Psalm 103: "1 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name! 2 Bless the LORD, O my soul, and forget not all his benefits, 3 who forgives all your iniquity, who heals all your diseases, 4 who redeems your life from the pit, who crowns you with steadfast love and mercy, 5 who satisfies you with good so that your youth is renewed like the eagle's.
"6 The LORD works righteousness and justice for all who are oppressed. 7 He made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel. 8 The LORD is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us. 13 As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him. 14 For he knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust. 15 As for man, his days are like grass; he flourishes like a flower of the field; 16 for the wind passes over it, and it is gone, and its place knows it no more. 17 But the steadfast love of the LORD is from everlasting to everlasting on those who fear him, and his righteousness to children's children, 18 to those who keep his covenant and remember to do his commandments. 19 The LORD has established his throne in the heavens, and his kingdom rules over all.
"20 Bless the LORD, O you his angels, you mighty ones who do his word, obeying the voice of his word! 21 Bless the LORD, all his hosts, his ministers, who do his will! 22 Bless the LORD, all his works, in all places of his dominion. Bless the LORD, O my soul!"
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The text is public domain:
1 Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;To His feet your tribute bring;Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,Evermore His praises sing:Alleluia, alleluia!Praise the everlasting King.2 Praise Him for His grace and favorTo His people in distress;Praise Him still the same as ever,Slow to chide and swift to bless:Alleluia, alleluia!Glorious in His faithfulness.3 Father-like He tends and spares us;Well our feeble frame He knows;In His hand He gently bears us,Rescues us from all our foes.Alleluia, alleluia!Widely yet His mercy flows.4 Angels, help us to adore Him;You behold Him face to face;Sun and moon, bow down before Him,All who dwell in time and space.Alleluia, alleluia!Praise with us the God of grace.
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Psalm 103:1-5 is the basis for the hymn's first verse; verses 8-9 for the second verse; verses 11-14 for the third verse (albeit in opposite order: the lines "Father-like He tends and spares us; / Well our feeble frame He knows" are drawn from verses 13-14, and "widely yet His mercy flows" seems to refer to the height and breadth mentioned in verses 11-12); and verses 20-22 for the fourth verse.
The line "Praise Him still the same as ever" in the second verse may refer to Hebrews 13:8: "Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever."
Perhaps just coincidentally, the line "Sun and moon, bow down before Him" in the fourth verse uses the same imagery as Joseph's dream in Genesis 37:9: "Then he dreamed another dream and told it to his brothers and said, 'Behold, I have dreamed another dream. Behold, the sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me.'"
