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Psalm 136-142
New King James Version
Psalm 136-142
New King James Version
Thanksgiving to God for His Enduring Mercy
136 Oh, (A)give thanks to the Lord, for He is good!
(B)For His mercy endures forever.
2 Oh, give thanks to (C)the God of gods!
For His mercy endures forever.
3 Oh, give thanks to the Lord of lords!
For His mercy endures forever:
4 To Him (D)who alone does great wonders,
For His mercy endures forever;
5 (E)To Him who by wisdom made the heavens,
For His mercy endures forever;
6 (F)To Him who laid out the earth above the waters,
For His mercy endures forever;
7 (G)To Him who made great lights,
For His mercy endures forever—
8 (H)The sun to rule by day,
For His mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule by night,
For His mercy endures forever.
10 (I)To Him who struck Egypt in their firstborn,
For His mercy endures forever;
11 (J)And brought out Israel from among them,
For His mercy endures forever;
12 (K)With a strong hand, and with [a]an outstretched arm,
For His mercy endures forever;
13 (L)To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,
For His mercy endures forever;
14 And made Israel pass through the midst of it,
For His mercy endures forever;
15 (M)But overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,
For His mercy endures forever;
16 (N)To Him who led His people through the wilderness,
For His mercy endures forever;
17 (O)To Him who struck down great kings,
For His mercy endures forever;
18 (P)And slew famous kings,
For His mercy endures forever—
19 (Q)Sihon king of the Amorites,
For His mercy endures forever;
20 (R)And Og king of Bashan,
For His mercy endures forever—
21 (S)And gave their land as a [b]heritage,
For His mercy endures forever;
22 A heritage to Israel His servant,
For His mercy endures forever.
23 Who (T)remembered us in our lowly state,
For His mercy endures forever;
24 And (U)rescued us from our enemies,
For His mercy endures forever;
25 (V)Who gives food to all flesh,
For His mercy endures forever.
26 Oh, give thanks to the God of heaven!
For His mercy endures forever.
Longing for Zion in a Foreign Land
137 By the rivers of Babylon,
There we sat down, yea, we wept
When we remembered Zion.
2 We hung our harps
Upon the willows in the midst of it.
3 For there those who carried us away captive asked of us a song,
And those who (W)plundered us requested mirth,
Saying, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 How shall we sing the Lord’s song
In a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
Let my right hand forget its skill!
6 If I do not remember you,
Let my (X)tongue cling to the roof of my mouth—
If I do not exalt Jerusalem
Above my chief joy.
7 Remember, O Lord, against (Y)the sons of Edom
The day of Jerusalem,
Who said, [c]“Raze it, raze it,
To its very foundation!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, (Z)who are to be destroyed,
Happy the one (AA)who repays you as you have served us!
9 Happy the one who takes and (AB)dashes
Your little ones against the rock!
The Lord’s Goodness to the Faithful
A Psalm of David.
138 I will praise You with my whole heart;
(AC)Before the gods I will sing praises to You.
2 (AD)I will worship (AE)toward Your holy temple,
And praise Your name
For Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have (AF)magnified Your word above all Your name.
3 In the day when I cried out, You answered me,
And made me bold with strength in my soul.
4 (AG)All the kings of the earth shall praise You, O Lord,
When they hear the words of Your mouth.
5 Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord,
For great is the glory of the Lord.
6 (AH)Though the Lord is on high,
Yet (AI)He regards the lowly;
But the proud He knows from afar.
7 (AJ)Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me;
You will stretch out Your hand
Against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will save me.
8 (AK)The Lord will [d]perfect that which concerns me;
Your mercy, O Lord, endures forever;
(AL)Do not forsake the works of Your hands.
God’s Perfect Knowledge of Man
For the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, (AM)You have searched me and known me.
2 (AN)You know my sitting down and my rising up;
You (AO)understand my thought afar off.
3 (AP)You [e]comprehend my path and my lying down,
And are acquainted with all my ways.
4 For there is not a word on my tongue,
But behold, O Lord, (AQ)You know it altogether.
5 You have [f]hedged me behind and before,
And laid Your hand upon me.
6 (AR)Such knowledge is too wonderful for me;
It is high, I cannot attain it.
7 (AS)Where can I go from Your Spirit?
Or where can I flee from Your presence?
8 (AT)If I ascend into heaven, You are there;
(AU)If I make my bed in [g]hell, behold, You are there.
9 If I take the wings of the morning,
And dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 Even there Your hand shall lead me,
And Your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness shall [h]fall on me,”
Even the night shall be light about me;
12 Indeed, (AV)the darkness [i]shall not hide from You,
But the night shines as the day;
The darkness and the light are both alike to You.
13 For You formed my inward parts;
You [j]covered me in my mother’s womb.
14 I will praise You, for [k]I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
Marvelous are Your works,
And that my soul knows very well.
15 (AW)My [l]frame was not hidden from You,
When I was made in secret,
And skillfully wrought in the lowest parts of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my substance, being yet unformed.
And in Your book they all were written,
The days fashioned for me,
When as yet there were none of them.
17 (AX)How precious also are Your thoughts to me, O God!
How great is the sum of them!
18 If I should count them, they would be more in number than the sand;
When I awake, I am still with You.
19 Oh, that You would (AY)slay the wicked, O God!
(AZ)Depart from me, therefore, you [m]bloodthirsty men.
20 For they (BA)speak against You wickedly;
[n]Your enemies take Your name in vain.
21 (BB)Do I not hate them, O Lord, who hate You?
And do I not loathe those who rise up against You?
22 I hate them with [o]perfect hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 (BC)Search me, O God, and know my heart;
Try me, and know my anxieties;
24 And see if there is any wicked way in me,
And (BD)lead me in the way everlasting.
Prayer for Deliverance from Evil Men
To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.
140 Deliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
Preserve me from violent men,
2 Who plan evil things in their hearts;
(BE)They continually gather together for war.
3 They sharpen their tongues like a serpent;
The (BF)poison of asps is under their lips. Selah
4 (BG)Keep me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
Preserve me from violent men,
Who have purposed to make my steps stumble.
5 The proud have hidden a (BH)snare for me, and cords;
They have spread a net by the wayside;
They have set traps for me. Selah
6 I said to the Lord: “You are my God;
Hear the voice of my supplications, O Lord.
7 O God the Lord, the strength of my salvation,
You have [p]covered my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
Do not further his wicked scheme,
(BI)Lest they be exalted. Selah
9 “As for the head of those who surround me,
Let the evil of their lips cover them;
10 (BJ)Let burning coals fall upon them;
Let them be cast into the fire,
Into deep pits, that they rise not up again.
11 Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;
Let evil hunt the violent man to overthrow him.”
12 I know that the Lord will (BK)maintain
The cause of the afflicted,
And justice for the poor.
13 Surely the righteous shall give thanks to Your name;
The upright shall dwell in Your presence.
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.
2 Let my prayer be set before You (BL)as incense,
(BM)The lifting up of my hands as (BN)the evening sacrifice.
3 Set a guard, O Lord, over my (BO)mouth;
Keep watch over the door of my lips.
4 Do not incline my heart to any evil thing,
To practice wicked works
With men who work iniquity;
(BP)And do not let me eat of their delicacies.
5 (BQ)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.
6 Their judges are overthrown by the sides of the [q]cliff,
And they hear my words, for they are sweet.
7 Our bones are scattered at the mouth of the grave,
As when one plows and breaks up the earth.
8 But (BR)my eyes are upon You, O God the Lord;
In You I take refuge;
[r]Do not leave my soul destitute.
9 Keep me from (BS)the snares they have laid for me,
And from the traps of the workers of iniquity.
10 (BT)Let the wicked fall into their own nets,
While I escape safely.
A Plea for Relief from Persecutors
A (BU)Contemplation[s] of David. A Prayer (BV)when he was in the cave.
142 I cry out to the Lord with my voice;
With my voice to the Lord I make my supplication.
2 I pour out my complaint before Him;
I declare before Him my trouble.
3 When my spirit [t]was (BW)overwhelmed within me,
Then You knew my path.
In the way in which I walk
They have secretly (BX)set a snare for me.
4 Look on my right hand and see,
For there is no one who acknowledges me;
Refuge has failed me;
No one cares for my soul.
5 I cried out to You, O Lord:
I said, “You are my refuge,
My portion in the land of the living.
6 [u]Attend to my cry,
For I am brought very low;
Deliver me from my persecutors,
For they are stronger than I.
7 Bring my soul out of prison,
That I may (BY)praise Your name;
The righteous shall surround me,
For You shall deal bountifully with me.”
Footnotes
- Psalm 136:12 Mighty power
- Psalm 136:21 inheritance
- Psalm 137:7 Lit. Make bare
- Psalm 138:8 complete
- Psalm 139:3 Lit. winnow
- Psalm 139:5 enclosed
- Psalm 139:8 Or Sheol
- Psalm 139:11 Vg., Symmachus cover
- Psalm 139:12 Lit. is not dark
- Psalm 139:13 wove
- Psalm 139:14 So with MT, Tg.; LXX, Syr., Vg. You are fearfully wonderful
- Psalm 139:15 Lit. bones were
- Psalm 139:19 Lit. men of bloodshed
- Psalm 139:20 LXX, Vg. They take Your cities in vain
- Psalm 139:22 complete
- Psalm 140:7 sheltered
- Psalm 141:6 rock
- Psalm 141:8 Lit. Do not make my soul bare
- Psalm 142:1 Heb. Maschil
- Psalm 142:3 Lit. fainted
- Psalm 142:6 Give heed
Psalm 136-142
New International Version
Psalm 136-142
New International Version
Psalm 136
1 Give thanks(A) to the Lord, for he is good.(B)
His love endures forever.(C)
2 Give thanks(D) to the God of gods.(E)
His love endures forever.
3 Give thanks(F) to the Lord of lords:(G)
His love endures forever.
4 to him who alone does great wonders,(H)
His love endures forever.
5 who by his understanding(I) made the heavens,(J)
His love endures forever.
6 who spread out the earth(K) upon the waters,(L)
His love endures forever.
7 who made the great lights(M)—
His love endures forever.
8 the sun to govern(N) the day,
His love endures forever.
9 the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.
10 to him who struck down the firstborn(O) of Egypt
His love endures forever.
11 and brought Israel out(P) from among them
His love endures forever.
12 with a mighty hand(Q) and outstretched arm;(R)
His love endures forever.
13 to him who divided the Red Sea[a](S) asunder
His love endures forever.
14 and brought Israel through(T) the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
15 but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;(U)
His love endures forever.
16 to him who led his people through the wilderness;(V)
His love endures forever.
17 to him who struck down great kings,(W)
His love endures forever.
18 and killed mighty kings(X)—
His love endures forever.
19 Sihon king of the Amorites(Y)
His love endures forever.
20 and Og king of Bashan(Z)—
His love endures forever.
21 and gave their land(AA) as an inheritance,(AB)
His love endures forever.
22 an inheritance(AC) to his servant Israel.(AD)
His love endures forever.
23 He remembered us(AE) in our low estate
His love endures forever.
24 and freed us(AF) from our enemies.(AG)
His love endures forever.
25 He gives food(AH) to every creature.
His love endures forever.
Psalm 137
1 By the rivers of Babylon(AL) we sat and wept(AM)
when we remembered Zion.(AN)
2 There on the poplars(AO)
we hung our harps,(AP)
3 for there our captors(AQ) asked us for songs,
our tormentors demanded(AR) songs of joy;
they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”(AS)
4 How can we sing the songs of the Lord(AT)
while in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you,(AU) Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget its skill.
6 May my tongue cling to the roof(AV) of my mouth
if I do not remember(AW) you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem(AX)
my highest joy.
7 Remember, Lord, what the Edomites(AY) did
on the day Jerusalem fell.(AZ)
“Tear it down,” they cried,
“tear it down to its foundations!”(BA)
8 Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,(BB)
happy is the one who repays you
according to what you have done to us.
9 Happy is the one who seizes your infants
and dashes them(BC) against the rocks.
Psalm 138
Of David.
1 I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
before the “gods”(BD) I will sing(BE) your praise.
2 I will bow down toward your holy temple(BF)
and will praise your name(BG)
for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,(BH)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
that it surpasses your fame.(BI)
3 When I called,(BJ) you answered me;(BK)
you greatly emboldened(BL) me.
4 May all the kings of the earth(BM) praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
5 May they sing(BN) of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord(BO) is great.
6 Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;(BP)
though lofty, he sees them(BQ) from afar.
7 Though I walk(BR) in the midst of trouble,
you preserve my life.(BS)
You stretch out your hand(BT) against the anger of my foes;(BU)
with your right hand(BV) you save me.(BW)
8 The Lord will vindicate(BX) me;
your love, Lord, endures forever(BY)—
do not abandon(BZ) the works of your hands.(CA)
Psalm 139
For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.
1 You have searched me,(CB) Lord,
and you know(CC) me.
2 You know when I sit and when I rise;(CD)
you perceive my thoughts(CE) from afar.
3 You discern my going out(CF) and my lying down;
you are familiar with all my ways.(CG)
4 Before a word is on my tongue
you, Lord, know it completely.(CH)
5 You hem me in(CI) behind and before,
and you lay your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(CJ)
too lofty(CK) for me to attain.
7 Where can I go from your Spirit?
Where can I flee(CL) from your presence?
8 If I go up to the heavens,(CM) you are there;
if I make my bed(CN) in the depths, you are there.
9 If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,(CO)
your right hand(CP) will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark(CQ) to you;
the night will shine like the day,
for darkness is as light to you.
13 For you created my inmost being;(CR)
you knit me together(CS) in my mother’s womb.(CT)
14 I praise you(CU) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
your works are wonderful,(CV)
I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
when I was made(CW) in the secret place,
when I was woven together(CX) in the depths of the earth.(CY)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
all the days ordained(CZ) for me were written in your book
before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[b](DA) God!(DB)
How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(DC)
they would outnumber the grains of sand(DD)—
when I awake,(DE) I am still with you.
19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!(DF)
Away from me,(DG) you who are bloodthirsty!(DH)
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
your adversaries(DI) misuse your name.(DJ)
21 Do I not hate those(DK) who hate you, Lord,
and abhor(DL) those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
I count them my enemies.(DM)
23 Search me,(DN) God, and know my heart;(DO)
test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way(DP) in me,
and lead me(DQ) in the way everlasting.
Psalm 140[c]
For the director of music. A psalm of David.
1 Rescue me,(DR) Lord, from evildoers;
protect me from the violent,(DS)
2 who devise evil plans(DT) in their hearts
and stir up war(DU) every day.
3 They make their tongues as sharp as(DV) a serpent’s;
the poison of vipers(DW) is on their lips.[d]
4 Keep me safe,(DX) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(DY)
protect me from the violent,
who devise ways to trip my feet.
5 The arrogant have hidden a snare(DZ) for me;
they have spread out the cords of their net(EA)
and have set traps(EB) for me along my path.
6 I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(EC)
Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(ED)
7 Sovereign Lord,(EE) my strong deliverer,
you shield my head in the day of battle.
8 Do not grant the wicked(EF) their desires, Lord;
do not let their plans succeed.
9 Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
may the mischief of their lips engulf them.(EG)
10 May burning coals fall on them;
may they be thrown into the fire,(EH)
into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
may disaster hunt down the violent.(EI)
12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor(EJ)
and upholds the cause(EK) of the needy.(EL)
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,(EM)
and the upright will live(EN) in your presence.(EO)
Psalm 141
A psalm of David.
1 I call to you, Lord, come quickly(EP) to me;
hear me(EQ) when I call to you.
2 May my prayer be set before you like incense;(ER)
may the lifting up of my hands(ES) be like the evening sacrifice.(ET)
3 Set a guard over my mouth,(EU) Lord;
keep watch over the door of my lips.(EV)
4 Do not let my heart(EW) be drawn to what is evil
so that I take part in wicked deeds(EX)
along with those who are evildoers;
do not let me eat their delicacies.(EY)
5 Let a righteous man strike me—that is a kindness;
let him rebuke me(EZ)—that is oil on my head.(FA)
My head will not refuse it,
for my prayer will still be against the deeds of evildoers.
6 Their rulers will be thrown down from the cliffs,(FB)
and the wicked will learn that my words were well spoken.
7 They will say, “As one plows(FC) and breaks up the earth,(FD)
so our bones have been scattered at the mouth(FE) of the grave.”
8 But my eyes are fixed(FF) on you, Sovereign Lord;
in you I take refuge(FG)—do not give me over to death.
9 Keep me safe(FH) from the traps set by evildoers,(FI)
from the snares(FJ) they have laid for me.
10 Let the wicked fall(FK) into their own nets,
while I pass by in safety.(FL)
Psalm 142[e]
A maskil[f] of David. When he was in the cave.(FM) A prayer.
1 I cry aloud(FN) to the Lord;
I lift up my voice to the Lord for mercy.(FO)
2 I pour out before him my complaint;(FP)
before him I tell my trouble.(FQ)
Footnotes
- Psalm 136:13 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 15
- Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me
- Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
- Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.
- Psalm 142:1 In Hebrew texts 142:1-7 is numbered 142:2-8.
- Psalm 142:1 Title: Probably a literary or musical term
New King James Version (NKJV) 
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.