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Psalm 147

Praise Him for Providing for His People

The Creator Restores His People

Praise the Lord.[a]

How good it is to make music to our God.
Yes, praise is pleasant and fitting!
The one who builds Jerusalem is the Lord.
He assembles the outcasts of Israel.
He is the one who heals the brokenhearted
and who bandages their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars.
He calls them all by name.
Great is our Lord and mighty in power.
To his understanding there is no limit.
The one who sustains the humble is the Lord.
He pushes the wicked down to the ground.

The Creator Loves His People

Respond to the Lord with thanksgiving.
Make music to our God on the lyre.
He is the one who covers the sky with clouds.
He determines rain for the earth.
He makes grass sprout on the mountains.
He gives their food to the cattle
and to the young ravens when they call.
10 He is not impressed by the strength of the horse.
He is not pleased with the legs of a man.
11 The Lord is pleased with those who fear him,
those who wait for his mercy.

The Creator Reveals His Word

12 Worship the Lord, O Jerusalem.
Praise your God, O Zion,
13 because he strengthens the bars on your gates.
He blesses your children within you.
14 He brings peace to your borders.
He satisfies you with the best wheat.
15 He sends his message to the earth.
His word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool.
He scatters frost like ashes.
17 He sends his hail like pieces of bread.
Who can stand in the face of his cold winds?
18 He sends his word, and the ice melts.
He breathes on the snow.[b] The waters flow.[c]
19 He reveals his words to Jacob,
his statutes and his judgments to Israel.
20 He has not done this for any other nation.
They do not know his judgments.

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew hallelu Yah
  2. Psalm 147:18 Or he sends his wind on them
  3. Psalm 147:18 The words ice and snow are added to clarify the antecedents.

Praise to Yahweh for His Providence

147 Praise Yah.[a]
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant; praise is fitting.
Yahweh is building Jerusalem;
he gathers the scattered ones of Israel.
He is the one who heals the brokenhearted,
and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
he gives names to all of them.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is unlimited.
Yahweh helps the afflicted up;
he brings the wicked down to the ground.
Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving;
sing praises to our God with lyre,
who covers the heavens with clouds,
who provides rain for the earth,
who causes grass to grow on the mountains.
He gives to the animal its food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
he takes no pleasure in the legs of the man.
11 Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him,
the ones who hope[b] for his loyal love.
12 Laud Yahweh, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion,
13 for he strengthens the bars of your gates.
He blesses your children within you;
14 he makes your border peaceful;
he satisfies you with the finest of wheat.[c]
15 He sends out his command[d] to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes;
17 he throws his hail like crumbs.
Who can stand before his cold?[e]
18 He sends out his word and melts them;
he blows his breath, the water flows.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not done so for any nation,
and they do not know his ordinances.
Praise Yah.[f]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew hallelujah; here and v. 20
  2. Psalm 147:11 That is, “wait expectantly”
  3. Psalm 147:14 Literally “the fat of the wheat”
  4. Psalm 147:15 Or “utterance”
  5. Psalm 147:17 With slight alteration of the Hebrew, the line might read “before his cold water stands”
  6. Psalm 147:20 Hebrew hallelujah