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Psalm 138

Of David.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods”(A) I will sing(B) your praise.
I will bow down toward your holy temple(C)
    and will praise your name(D)
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,(E)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.(F)
When I called,(G) you answered me;(H)
    you greatly emboldened(I) me.

May all the kings of the earth(J) praise you, Lord,
    when they hear what you have decreed.
May they sing(K) of the ways of the Lord,
    for the glory of the Lord(L) is great.

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;(M)
    though lofty, he sees them(N) from afar.
Though I walk(O) in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.(P)
You stretch out your hand(Q) against the anger of my foes;(R)
    with your right hand(S) you save me.(T)
The Lord will vindicate(U) me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever(V)
    do not abandon(W) the works of your hands.(X)

Thanksgiving for the Lords Favor.

A Psalm of David.

138 (A)I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I will sing Your praises before the (B)gods.
I will bow down (C)toward Your holy temple
And (D)give thanks to Your name for Your mercy and Your [a]truth;
For You have (E)made Your [b]word great [c]according to all Your name.
On the day I (F)called, You answered me;
You made me bold with (G)strength in my soul.

(H)All the kings of the earth will give thanks to You, Lord,
When they have heard the words of Your mouth.
And they will (I)sing of the ways of the Lord,
For (J)great is the glory of the Lord.
For (K)the Lord is exalted,
Yet He (L)looks after the lowly,
But He knows the (M)haughty from afar.

Though I (N)walk in the midst of trouble, You will [d](O)revive me;
You will (P)reach out with Your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
And Your right hand will (Q)save me.
The Lord will (R)accomplish what concerns me;
Your (S)faithfulness, Lord, is everlasting;
(T)Do not abandon the (U)works of Your hands.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 138:2 Or faithfulness
  2. Psalm 138:2 Or promise
  3. Psalm 138:2 Or together with
  4. Psalm 138:7 Or keep me alive

Thanksgiving for the Lord’s Favor.

A Psalm of David.

138 I will give You thanks with all my heart;
I sing praises to You before the [pagan] gods.

I will bow down [in worship] toward Your holy temple
And give thanks to Your name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;
For You have magnified Your word together with Your name.

On the day I called, You answered me;
And You made me bold and confident with [renewed] strength in my life.


All the kings of the land will give thanks and praise You, O Lord,
When they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled].

Yes, they will sing of the ways of the Lord [joyfully celebrating His wonderful acts],
For great is the glory and majesty of the Lord.

Though the Lord is exalted,
He regards the lowly [and invites them into His fellowship];
But the proud and haughty He knows from a distance.(A)


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.(B)

The Lord will accomplish that which concerns me;
Your [unwavering] lovingkindness, O Lord, endures forever—
Do not abandon the works of Your own hands.(C)

Psalm 138

A Psalm of David.

I will praise thee with my whole heart:
before the gods will I sing praise unto thee.
I will worship toward thy holy temple, and praise thy name
for thy lovingkindness and for thy truth:
for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.
In the day when I cried thou answeredst me,
and strengthenedst me with strength in my soul.

All the kings of the earth shall praise thee, O Lord,
when they hear the words of thy mouth.
Yea, they shall sing in the ways of the Lord:
for great is the glory of the Lord.
Though the Lord be high, yet hath he respect unto the lowly:
but the proud he knoweth afar off.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me:
thou shalt stretch forth thine hand against the wrath of mine enemies,
and thy right hand shall save me.
The Lord will perfect that which concerneth me:
thy mercy, O Lord, endureth for ever:
forsake not the works of thine own hands.

(By David.)

Praise the Lord with All Your Heart

With all my heart
    I praise you, Lord.
In the presence of angels[a]
    I sing your praises.
I worship at your holy temple
and praise you for your love
    and your faithfulness.
You were true to your word
and made yourself more famous
    than ever before.[b]
When I asked for your help,
you answered my prayer
    and gave me courage.[c]

All kings on this earth
have heard your promises, Lord,
    and they will praise you.
You are so famous
that they will sing about
    the things you have done.
Though you are above us all,
    you care for humble people,
and you keep a close watch
    on everyone who is proud.

I am surrounded by trouble,
but you protect me
    against my angry enemies.
With your own powerful arm
    you keep me safe.

You, Lord, will always
treat me with kindness.
    Your love never fails.
You have made us what we are.
    Don't give up on us now![d]

Footnotes

  1. 138.1 angels: Or “gods” or “supernatural beings” who worship and serve God in heaven; or possibly “rulers” or “leaders.”
  2. 138.2 You were … before: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  3. 138.3 and gave me courage: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
  4. 138.8 You have … now: Or “Please don't desert your people.”