Praise to God for His Faithfulness and Justice

111 Praise[a] the Lord!

(A)I will praise the Lord with my whole heart,
In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.

(B)The works of the Lord are great,
(C)Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
His work is (D)honorable and glorious,
And His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
(E)The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will ever be mindful of His covenant.
He has declared to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the [b]heritage of the nations.

The works of His hands are (F)verity[c] and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
(G)They stand fast forever and ever,
And are (H)done in truth and uprightness.
(I)He has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant forever:
(J)Holy and awesome is His name.

10 (K)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 111:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  2. Psalm 111:6 inheritance
  3. Psalm 111:7 truth

Psalm 111[a]

Praise the Lord.[b]

I will extol the Lord(A) with all my heart(B)
    in the council(C) of the upright and in the assembly.(D)

Great are the works(E) of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all(F) who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures(G) forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.(H)
He provides food(I) for those who fear him;(J)
    he remembers his covenant(K) forever.

He has shown his people the power of his works,(L)
    giving them the lands of other nations.(M)
The works of his hands(N) are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.(O)
They are established for ever(P) and ever,
    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption(Q) for his people;
    he ordained his covenant forever—
    holy and awesome(R) is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord(S) is the beginning of wisdom;(T)
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.(U)
    To him belongs eternal praise.(V)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 111:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 111:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah

Waiting for the Redemption of the Lord

A Song of Ascents.

130 Out (A)of the depths I have cried to You, O Lord;
Lord, hear my voice!
Let Your ears be attentive
To the voice of my supplications.

(B)If You, Lord, should [a]mark iniquities,
O Lord, who could (C)stand?
But there is (D)forgiveness with You,
That (E)You may be feared.

(F)I wait for the Lord, my soul waits,
And (G)in His word I do hope.
(H)My soul waits for the Lord
More than those who watch for the morning—
Yes, more than those who watch for the morning.

(I)O Israel, hope in the Lord;
For (J)with the Lord there is mercy,
And with Him is abundant redemption.
And (K)He shall redeem Israel
From all his iniquities.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 130:3 take note of

Psalm 130

A song of ascents.

Out of the depths(A) I cry to you,(B) Lord;
    Lord, hear my voice.(C)
Let your ears be attentive(D)
    to my cry for mercy.(E)

If you, Lord, kept a record of sins,
    Lord, who could stand?(F)
But with you there is forgiveness,(G)
    so that we can, with reverence, serve you.(H)

I wait for the Lord,(I) my whole being waits,(J)
    and in his word(K) I put my hope.
I wait for the Lord
    more than watchmen(L) wait for the morning,
    more than watchmen wait for the morning.(M)

Israel, put your hope(N) in the Lord,
    for with the Lord is unfailing love(O)
    and with him is full redemption.(P)
He himself will redeem(Q) Israel
    from all their sins.(R)

Simple Trust in the Lord

A Song of Ascents. Of David.

131 Lord, my heart is not [a]haughty,
Nor my eyes [b]lofty.
(A)Neither do I [c]concern myself with great matters,
Nor with things too [d]profound for me.

Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul,
(B)Like a weaned child with his mother;
Like a weaned child is my soul within me.

(C)O Israel, hope in the Lord
From this time forth and forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 131:1 Proud
  2. Psalm 131:1 Arrogant
  3. Psalm 131:1 Lit. walk in
  4. Psalm 131:1 difficult

Psalm 131

A song of ascents. Of David.

My heart is not proud,(A) Lord,
    my eyes are not haughty;(B)
I do not concern myself with great matters(C)
    or things too wonderful for me.(D)
But I have calmed and quieted myself,(E)
    I am like a weaned child with its mother;
    like a weaned child I am content.(F)

Israel, put your hope(G) in the Lord
    both now and forevermore.(H)

Prayer for Safekeeping from Wickedness

A Psalm of David.

141 Lord, I cry out to You;
Make haste to me!
Give ear to my voice when I cry out to You.
Let my prayer be set before You (A)as incense,
(B)The lifting up of my hands as (C)the evening sacrifice.

Set a guard, O Lord, over my (D)mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
(E)And do not let me eat of their delicacies.

(F)Let the righteous strike me;
It shall be a kindness.
And let him rebuke me;
It shall be as excellent oil;
Let my head not refuse it.

For still my prayer is against the deeds of the wicked.
Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the [a]cliff,
And they hear my words, for they are sweet.
Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,
As when one plows and breaks up the earth.

But (G)my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord;
In You I take refuge;
[b]Do not leave my soul destitute.
Keep me from (H)the snares they have laid for me,
And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10 (I)Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I escape safely.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 141:6 rock
  2. Psalm 141:8 Lit. Do not make my soul bare

Psalm 141

A psalm of David.

I call to you, Lord, come quickly(A) to me;
    hear me(B) when I call to you.
May my prayer be set before you like incense;(C)
    may the lifting up of my hands(D) be like the evening sacrifice.(E)

Set a guard over my mouth,(F) Lord;
    keep watch over the door of my lips.(G)
Do not let my heart(H) be drawn to what is evil
    so that I take part in wicked deeds(I)
along with those who are evildoers;
    do not let me eat their delicacies.(J)

Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
    let him rebuke me(K)—that is oil on my head.(L)
My head will not refuse it,
    for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.

Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,(M)
    and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
They will say, “As one plows(N) and breaks up the earth,(O)
    so our bones have been scattered at the mouth(P) of the grave.”

But my eyes are fixed(Q) on you, Sovereign Lord;
    in you I take refuge(R)—do not give me over to death.
Keep me safe(S) from the traps set by evildoers,(T)
    from the snares(U) they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall(V) into their own nets,
    while I pass by in safety.(W)

The Happiness of Those Whose Help Is the Lord

146 Praise[a] the Lord!

(A)Praise the Lord, O my soul!
(B)While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

(C)Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in [b]a son of man, in whom there is no [c]help.
(D)His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day (E)his plans perish.

(F)Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
(G)Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
(H)Who executes justice for the oppressed,
(I)Who gives food to the hungry.
(J)The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

(K)The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
(L)The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
(M)The Lord watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
(N)But the way of the wicked He [d]turns upside down.

10 (O)The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 146:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  2. Psalm 146:3 A human being
  3. Psalm 146:3 salvation
  4. Psalm 146:9 Lit. makes crooked

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the Lord,(A) my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;(B)
    I will sing praise(C) to my God as long as I live.(D)
Do not put your trust in princes,(E)
    in human beings,(F) who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;(G)
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.(H)
Blessed are those(I) whose help(J) is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven(K) and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful(L) forever.
He upholds(M) the cause of the oppressed(N)
    and gives food to the hungry.(O)
The Lord sets prisoners free,(P)
    the Lord gives sight(Q) to the blind,(R)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,(S)
    the Lord loves the righteous.(T)
The Lord watches over the foreigner(U)
    and sustains the fatherless(V) and the widow,(W)
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The Lord reigns(X) forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 146:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 10