Refrain: ||: HON.INDEX LORD HIMSELF (<) KIND, (>) HAVE-MERCY-ON-us. :||

1. MY SOUL BOW-DOWN-TO LORD SHOULD. HIS NAME, CAUSE EVERYTHING INSIDE-SELF REALLY-WANT BOW-DOWN. BOW-DOWN-TO LORD MEAN ME FORGET HIS alt.GIFT-TO-me NOT. Refrain

2. HE FORGIVE ALL YOUR SIN, AND COMFORT YOU DURING GRIEF. HE PAY-OFF YOUR DEBT MEAN SOUL DESTROY NOT. HE KIND LIKE CROWN-you YOU HONOR. Refrain

3. OUR GOD HIS GRACE HAVE-MERCY-ON-us, HAVE-MERCY-ON-US. PATIENT HE. EASY BLOW-TOP NOT. HIS KINDNESS OVERFLOW. Refrain

Notes: The signs between "||:" and ":||" are to be repeated.

KIND(NESS) - (2h)[B^], POs ><, FOs away, NDH is held close to heart and DH circles around it.

HAVE-MERCY-ON-us - (2h)[open 8], POs > signer, hands move in vertical circles normal (perpendicular) to the chest. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Mercy - 2.

BOW-DOWN(-TO) - (2h)[B], POs away, FOs up, are held like the final position of GIVE-UP, then bend these arms twice while bowing at waist once.

INSIDE-SELF - The FT of [C] are held against the chest and stuff the FT of [O^] into the [C] twice.

REALLY-WANT - the sign WANT but shaken back and forth to show intensity.

alt.GIFT-TO-me - (2h)[X], POs ><, FOs up, hands alt. tip back towards signer to show that something is given as a gift.

FORGIVE - A more elegant sign that a simple EXCUSE is to sign EXCUSE, switch dominance and sign EXCUSE again.

ALL - (2h)[B^], POs up, FOs ><, DH circles around NDH and lands on its palm. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Whole.

GRIEF - (2h)[S] twist at heart.

PAY-OFF - [open 8] runs middle finger up palm (> wrist), changes to a [B], PO down, and then moves back across palm.

DEBT - [1^] taps FT against palm of [B], PO up, FO away. For a QuickTime file of this sign, see ASL Pro: Debt.

CROWN-you - (2h)[L:] (like BIG) take crown from head and place it on imaginary head in front of signer with large single movement.

GRACE - [O^] or [S], held high and PO > Heaven, supinates and opens to [5] while being brought towards head. For an animated gif of this sign, see Animated dictionary of religious signs - Deaf Missions: Grace.

HAVE-MERCY-ON-us, HAVE-MERCY-ON-US - The reason for the seemingly gratuitous repetation in the original (Merciful, merciful and gracious is our God) is in reference to the trai asar midot or 13 attributes of God, shown to Moses while he hid in the cliff. They start out, Adonai, Adonai which would usually mean "Lord, Lord", but the Rabbis interpret this as "merciful (in the past) and merciful (in the future)." For this reason I have retained the repetition, although almost no one in the congregation, hearing or Deaf, will get it.

BLOW-TOP - [5], PO down, FO away, strikes top of [S], PO > DS, FO away, and rises up again, twisting DH at wrist.

OVERFLOW - [5], PO down, FO away, covers top of [S], PO > DS, FO away, and FT wiggle as the hand moves away, like a cup overflowing.

Lyrics:

Refrain: The Lord is kind and merciful. (2x)

1. Bless the Lord, oh my soul, and all my being bless his name; bless the Lord and forget not his benefits.

2. He pardons all your iniquities, and comforts your sorrows, redeems your life from destruction, and crowns you with his kindness.

3. Merciful, merciful and gracious is our God; slow to anger, abounding in kindness.