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Prayer for Help and Guidance.

A Psalm of David.

143 Hear my prayer, O Lord,
Listen to my supplications!
Answer me in Your faithfulness, and in Your righteousness.

And do not enter into judgment with Your servant,
For in Your sight no man living is righteous or justified.(A)

For the enemy has persecuted me,
He has crushed my life down to the ground;
He has made me dwell in dark places, like those who have been long dead.

Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed and weak within me [wrapped in darkness];
My heart grows numb within me.


I remember the days of old;
I meditate on all that You have done;
I ponder the work of Your hands.

I reach out my hands to You;
My throat thirsts for You, as a parched land [thirsts for water]. Selah.


Answer me quickly, O Lord, my spirit fails;
Do not hide Your face from me,
Or I will become like those who go down into the pit (grave).

Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning,
For I trust in You.
Teach me the way in which I should walk,
For I lift up my soul to You.

Rescue me, O Lord, from my enemies;
I take refuge in You.

10 
Teach me to do Your will [so that I may please You],
For You are my God;
Let Your good Spirit lead me on level ground.
11 
Save my life, O Lord, for Your name’s sake;
In Your righteousness bring my life out of trouble.
12 
In your lovingkindness, silence and destroy my enemies
And destroy all those who afflict my life,
For I am Your servant.

Prayer for Rescue and Prosperity.

A Psalm of David.

144 Blessed be the Lord, my Rock and my great strength,
Who trains my hands for war
And my fingers for battle;

My [steadfast] lovingkindness and my fortress,
My high tower and my rescuer,
My shield and He in whom I take refuge,
Who subdues my people under me.

Lord, what is man that You take notice of him?
Or the son of man that You think of him?(B)

Man is like a mere breath;
His days are like a shadow that passes away.


Bow Your heavens, O Lord, and come down;
Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.

Flash lightning and scatter my enemies;
Send out Your arrows and confuse and embarrass and frustrate them.

Stretch out Your hand from above;
Set me free and rescue me from great waters,
Out of the hands of [hostile] foreigners [who surround us]

Whose mouths speak deceit [without restraint],
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.


I will sing a new song to You, O God;
Upon a harp of ten strings I will sing praises to You,
10 
Who gives salvation to kings,
Who sets David His servant free from the evil sword.
11 
Set me free and rescue me from the hand of [hostile] foreigners,
Whose mouth speaks deceit [without restraint],
And whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

12 
Let our sons in their youth be like plants full grown,
And our daughters like corner pillars fashioned for a palace;
13 
Let our barns be full, supplying every kind of produce,
And our flocks bring forth thousands and ten thousands in our fields;
14 
Let our cattle bear
Without mishap and without loss,
And let there be no outcry in our streets!
15 
How blessed and favored are the people in such circumstance;
How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored] are the people whose God is the Lord!

The Lord Extolled for His Goodness.

A Psalm of praise. Of David.

145 I will exalt You, my God, O King,
And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will bless Your name forever and ever.

Every day I will bless You and lovingly praise You;
Yes, [with awe-inspired reverence] I will praise Your name forever and ever.

Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised,
And His greatness is [so vast and profound as to be] unsearchable [incomprehensible to man].(C)

One generation shall praise Your works to another,
And shall declare Your mighty and remarkable acts.

On the glorious splendor of Your majesty
And on Your wonderful works, I will meditate.

People will speak of the power of Your awesome acts,
And [with gratitude and submissive wonder] I will tell of Your greatness.

They will overflow [like a fountain] when they speak of Your great and abundant goodness
And will sing joyfully of Your righteousness.


The Lord is gracious and full of compassion,
Slow to anger and abounding in lovingkindness.

The Lord is good to all,
And His tender mercies are over all His works [the entirety of things created].
10 
All Your works shall give thanks to You and praise You, O Lord,
And Your godly ones will bless You.
11 
They shall speak of the glory of Your kingdom
And talk of Your power,
12 
To make known to the sons of men Your mighty acts
And the glorious majesty of Your kingdom.
13 
Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
And Your dominion endures throughout all generations.(D)

14 
The Lord upholds all those [of His own] who fall
And raises up all those who are bowed down.
15 
The eyes of all look to You [in hopeful expectation],
And You give them their food in due time.
16 
You open Your hand
And satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17 
The Lord is [unwaveringly] righteous in all His ways
And gracious and kind in all His works.
18 
The Lord is near to all who call on Him,
To all who call on Him in truth (without guile).
19 
He will fulfill the desire of those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience];
He also will hear their cry and will save them.
20 
The Lord keeps all who love Him,
But all the wicked He will destroy.
21 
My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
And all flesh will bless and gratefully praise His holy name forever and ever.

The Lord an Abundant Helper.

146 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Praise the Lord, O my soul!

While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God as long as I live.

Do not trust in princes,
In mortal man, in whom there is no salvation (help).

When his spirit leaves him, he returns to the earth;
In that very day his thoughts and plans perish.(E)

How blessed and graciously favored is he whose help is the God of Jacob (Israel),
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,(F)

Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them,
Who keeps truth and is faithful forever,(G)

Who executes justice for the oppressed,
Who gives food to the hungry.
The Lord sets free the prisoners.


The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the [a]righteous [the upright in heart].(H)

The Lord protects the strangers;
He supports the fatherless and the widow;
But He makes crooked the way of the wicked.
10 
The Lord shall reign forever,
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)(I)

Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.

147 Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our [gracious and majestic] God;
Praise is becoming and appropriate.

The Lord is building up Jerusalem;
He is gathering [together] the exiles of Israel.

He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their wounds [healing their pain and comforting their sorrow].(J)

He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by their names.

Great is our [majestic and mighty] Lord and abundant in strength;
His understanding is inexhaustible [infinite, boundless].

The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground.


Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God with the lyre,

Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who provides rain for the earth,
Who makes grass grow on the mountains.

He gives to the beast its food,
And to the young ravens that for which they cry.
10 
He does not delight in the strength (military power) of the horse,
Nor does He take pleasure in the legs (strength) of a man.
11 
The Lord favors those who fear and worship Him [with awe-inspired reverence and obedience],
Those who wait for His mercy and lovingkindness.(K)

12 
Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 
For He has strengthened the bars of your gates,
He has blessed your children within you.
14 
He makes peace in your borders;
He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat.
15 
He sends His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
16 
He gives [to the earth] snow like [a blanket of] wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes.
17 
He casts out His ice like fragments;
Who can stand before His cold?
18 
He sends out His word and melts the ice;
He causes His wind to blow and the waters to flow.
19 
He declares His word to Jacob,
His statutes and His ordinances to Israel.(L)
20 
He has not dealt this way with any [other] nation;
They have not known [understood, appreciated, heeded, or cherished] His ordinances.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)(M)

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.

148 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens;
Praise Him in the heights!

Praise Him, all His angels;
Praise Him, all His hosts (armies)!

Praise Him, sun and moon:
Praise Him, all stars of light!

Praise Him, highest heavens,
And the waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For He commanded and they were created.

He has also established them forever and ever;
He has made a decree which shall not pass away.


Praise the Lord from the earth,
Sea monsters and all deeps;

Lightning and hail, snow and fog;
Stormy wind, fulfilling His orders;

Mountains and all hills;
Fruitful trees and all cedars;
10 
Beasts and all cattle;
Creeping things and winged birds;
11 
Kings of the earth and all people;
Princes and all judges of the earth;
12 
Both young men and virgins;
Old men and children.

13 
Let them praise the name of the Lord,
For His name alone is exalted and supreme;
His glory and majesty are above earth and heaven.
14 
He has lifted up a horn for His people [giving them strength, prosperity, dignity, and preeminence],
Praise for all His godly ones;
For the people of Israel, a people near to Him.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)(N)

Israel Invoked to Praise the Lord.

149 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
And praise Him in the congregation of His godly ones (believers).

Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;
Let Zion’s children rejoice in their King.(O)

Let them praise His name with dancing;
Let them sing praises to Him with the tambourine and lyre.

For the Lord takes pleasure in His people;
He will beautify the humble with salvation.


Let the godly ones exult in glory;
Let them sing for joy on their beds.

Let the high praises of God be in their throats,
And a two-edged sword in their hands,(P)

To execute vengeance on the nations
And punishment on the peoples,

To bind their kings with chains
And their nobles with fetters of iron,

To execute on them the judgment written.
This is the honor for all His godly ones.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

A Psalm of Praise.

150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in His sanctuary;
Praise Him in His mighty heavens.

Praise Him for His mighty acts;
Praise Him according to [the abundance of] His greatness.(Q)


Praise Him with trumpet sound;
Praise Him with harp and lyre.

Praise Him with tambourine and dancing;
Praise Him with stringed instruments and flute.

Praise Him with resounding cymbals;
Praise Him with loud cymbals.

Let everything that has breath and every breath of life praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 146:8 I.e. those whose moral and spiritual integrity places them in right standing with God.

Psalm 143

A psalm of David.

Lord, hear my prayer,(A)
    listen to my cry for mercy;(B)
in your faithfulness(C) and righteousness(D)
    come to my relief.
Do not bring your servant into judgment,
    for no one living is righteous(E) before you.
The enemy pursues me,
    he crushes me to the ground;
he makes me dwell in the darkness(F)
    like those long dead.(G)
So my spirit grows faint within me;
    my heart within me is dismayed.(H)
I remember(I) the days of long ago;
    I meditate(J) on all your works
    and consider what your hands have done.
I spread out my hands(K) to you;
    I thirst for you like a parched land.[a]

Answer me quickly,(L) Lord;
    my spirit fails.(M)
Do not hide your face(N) from me
    or I will be like those who go down to the pit.
Let the morning bring me word of your unfailing love,(O)
    for I have put my trust in you.
Show me the way(P) I should go,
    for to you I entrust my life.(Q)
Rescue me(R) from my enemies,(S) Lord,
    for I hide myself in you.
10 Teach me(T) to do your will,
    for you are my God;(U)
may your good Spirit
    lead(V) me on level ground.(W)

11 For your name’s sake,(X) Lord, preserve my life;(Y)
    in your righteousness,(Z) bring me out of trouble.
12 In your unfailing love, silence my enemies;(AA)
    destroy all my foes,(AB)
    for I am your servant.(AC)

Psalm 144

Of David.

Praise be to the Lord my Rock,(AD)
    who trains my hands for war,
    my fingers for battle.
He is my loving God and my fortress,(AE)
    my stronghold(AF) and my deliverer,
my shield,(AG) in whom I take refuge,
    who subdues peoples[b](AH) under me.

Lord, what are human beings(AI) that you care for them,
    mere mortals that you think of them?
They are like a breath;(AJ)
    their days are like a fleeting shadow.(AK)

Part your heavens,(AL) Lord, and come down;(AM)
    touch the mountains, so that they smoke.(AN)
Send forth lightning(AO) and scatter(AP) the enemy;
    shoot your arrows(AQ) and rout them.
Reach down your hand from on high;(AR)
    deliver me and rescue me(AS)
from the mighty waters,(AT)
    from the hands of foreigners(AU)
whose mouths are full of lies,(AV)
    whose right hands(AW) are deceitful.(AX)

I will sing a new song(AY) to you, my God;
    on the ten-stringed lyre(AZ) I will make music to you,
10 to the One who gives victory to kings,(BA)
    who delivers his servant David.(BB)

From the deadly sword(BC) 11 deliver me;
    rescue me(BD) from the hands of foreigners(BE)
whose mouths are full of lies,(BF)
    whose right hands are deceitful.(BG)

12 Then our sons in their youth
    will be like well-nurtured plants,(BH)
and our daughters will be like pillars(BI)
    carved to adorn a palace.
13 Our barns will be filled(BJ)
    with every kind of provision.
Our sheep will increase by thousands,
    by tens of thousands in our fields;
14     our oxen(BK) will draw heavy loads.[c]
There will be no breaching of walls,(BL)
    no going into captivity,
    no cry of distress in our streets.(BM)
15 Blessed is the people(BN) of whom this is true;
    blessed is the people whose God is the Lord.

Psalm 145[d]

A psalm of praise. Of David.

I will exalt you,(BO) my God the King;(BP)
    I will praise your name(BQ) for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise(BR) you
    and extol your name(BS) for ever and ever.

Great(BT) is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(BU)
    his greatness no one can fathom.(BV)
One generation(BW) commends your works to another;
    they tell(BX) of your mighty acts.(BY)
They speak of the glorious splendor(BZ) of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[e](CA)
They tell(CB) of the power of your awesome works—(CC)
    and I will proclaim(CD) your great deeds.(CE)
They celebrate your abundant goodness(CF)
    and joyfully sing(CG) of your righteousness.(CH)

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,(CI)
    slow to anger and rich in love.(CJ)

The Lord is good(CK) to all;
    he has compassion(CL) on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you,(CM) Lord;
    your faithful people extol(CN) you.(CO)
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom(CP)
    and speak of your might,(CQ)
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts(CR)
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.(CS)
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,(CT)
    and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy(CU) in all he promises(CV)
    and faithful in all he does.[f]
14 The Lord upholds(CW) all who fall
    and lifts up all(CX) who are bowed down.(CY)
15 The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food(CZ) at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
    and satisfy the desires(DA) of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous(DB) in all his ways
    and faithful in all he does.(DC)
18 The Lord is near(DD) to all who call on him,(DE)
    to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires(DF) of those who fear him;(DG)
    he hears their cry(DH) and saves them.(DI)
20 The Lord watches over(DJ) all who love him,(DK)
    but all the wicked he will destroy.(DL)

21 My mouth will speak(DM) in praise of the Lord.
    Let every creature(DN) praise his holy name(DO)
    for ever and ever.

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.[g]

Praise the Lord,(DP) my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;(DQ)
    I will sing praise(DR) to my God as long as I live.(DS)
Do not put your trust in princes,(DT)
    in human beings,(DU) who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;(DV)
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.(DW)
Blessed are those(DX) whose help(DY) is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven(DZ) and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful(EA) forever.
He upholds(EB) the cause of the oppressed(EC)
    and gives food to the hungry.(ED)
The Lord sets prisoners free,(EE)
    the Lord gives sight(EF) to the blind,(EG)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,(EH)
    the Lord loves the righteous.(EI)
The Lord watches over the foreigner(EJ)
    and sustains the fatherless(EK) and the widow,(EL)
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

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

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.[h]

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant(EN) and fitting to praise him!(EO)

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;(EP)
    he gathers the exiles(EQ) of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted(ER)
    and binds up their wounds.(ES)
He determines the number of the stars(ET)
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord(EU) and mighty in power;(EV)
    his understanding has no limit.(EW)
The Lord sustains the humble(EX)
    but casts the wicked(EY) to the ground.

Sing to the Lord(EZ) with grateful praise;(FA)
    make music(FB) to our God on the harp.(FC)

He covers the sky with clouds;(FD)
    he supplies the earth with rain(FE)
    and makes grass grow(FF) on the hills.
He provides food(FG) for the cattle
    and for the young ravens(FH) when they call.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength(FI) of the horse,(FJ)
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights(FK) in those who fear him,(FL)
    who put their hope(FM) in his unfailing love.(FN)

12 Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;(FO)
    praise your God, Zion.

13 He strengthens the bars of your gates(FP)
    and blesses your people(FQ) within you.
14 He grants peace(FR) to your borders
    and satisfies you(FS) with the finest of wheat.(FT)

15 He sends his command(FU) to the earth;
    his word runs(FV) swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow(FW) like wool
    and scatters the frost(FX) like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail(FY) like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word(FZ) and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes,(GA) and the waters flow.

19 He has revealed his word(GB) to Jacob,(GC)
    his laws and decrees(GD) to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;(GE)
    they do not know(GF) his laws.[i]

Praise the Lord.(GG)

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.[j](GH)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;(GI)
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;(GJ)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.(GK)
Praise him, sun(GL) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens(GM)
    and you waters above the skies.(GN)

Let them praise the name(GO) of the Lord,
    for at his command(GP) they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree(GQ) that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord(GR) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures(GS) and all ocean depths,(GT)
lightning and hail,(GU) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,(GV)
you mountains and all hills,(GW)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals(GX) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings(GY) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
    old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,(GZ)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor(HA) is above the earth and the heavens.(HB)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[k](HC)
    the praise(HD) of all his faithful servants,(HE)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.(HF)

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 149

Praise the Lord.[l](HG)

Sing to the Lord a new song,(HH)
    his praise in the assembly(HI) of his faithful people.

Let Israel rejoice(HJ) in their Maker;(HK)
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.(HL)
Let them praise his name with dancing(HM)
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp.(HN)
For the Lord takes delight(HO) in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.(HP)
Let his faithful people rejoice(HQ) in this honor
    and sing for joy on their beds.(HR)

May the praise of God be in their mouths(HS)
    and a double-edged(HT) sword in their hands,(HU)
to inflict vengeance(HV) on the nations
    and punishment(HW) on the peoples,
to bind their kings with fetters,(HX)
    their nobles with shackles of iron,(HY)
to carry out the sentence written against them—(HZ)
    this is the glory of all his faithful people.(IA)

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.[m](IB)

Praise God in his sanctuary;(IC)
    praise him in his mighty heavens.(ID)
Praise him for his acts of power;(IE)
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.(IF)
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,(IG)
    praise him with the harp and lyre,(IH)
praise him with timbrel and dancing,(II)
    praise him with the strings(IJ) and pipe,(IK)
praise him with the clash of cymbals,(IL)
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

Let everything(IM) that has breath praise the Lord.

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 143:6 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.
  2. Psalm 144:2 Many manuscripts of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls, Aquila, Jerome and Syriac; most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text subdues my people
  3. Psalm 144:14 Or our chieftains will be firmly established
  4. Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  5. Psalm 145:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text On the glorious splendor of your majesty / and on your wonderful works I will meditate
  6. Psalm 145:13 One manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text do not have the last two lines of verse 13.
  7. Psalm 146:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 10
  8. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 20
  9. Psalm 147:20 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint nation; / he has not made his laws known to them
  10. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
  11. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  12. Psalm 149:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9
  13. Psalm 150:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 6