Psalm 103 (Tehillim 103) in Hebrew and English
Tenakh Study · Read the Psalms in Hebrew and English, one psalm per page. Our Tenakh study meets every Wednesday at 7 pm (Central Time) on Zoom. Text us for the Zoom link.
Text (469) 608-9944Psalm 103
David’s psalm calling his soul to bless Hashem, who forgives iniquity, heals and redeems, is merciful and slow to anger, and removes transgressions as far as the east is from the west.
103:1A Psalm of David. Bless Hashem, O my soul: and all that is within me, bless His holy name.
אלְדָוִ֨ד ׀ בָּרֲכִ֣י נַ֭פְשִׁי אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וְכָל־קְ֝רָבַ֗י אֶת־שֵׁ֥ם קָדְשֽׁוֹ׃
103:2Bless Hashem, O my soul, and forget not all His benefits:
בבָּרֲכִ֣י נַ֭פְשִׁי אֶת־יְהוָ֑ה וְאַל־תִּ֝שְׁכְּחִ֗י כָּל־גְּמוּלָֽיו׃
103:3Who forgives all your iniquities; who heals all your diseases;
גהַסֹּלֵ֥חַ לְכָל־עֲוֺנֵ֑כִי הָ֝רֹפֵ֗א לְכָל־תַּחֲלֻאָֽיְכִי׃
103:4Who redeems your life from destruction; who crowns you with lovingkindness and tender mercies;
דהַגּוֹאֵ֣ל מִשַּׁ֣חַת חַיָּ֑יְכִי הַֽ֝מְעַטְּרֵ֗כִי חֶ֣סֶד וְרַחֲמִֽים׃
103:5Who satisfies your mouth with good things; so that your youth is renewed like the eagle’s.
ההַמַּשְׂבִּ֣יַע בַּטּ֣וֹב עֶדְיֵ֑ךְ תִּתְחַדֵּ֖שׁ כַּנֶּ֣שֶׁר נְעוּרָֽיְכִי׃
103:6Hashem executes righteousness and judgment for all that are oppressed.
ועֹשֵׂ֣ה צְדָק֣וֹת יְהוָ֑ה וּ֝מִשְׁפָּטִ֗ים לְכָל־עֲשׁוּקִֽים׃
103:7He made known His ways unto Moshe (Moses), His acts unto the children of Israel.
זיוֹדִ֣יעַ דְּרָכָ֣יו לְמֹשֶׁ֑ה לִבְנֵ֥י יִ֝שְׂרָאֵ֗ל עֲלִילֽוֹתָיו׃
103:8Hashem is merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy.
חרַח֣וּם וְחַנּ֣וּן יְהוָ֑ה אֶ֖רֶךְ אַפַּ֣יִם וְרַב־חָֽסֶד׃
103:9He will not always chide: neither will He keep His anger for ever.
טלֹֽא־לָנֶ֥צַח יָרִ֑יב וְלֹ֖א לְעוֹלָ֣ם יִטּֽוֹר׃
103:10He has not dealt with us after our sins; nor rewarded us according to our iniquities.
ילֹ֣א כַ֭חֲטָאֵינוּ עָ֣שָׂה לָ֑נוּ וְלֹ֥א כַ֝עֲוֺנֹתֵ֗ינוּ גָּמַ֥ל עָלֵֽינוּ׃
103:11For as the heaven is high above the earth, so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him.
יאכִּ֤י כִגְבֹ֣הַּ שָׁ֭מַיִם עַל־הָאָ֑רֶץ גָּבַ֥ר חַ֝סְדּ֗וֹ עַל־יְרֵאָֽיו׃
103:12As far as the east is from the west, so far has He removed our transgressions from us.
יבכִּרְחֹ֣ק מִ֭זְרָח מִֽמַּֽעֲרָ֑ב הִֽרְחִ֥יק מִ֝מֶּ֗נּוּ אֶת־פְּשָׁעֵֽינוּ׃
103:13Like as a father pities his children, so Hashem pities them that fear Him.
יגכְּרַחֵ֣ם אָ֭ב עַל־בָּנִ֑ים רִחַ֥ם יְ֝הוָ֗ה עַל־יְרֵאָֽיו׃
103:14For He knows our frame; He remembers that we are dust.
ידכִּי־ה֖וּא יָדַ֣ע יִצְרֵ֑נוּ זָ֝כ֗וּר כִּי־עָפָ֥ר אֲנָֽחְנוּ׃
103:15As for man, his days are as grass: as a flower of the field, so he flourishes.
טואֱ֭נוֹשׁ כֶּחָצִ֣יר יָמָ֑יו כְּצִ֥יץ הַ֝שָּׂדֶ֗ה כֵּ֣ן יָצִֽיץ׃
103:16For the wind passes over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
טזכִּ֤י ר֣וּחַ עָֽבְרָה־בּ֣וֹ וְאֵינֶ֑נּוּ וְלֹא־יַכִּירֶ֖נּוּ ע֣וֹד מְקוֹמֽוֹ׃
103:17But the mercy of Hashem is from everlasting to everlasting upon them that fear Him, and His righteousness unto children’s children;
יזוְחֶ֤סֶד יְהוָ֨ה ׀ מֵעוֹלָ֣ם וְעַד־ע֭וֹלָם עַל־יְרֵאָ֑יו וְ֝צִדְקָת֗וֹ לִבְנֵ֥י בָנִֽים׃
103:18To such as keep His covenant, and to those that remember His commandments to do them.
יחלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י בְרִית֑וֹ וּלְזֹכְרֵ֥י פִ֝קֻּדָ֗יו לַעֲשׂוֹתָֽם׃
103:19Hashem has prepared His throne in the heavens; and His kingdom rules over all.
יטיְֽהוָ֗ה בַּ֭שָּׁמַיִם הֵכִ֣ין כִּסְא֑וֹ וּ֝מַלְכוּת֗וֹ בַּכֹּ֥ל מָשָֽׁלָה׃
103:20Bless Hashem, you His angels, that excel in strength, that do His commandments, hearkening unto the voice of His word.
כבָּרֲכ֥וּ יְהוָ֗ה מַלְאָ֫כָ֥יו גִּבֹּ֣רֵי כֹ֭חַ עֹשֵׂ֣י דְבָר֑וֹ לִ֝שְׁמֹ֗עַ בְּק֣וֹל דְּבָרֽוֹ׃
103:21Bless Hashem, all you His hosts; you ministers of His, that do His pleasure.
כאבָּרֲכ֣וּ יְ֭הוָה כָּל־צְבָאָ֑יו מְ֝שָׁרְתָ֗יו עֹשֵׂ֥י רְצוֹנֽוֹ׃
103:22Bless Hashem, all His works in all places of His dominion: bless Hashem, O my soul.
כבבָּרֲכ֤וּ יְהוָ֨ה ׀ כָּֽל־מַעֲשָׂ֗יו בְּכָל־מְקֹמ֥וֹת מֶמְשַׁלְתּ֑וֹ בָּרֲכִ֥י נַ֝פְשִׁ֗י אֶת־יְהוָֽה׃
How well do you know Psalm 103?
Read the psalm, then pick the best answer for each question. You will see right away if you got it right. When you have answered every question, you will see your score. To try again, press Start over.
Your answers and score are saved on this device only, so they will be here when you come back. Press Start over to clear them.
Sources & method
- Hebrew text
- The Masoretic text with vowels (nikkud) and cantillation marks (ta’amim), from the Westminster Leningrad Codex (public domain) as published by the Open Scriptures Hebrew Bible (CC BY 4.0). Where the written text (ketiv) differs from the reading (qere), the reading is shown and the written form follows in small type. The Divine Name is printed as it appears in the codex.
- English translation
- The King James Version (public domain), lightly modernized by Benei Avraham: “thee/thou/ye” become “you,” older verb forms are updated (“hath” to “has”), and archaic words are replaced only where the meaning would otherwise be unclear. People and places carry their Hebrew names, with the familiar English name in parentheses the first time on each page (e.g., Tziyon (Zion)). The Divine Name (יהוה, “the LORD” in the KJV) is written “Hashem,” the short form יָהּ is “Yah,” and הַלְלוּ־יָהּ is “Hallelujah”; “God” (Elohim) and “Lord” (Adonai) are unchanged, and “law” is “Torah” where the Hebrew is תּוֹרָה.
- Verse numbers
- Verse numbers follow the Hebrew Bible. In the Hebrew a psalm’s heading (“A Psalm of David…”) is part of the text and is counted as verse 1, or verses 1–2, so in psalms with a heading the verse numbers are often one or two higher than in English Bibles. Where that happens, a note under the summary says so.
- Quiz
- Written by Benei Avraham for young readers (about 11 and up). Every answer is in the psalm on this page. Answers and scores are kept only in this browser (local storage) and can be cleared with Start over.
- Hebrew font
- SBL Hebrew, by the Society of Biblical Literature.