daer crachtich zijt Sijn dienaers tallen tiden Loeft hem met alle iolijt.
Wilt louen, God zijn wercken reyn Die minste met die meest, Die hi doet in dit aertsche pleyn: Mijn siel zijn hoocheyt vreest. Wilt dancbaerheyt hier pleghen Men vint gheen meerder schat Hem vreest in uwe weghen Dat is den rechten pat.
Notes
- 1 ↩Literally “fear of him”; rendered “reverence for him” to convey devout fear rather than terror.
Souterliedekens (Psalm Songs) companion
Never lose the rhythm again
Chosen Portion delivers your morning, midday and night office to your phone — the Hours, without the bells.
Chosen Portion is a modern Book of Hours: it turns the fixed-hour structure this collection preserves into scheduled, tappable daily prayer on your phone.
- Three daily prayer moments scheduled around your real calendar, not a monastery's
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- A visible streak of completed offices, so the rhythm compounds instead of collapsing