Psalm 145

Great Is the Lord

^[1]A Song of Praise. Of David.

145:1 I will extol you, my God and King, and bless your name forever and ever. ²Every day I will bless you and praise your name forever and ever. ³Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation shall commend your works to another, and shall declare your mighty acts. ⁵On the glorious splendor of your majesty, and on your wondrous works, I will meditate. ⁶They shall speak of the might of your awesome deeds, and I will declare your greatness. ⁷They shall pour forth the fame of your abundant goodness and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.

⁸The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. ⁹The Lord is good to all, and his mercy is over all that he has made.

¹⁰All your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord, and all your saints shall bless you! ¹¹They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom and tell of your power, ¹²to make known to the children of man your[2] mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of your kingdom. ¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your dominion endures throughout all generations.

[The Lord is faithful in all his words and kind in all his works.]^[3]¹⁴The Lord upholds all who are falling and raises up all who are bowed down. ¹⁵The eyes of all look to you, and you give them their food in due season. ¹⁶You open your hand; you satisfy the desire of every living thing. ¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all his ways and kind in all his works. ¹⁸The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth. ¹⁹He fulfills the desire of those who fear him; he also hears their cry and saves them. ²⁰The Lord preserves all who love him, but all the wicked he will destroy.

²¹My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord, and let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

[1] This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet [2] Hebrew his; also next line [3] These two lines are supplied by one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac (compare Dead Sea Scroll)

Psalm 146

Do Not Put Your Trust in Princes

146:1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord, O my soul! ²I will praise the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

³Put not your trust in princes, in a son of man, in whom there is no salvation. ⁴When his breath departs he returns to the earth; on that very day his plans perish.

⁵Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God, ⁶who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them, who keeps faith forever; ⁷ who executes justice for the oppressed, who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free; ⁸ the Lord opens the eyes of the blind. The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down; the Lord loves the righteous. ⁹The Lord watches over the sojourners; he upholds the widow and the fatherless, but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

¹⁰The Lord will reign forever, your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 147

He Heals the Brokenhearted

147:1 Praise the Lord! For it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant,^[4]and a song of praise is fitting. ²The Lord builds up Jerusalem; he gathers the outcasts of Israel. ³He heals the brokenhearted and binds up their wounds. ⁴He determines the number of the stars; he gives to all of them their names. ⁵Great is our Lord, and abundant in power; his understanding is beyond measure. ⁶The Lord lifts up the humble; 5] he casts the wicked to the ground.

⁷Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving; make melody to our God on the lyre! ⁸He covers the heavens with clouds; he prepares rain for the earth; he makes grass grow on the hills. ⁹He gives to the beasts their food, and to the young ravens that cry. ¹⁰His delight is not in the strength of the horse, nor his pleasure in the legs of a man, ¹¹but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his steadfast love.

¹²Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem! Praise your God, O Zion! ¹³For he strengthens the bars of your gates; he blesses your children within you. ¹⁴He makes peace in your borders; he fills you with the finest of the wheat. ¹⁵He sends out his command to the earth; his word runs swiftly. ¹⁶He gives snow like wool; he scatters hoarfrost like ashes. ¹⁷He hurls down his crystals of ice like crumbs; who can stand before his cold? ¹⁸He sends out his word, and melts them; he makes his wind blow and the waters flow. ¹⁹He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and rules to Israel. ²⁰He has not dealt thus with any other nation; they do not know his rules. Praise the Lord!

[4] Or for he is beautiful [5] Or afflicted

Psalm 148

Praise the Name of the Lord

148:1 Praise the Lord! Praise the Lord from the heavens; praise him in the heights! ²Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his hosts!

³Praise him, sun and moon, praise him, all you shining stars! ⁴Praise him, you highest heavens, and you waters above the heavens!

⁵Let them praise the name of the Lord! For he commanded and they were created. ⁶And he established them forever and ever; he gave a decree, and it shall not pass away.^[6]

⁷Praise the Lord from the earth, you great sea creatures and all deeps, ⁸fire and hail, snow and mist, stormy wind fulfilling his word!

⁹Mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars! ¹⁰Beasts and all livestock, creeping things and flying birds!

¹¹Kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all rulers of the earth! ¹²Young men and maidens together, old men and children!

¹³Let them praise the name of the Lord, for his name alone is exalted; his majesty is above earth and heaven. ¹⁴He has raised up a horn for his people, praise for all his saints, for the people of Israel who are near to him. Praise the Lord!

[6] Or it shall not be transgressed

Psalm 149

Sing to the Lord a New Song

149:1 Praise the Lord! Sing to the Lord a new song, his praise in the assembly of the godly! ²Let Israel be glad in his Maker; let the children of Zion rejoice in their King! ³Let them praise his name with dancing, making melody to him with tambourine and lyre! ⁴For the Lord takes pleasure in his people; he adorns the humble with salvation. ⁵Let the godly exult in glory; let them sing for joy on their beds. ⁶Let the high praises of God be in their throats and two-edged swords in their hands, ⁷to execute vengeance on the nations and punishments on the peoples, ⁸to bind their kings with chains and their nobles with fetters of iron, ⁹to execute on them the judgment written! This is honor for all his godly ones. Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150

Let Everything Praise the Lord

150:1 Praise the Lord! Praise God in his sanctuary; praise him in his mighty heavens! 7] ²Praise him for his mighty deeds; praise him according to his excellent greatness!

³Praise him with trumpet sound; praise him with lute and harp! ⁴Praise him with tambourine and dance; praise him with strings and pipe! ⁵Praise him with sounding cymbals; praise him with loud clashing cymbals! ⁶Let everything that has breath praise the Lord! Praise the Lord!

[7] Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6-8)