Psalm 131-138

Amplified Bible, Classic Edition

Psalm 131

A Song of ^[a]Ascents. Of David.

¹ Lord, my heart is not haughty, nor my eyes lofty; neither do I exercise myself in matters too great or in things too wonderful for me.

² Surely I have calmed and quieted my soul; like a weaned child with his mother, like a weaned child is my soul within me [ceased from fretting].

³ O Israel, hope in the Lord from this time forth and forever.

Psalm 132

A Song of ^[b]Ascents.

¹ Lord, [earnestly] remember to David’s credit all his humiliations and hardships and endurance—

² How he swore to the Lord and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob:

³ Surely I will not enter my dwelling house or get into my bed—

⁴ I will not permit my eyes to sleep or my eyelids to slumber,

⁵ Until I have found a place for the Lord, a habitation for the Mighty One of Jacob.^(A)

⁶ Behold, at Ephratah we [first] heard of [the discovered ark]; we found it in the fields of the wood [at Kiriath-jearim].^(B)

⁷ Let us go into His tabernacle; let us worship at His footstool.

⁸ Arise, O Lord, to Your resting-place, You and the ark [the symbol] of Your strength.

⁹ Let Your priests be clothed with righteousness (right living and right standing with God); and let Your saints shout for joy!

¹⁰ For Your servant David’s sake, turn not away the face of Your anointed and reject not Your own king.

¹¹ The Lord swore to David in truth; He will not turn back from it: One of the fruit of your body I will set upon your throne.^(C)

¹² If your children will keep My covenant and My testimony that I shall teach them, their children also shall sit upon your throne forever.

¹³ For the Lord has chosen Zion, He has desired it for His habitation:

¹⁴ This is My resting-place forever [says the Lord]; here will I dwell, for I have desired it.

¹⁵ I will surely and abundantly bless her provision; I will satisfy her poor with bread.

¹⁶ Her priests also will I clothe with salvation, and her saints shall shout aloud for joy.

¹⁷ There will I make a horn spring forth and bud for David; I have ordained and prepared a lamp for My anointed [fulfilling the promises of old].^(D)

¹⁸ His enemies will I clothe with shame, but upon himself shall his crown flourish.

Psalm 133

A Song of ^[c]Ascents. Of David.

¹ Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell together in unity!

² It is like the precious ointment poured on the head, that ran down on the beard, even the beard of Aaron [the first high priest], that came down upon the collar and skirts of his garments [consecrating the whole body].^(E)

³ It is like the dew of [lofty] Mount Hermon and the dew that comes on the hills of Zion; for there the Lord has commanded the blessing, even life forevermore [upon the high and the lowly].

Psalm 134

A Song of ^[d]Ascents.

¹ Behold, bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord, all you servants of the Lord, [singers] who by night stand in the house of the Lord.^(F)

² Lift up your hands in holiness and to the sanctuary and bless the Lord [affectionately and gratefully praise Him]!

³ The Lord bless you out of Zion, even He Who made heaven and earth.

Psalm 135

¹ Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!) Praise the name of the Lord; praise Him, O you servants of the Lord!

² You who stand in the house of the Lord, in the courts of the house of our God,

³ Praise the Lord! For the Lord is good; sing praises to His name, for He is gracious and lovely!

⁴ For the Lord has chosen [the descendants of] Jacob for Himself, Israel for His peculiar possession and treasure.^(G)

⁵ For I know that the Lord is great and that our Lord is above all gods.

⁶ Whatever the Lord pleases, that has He done in the heavens and on earth, in the seas and all deeps—

⁷ Who causes the vapors to arise from the ends of the earth, Who makes lightnings for the rain, Who brings the wind out of His storehouses;

⁸ Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast;^(H)

⁹ Who sent signs and wonders into the midst of you, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh and all his servants;

¹⁰ Who smote nations many and great and slew mighty kings—

¹¹ Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan.

¹² [The Lord] gave their land as a heritage, a heritage to Israel His people.

¹³ Your name, O Lord, endures forever, Your fame, O Lord, throughout all ages.

¹⁴ For the Lord will judge and vindicate His people, and He will delay His judgments [manifesting His righteousness and mercy] and take into favor His servants [those who meet His terms of separation unto Him].^(I)

¹⁵ The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

¹⁶ [Idols] have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;

¹⁷ They have ears, but they hear not, nor is there any breath in their mouths.

¹⁸ Those who make [idols] are like them; so is everyone who trusts in and relies on them.^(J)

¹⁹ Bless (affectionately and gratefully praise) the Lord, O house of Israel; bless the Lord, O house of Aaron [God’s ministers].

²⁰ Bless the Lord, O house of Levi [the dedicated tribe]; you who reverently and worshipfully fear the Lord, bless the Lord [affectionately and gratefully praise Him]!^(K)

²¹ Blessed out of Zion be the Lord, Who dwells [with us] at Jerusalem! Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)

Psalm 136

¹ O give thanks to the Lord, for He is good; for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

² O give thanks to the God of gods, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever.

³ O give thanks to the Lord of lords, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever—

⁴ To Him Who alone does great wonders, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

⁵ To Him Who by wisdom and understanding made the heavens, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

⁶ To Him Who stretched out the earth upon the waters, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

⁷ To Him Who made the great lights, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever—

⁸ The sun to rule over the day, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

⁹ The moon and stars to rule by night, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

¹⁰ To Him Who smote Egypt in their firstborn, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;^(L)

¹¹ And brought out Israel from among them, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;^(M)

¹² With a strong hand and with an outstretched arm, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

¹³ To Him Who divided the Red Sea into parts, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;^(N)

¹⁴ And made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

¹⁵ But shook off and overthrew Pharaoh and his host into the Red Sea, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

¹⁶ To Him Who led His people through the wilderness, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

¹⁷ To Him Who smote great kings, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

¹⁸ And slew famous kings, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever—^(O)

¹⁹ Sihon king of the Amorites, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;^(P)

²⁰ And Og king of Bashan, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;^(Q)

²¹ And gave their land as a heritage, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

²² Even a heritage to Israel His servant, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;^(R)

²³ To Him Who [earnestly] remembered us in our low estate and imprinted us [on His heart], for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

²⁴ And rescued us from our enemies, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

²⁵ To Him Who gives food to all flesh, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever;

²⁶ O give thanks to the God of heaven, for His mercy and loving-kindness endure forever!

Psalm 137

¹ By the rivers of Babylon, there we [captives] sat down, yes, we wept when we [earnestly] remembered Zion [the city of our God imprinted on our hearts].

² On the willow trees in the midst of [Babylon] we hung our harps.

³ For there they who led us captive required of us a song with words, and our tormentors and they who wasted us required of us mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

⁴ How shall we sing the Lord’s song in a strange land?

⁵ If I forget you, O Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill [with the harp].

⁶ Let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth if I remember you not, if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy!^(S)

⁷ Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites, that they said in the day of Jerusalem’s fall, Down, down to the ground with her!

⁸ O Daughter of Babylon [you devastator, you!], who [ought to be and] shall be destroyed, happy and blessed shall he be who requites you as you have served us.^(T)

⁹ Happy and blessed shall he be who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock!

Psalm 138

[A Psalm] of David.

¹ I will confess and praise You [O God] with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing praises to You.

² I will worship toward Your holy temple and praise Your name for Your loving-kindness and for Your truth and faithfulness; for You have exalted above all else Your name and Your word and You have magnified Your word above all Your name!

³ In the day when I called, You answered me; and You strengthened me with strength (might and inflexibility to temptation) in my inner self.

⁴ All the kings of the land shall give You credit and praise You, O Lord, for they have heard of the promises of Your mouth [which were fulfilled].

⁵ Yes, they shall sing of the ways of the Lord and joyfully celebrate His mighty acts, for great is the glory of the Lord.

⁶ For though the Lord is high, yet has He respect to the lowly [bringing them into fellowship with Him]; but the proud and haughty He knows and recognizes [only] at a distance.^(U)

⁷ Though I walk in the midst of trouble, You will revive me; You will stretch forth Your hand against the wrath of my enemies, and Your right hand will save me.^(V)

⁸ The Lord will perfect that which concerns me; Your mercy and loving-kindness, O Lord, endure forever—forsake not the works of Your own hands.^(W)