Historical
The excellency of brotherly unity.
A Song of Ascents; of David.
133 Behold, how good and how pleasant it is
For brethren to dwell together in unity!
2 It is like the precious oil upon the head,
That ran down upon the beard,
Even Aaron’s beard;
That came down upon the [a]skirt of his garments;
3 Like the dew of Hermon,
That cometh down upon the mountains of Zion:
For there Jehovah commanded the blessing,
Even life for evermore.
Greetings of night-watchers.
A Song of Ascents.
134 Behold, bless ye Jehovah, all ye servants of Jehovah,
That by night stand in the house of Jehovah.
2 Lift up your hands [b]to the sanctuary,
And bless ye Jehovah.
3 Jehovah bless thee out of Zion;
Even he that made heaven and earth.
Praise for Jehovah’s wonderful works. Vanity of idols.
[c]135 Praise ye Jehovah.
Praise ye the name of Jehovah;
Praise him, O ye servants of Jehovah,
2 Ye that stand in the house of Jehovah,
In the courts of the house of our God.
3 Praise ye Jehovah; for Jehovah is good:
Sing praises unto his name; for it is pleasant.
4 For [d]Jehovah hath chosen Jacob unto himself,
And Israel for his own possession.
5 For I know that Jehovah is great,
And that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatsoever Jehovah pleased, that hath he done,
In heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps;
7 Who causeth the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;
Who maketh lightnings for the rain;
Who bringeth forth the wind out of his treasuries;
8 Who smote the first-born of Egypt,
Both of man and beast;
9 Who sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants;
10 Who smote many [e]nations,
And slew mighty kings,
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
And Og king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 And gave their land for a heritage,
A heritage unto Israel his people.
13 Thy name, O Jehovah, endureth for ever;
Thy memorial name, O Jehovah, throughout all generations.
14 For Jehovah will judge his people,
And repent himself concerning his servants.
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they speak not;
Eyes have they, but they see not;
17 They have ears, but they hear not;
Neither is there any breath in their mouths.
18 They that make them shall be like unto them;
Yea, every one that trusteth in them.
19 O house of Israel, bless ye Jehovah:
O house of Aaron, bless ye Jehovah:
20 O house of Levi, bless ye Jehovah:
Ye that fear Jehovah, bless ye Jehovah.
21 Blessed be Jehovah out of Zion,
Who dwelleth at Jerusalem.
[f]Praise ye Jehovah.
Thanks for Jehovah’s goodness to Israel.
136 Oh give thanks unto Jehovah; for he is good;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
2 Oh give thanks unto the God of gods;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
3 Oh give thanks unto the Lord of lords;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
4 To him who alone doeth great wonders;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
5 To him that by understanding made the heavens;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
6 To him that spread forth the earth above the waters;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
7 To him that made great lights;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
8 The sun to rule by day;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
10 To him that smote Egypt in their first-born;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
11 And brought out Israel from among them;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
12 With a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
13 To him that divided the Red Sea in sunder;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
14 And made Israel to pass through the midst of it;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
15 But [g]overthrew Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
16 To him that led his people through the wilderness;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
17 To him that smote great kings;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
18 And slew famous kings;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
19 Sihon king of the Amorites;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
20 And Og king of Bashan;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
21 And gave their land for a heritage;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
22 Even a heritage unto Israel his servant;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
23 Who remembered us in our low estate;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever;
24 And hath delivered us from our adversaries;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever:
25 Who giveth food to all flesh;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
26 Oh give thanks unto the God of heaven;
For his lovingkindness endureth for ever.
Sorrows of the exiles in Babylon.
137 By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down, yea, we wept,
When we remembered Zion.
2 Upon the willows in the midst thereof
We hanged up our harps.
3 For there they that led us captive required of us [h]songs,
And [i]they that wasted us required of us mirth, saying,
Sing us one of the songs of Zion.
4 How shall we sing Jehovah’s song
In a foreign land?
5 If I forget thee, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget her skill.
6 Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth,
If I remember thee not;
If I prefer not Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.
7 Remember, O Jehovah, against the children of Edom
The day of Jerusalem;
Who said, Rase it, rase it,
Even to the foundation thereof.
8 O daughter of Babylon, [j]that art to be destroyed,
Happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee
As thou hast served us.
9 Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones
Against the rock.
Thanksgiving for Jehovah’s favor.
A Psalm of David.
138 I will give thee thanks with my whole heart:
Before the gods will I sing praises unto thee.
2 I will worship toward thy holy temple,
And give thanks unto thy name for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth:
For thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
3 In the day that I called thou answeredst me,
Thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul.
4 All the kings of the earth shall give thee thanks, O Jehovah,
For they have heard the words of thy mouth.
5 Yea, they shall sing of the ways of Jehovah;
For great is the glory of Jehovah.
6 For though Jehovah is high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly;
But the haughty he knoweth from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me;
Thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the wrath of mine enemies,
And thy right hand will save me.
8 Jehovah will perfect that which concerneth me:
Thy lovingkindness, O Jehovah, endureth for ever;
Forsake not the works of thine own hands.
God’s omnipresence and omniscience.
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
139 O Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me.
2 Thou knowest my downsitting and mine uprising;
Thou understandest my thought afar off.
3 Thou [k]searchest out my path and my lying down,
And art acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word in my tongue,
But, lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.
5 Thou hast beset me behind and before,
And laid thy hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain unto it.
7 Whither shall I go from thy Spirit?
Or whither shall I flee from thy presence?
8 If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there:
If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea;
10 Even there shall thy hand lead me,
And thy right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, Surely the darkness shall [l]overwhelm me,
[m]And the light about me shall be night;
12 Even the darkness hideth not from thee,
But the night shineth as the day:
The darkness and the light are both alike to thee.
13 For thou didst form my [n]inward parts:
Thou didst [o]cover me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will give thanks unto thee; for I am fearfully and wonderfully made:
Wonderful are thy works;
And that my soul knoweth right well.
15 My frame was not hidden from thee,
When I was made in secret,
And curiously wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Thine eyes did see mine unformed substance;
And in thy book they were all written,
Even the days that were ordained for me,
When as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious also are thy thoughts unto me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they are more in number than the sand:
When I awake, I am still with thee.
19 [p]Surely thou wilt slay the wicked, O God:
Depart from me therefore, ye bloodthirsty men.
20 For they [q]speak against thee wickedly,
And thine enemies [r]take thy name in vain.
21 Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee?
And [s]am not I grieved with those that rise up against thee?
22 I hate them with perfect hatred:
They are become mine enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart:
Try me, and know my thoughts;
24 And see if there be any [t]wicked way in me,
And lead me in the way everlasting.
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