Psalm 135

Yahweh Is Great

Hallelujah!
Praise the name of Yahweh.
Give praise, you servants of Yahweh(A)
who stand in the house of Yahweh,
in the courts of the house of our God.(B)
Praise Yahweh, for Yahweh is good;
sing praise to His name, for it is delightful.(C)
For Yahweh has chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel as His treasured possession.(D)

For I know that Yahweh is great;
our Lord is greater than all gods.(E)
Yahweh does whatever He pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.(F)
He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth.
He makes lightning for the rain
and brings the wind from His storehouses.(G)

He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both man and beast.(H)
He sent signs and wonders against you, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his officials.(I)
10 He struck down many nations
and slaughtered mighty kings:(J)
11 Sihon king of the Amorites,
Og king of Bashan,
and all the kings of Canaan.(K)
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
an inheritance to His people Israel.(L)

13 Yahweh, Your name endures forever,
Your reputation, Yahweh,
through all generations.(M)
14 For Yahweh will vindicate His people
and have compassion on His servants.(N)

15 The idols of the nations are of silver and gold,
made by human hands.(O)
16 They have mouths but cannot speak,(P)
eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears but cannot hear;
indeed, there is no breath in their mouths.(Q)
18 Those who make them are just like them,
as are all who trust in them.(R)

19 House of Israel, praise Yahweh!(S)
House of Aaron, praise Yahweh!(T)
20 House of Levi, praise Yahweh!
You who revere the Lord, praise the Lord!(U)
21 May the Lord be praised from Zion;(V)
He dwells in Jerusalem.(W)
Hallelujah!

Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever

135 (A)Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
    give praise, O (B)servants of the Lord,
who (C)stand in the house of the Lord,
    in (D)the courts of the house of our God!
Praise the Lord, for (E)the Lord is good;
    sing to his name, (F)for it is pleasant![a]
For the Lord has (G)chosen Jacob for himself,
    Israel as his (H)own possession.

For I know that (I)the Lord is great,
    and that our Lord is above all gods.
(J)Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
    in heaven and on earth,
    in the seas and all deeps.
(K)He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
    who (L)makes lightnings for the rain
    and brings forth the wind from his (M)storehouses.

He it was who (N)struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    both of man and of beast;
who in your midst, O Egypt,
    sent (O)signs and wonders
    against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 (P)who struck down many nations
    and killed mighty kings,
11 (Q)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    and (R)Og, king of Bashan,
    and (S)all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and (T)gave their land as a heritage,
    a heritage to his people Israel.

13 (U)Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
    (V)your renown,[b] O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 (W)For the Lord will vindicate his people
    and (X)have compassion on his servants.

15 (Y)The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
    the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but do not speak;
    they have eyes, but do not see;
17 they have ears, but do not hear,
    nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them become like them,
    so do all who trust in them.

19 (Z)O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
    O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
    You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord (AA)from Zion,
    he who (AB)dwells in Jerusalem!
(AC)Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 135:3 Or for he is beautiful
  2. Psalm 135:13 Or remembrance

135 1-4 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of God,
    praise the works of God.
All you priests on duty in God’s temple,
    serving in the sacred halls of our God,
Shout “Hallelujah!” because God’s so good,
    sing anthems to his beautiful name.
And why? Because God chose Jacob,
    embraced Israel as a prize possession.

5-12 I, too, give witness to the greatness of God,
    our Lord, high above all other gods.
He does just as he pleases—
    however, wherever, whenever.
He makes the weather—clouds and thunder,
    lightning and rain, wind pouring out of the north.
He struck down the Egyptian firstborn,
    both human and animal firstborn.
He made Egypt sit up and take notice,
    confronted Pharaoh and his servants with miracles.
Yes, he struck down great nations,
    he slew mighty kings—
Sihon king of the Amorites, also Og of Bashan—
    every last one of the Canaanite kings!
Then he turned their land over to Israel,
    a gift of good land to his people.

13-18 God, your name is eternal,
    God, you’ll never be out-of-date.
God stands up for his people,
    God holds the hands of his people.
The gods of the godless nations are mere trinkets,
    made for quick sale in the markets:
Chiseled mouths that can’t talk,
    painted eyes that can’t see,
Carved ears that can’t hear—
    dead wood! cold metal!
Those who make and trust them
    become like them.

19-21 Family of Israel, bless God!
    Family of Aaron, bless God!
Family of Levi, bless God!
    You who fear God, bless God!
Oh, blessed be God of Zion,
    First Citizen of Jerusalem!
Hallelujah!