Psalm 146-150

Good News Translation

³ Don't put your trust in human leaders;
    no human being can save you.
⁴ When they die, they return to the dust;
    on that day all their plans come to an end.

⁵ Happy are those who have the God of Jacob to help them
    and who depend on the Lord their God,
^6 (A)the Creator of heaven, earth, and sea,
    and all that is in them.
He always keeps his promises;
⁷     he judges in favor of the oppressed
    and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets prisoners free
⁸     and gives sight to the blind.
He lifts those who have fallen;
    he loves his righteous people.
⁹ He protects the strangers who live in our land;
    he helps widows and orphans,
    but takes the wicked to their ruin.

¹⁰ The Lord is king forever.
    Your God, O Zion, will reign for all time.

Praise the Lord!

It is good to sing praise to our God;
    it is pleasant and right to praise him.
² The Lord is restoring Jerusalem;
    he is bringing back the exiles.
³ He heals the broken-hearted
    and bandages their wounds.

⁴ He has decided the number of the stars
    and calls each one by name.
⁵ Great and mighty is our Lord;
    his wisdom cannot be measured.
⁶ He raises the humble,
    but crushes the wicked to the ground.

⁷ Sing hymns of praise to the Lord;
    play music on the harp to our God.
⁸ He spreads clouds over the sky;
    he provides rain for the earth
    and makes grass grow on the hills.
⁹ He gives animals their food
    and feeds the young ravens when they call.

¹⁰ His pleasure is not in strong horses,
    nor his delight in brave soldiers;
¹¹ but he takes pleasure in those who honor him,
    in those who trust in his constant love.

¹² Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!
¹³ He keeps your gates strong;
    he blesses your people.
¹⁴ He keeps your borders safe
    and satisfies you with the finest wheat.

¹⁵ He gives a command to the earth,
    and what he says is quickly done.
¹⁶ He spreads snow like a blanket
    and scatters frost like dust.
¹⁷ He sends hail like gravel;
    no one can endure the cold he sends!
¹⁸ Then he gives a command, and the ice melts;
    he sends the wind, and the water flows.

¹⁹ He gives his message to his people,
    his instructions and laws to Israel.
²⁰ He has not done this for other nations;
    they do not know his laws.

Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from heaven,
    you that live in the heights above.
² Praise him, all his angels,
    all his heavenly armies.

³ Praise him, sun and moon;
    praise him, shining stars.
⁴ Praise him, highest heavens,
    and the waters above the sky.^[a]

⁵ Let them all praise the name of the Lord!
He commanded, and they were created;
⁶     by his command they were fixed in their places forever,
    and they cannot disobey.^[b]

⁷ Praise the Lord from the earth,
    sea monsters and all ocean depths;
⁸ lightning and hail, snow and clouds,
    strong winds that obey his command.

⁹ Praise him, hills and mountains,
    fruit trees and forests;
¹⁰ all animals, tame and wild,
    reptiles and birds.

¹¹ Praise him, kings and all peoples,
    princes and all other rulers;
¹² young women and young men,
    old people and children too.

¹³ Let them all praise the name of the Lord!
His name is greater than all others;
    his glory is above earth and heaven.
¹⁴ He made his nation strong,
    so that all his people praise him—
    the people of Israel, so dear to him.

Praise the Lord!

Sing a new song to the Lord;
    praise him in the assembly of his faithful people!
² Be glad, Israel, because of your Creator;
    rejoice, people of Zion, because of your king!
³ Praise his name with dancing;
    play drums and harps in praise of him.

⁴ The Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he honors the humble with victory.
⁵ Let God's people rejoice in their triumph
    and sing joyfully all night long.
^6 (B)Let them shout aloud as they praise God,
    with their sharp swords in their hands
⁷     to defeat the nations
    and to punish the peoples;
⁸     to bind their kings in chains,
    their leaders in chains of iron;
⁹     to punish the nations as God has commanded.
This is the victory of God's people.

Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his Temple!
    Praise his strength in heaven!
² Praise him for the mighty things he has done.
    Praise his supreme greatness.

³ Praise him with trumpets.
    Praise him with harps and lyres.
⁴ Praise him with drums and dancing.
    Praise him with harps and flutes.
⁵ Praise him with cymbals.
    Praise him with loud cymbals.
⁶ Praise the Lord, all living creatures!

Praise the Lord!