Praise to God for His Faithfulness and Justice

111 Praise[a] the Lord!

(A)I will praise the Lord with my whole heart,
In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.

(B)The works of the Lord are great,
(C)Studied by all who have pleasure in them.
His work is (D)honorable and glorious,
And His righteousness endures forever.
He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
(E)The Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will ever be mindful of His covenant.
He has declared to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the [b]heritage of the nations.

The works of His hands are (F)verity[c] and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
(G)They stand fast forever and ever,
And are (H)done in truth and uprightness.
(I)He has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant forever:
(J)Holy and awesome is His name.

10 (K)The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.

The Blessed State of the Righteous

112 Praise[d] the Lord!

Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who (L)delights greatly in His commandments.

(M)His descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
(N)Wealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness [e]endures forever.
(O)Unto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
(P)A good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs (Q)with discretion.
Surely he will never be shaken;
(R)The righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
(S)He will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
His (T)heart is established;
(U)He will not be afraid,
Until he (V)sees his desire upon his enemies.

He has dispersed abroad,
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His [f]horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.

The Majesty and Condescension of God

113 Praise[g] the Lord!

(W)Praise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
(X)Blessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
(Y)From the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised.

The Lord is (Z)high above all nations,
(AA)His glory above the heavens.
(AB)Who is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
(AC)Who humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?

(AD)He raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the (AE)needy out of the ash heap,
That He may (AF)seat him with princes—
With the princes of His people.
(AG)He grants the [h]barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

The Power of God in His Deliverance of Israel(AH)

114 When (AI)Israel went out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob (AJ)from a people [i]of strange language,
(AK)Judah became His sanctuary,
And Israel His dominion.

(AL)The sea saw it and fled;
(AM)Jordan turned back.
(AN)The mountains skipped like rams,
The little hills like lambs.
(AO)What ails you, O sea, that you fled?
O Jordan, that you turned back?
O mountains, that you skipped like rams?
O little hills, like lambs?

Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
(AP)Who turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters.

The Futility of Idols and the Trustworthiness of God

115 Not (AQ)unto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
Why should the [j]Gentiles say,
(AR)“So where is their God?”

(AS)But our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
(AT)Their idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
(AU)Those who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.

(AV)O Israel, trust in the Lord;
(AW)He is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.

12 The Lord [k]has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 (AX)He will bless those who fear the Lord,
Both small and great.

14 May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
15 May you be (AY)blessed by the Lord,
(AZ)Who made heaven and earth.

16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
17 (BA)The dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
18 (BB)But we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 111:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  2. Psalm 111:6 inheritance
  3. Psalm 111:7 truth
  4. Psalm 112:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  5. Psalm 112:3 stands
  6. Psalm 112:9 Strength
  7. Psalm 113:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  8. Psalm 113:9 childless
  9. Psalm 114:1 who spoke unintelligibly
  10. Psalm 115:2 nations
  11. Psalm 115:12 has remembered us

Psalm 111[a]

Praise the Lord.[b]

I will extol the Lord(A) with all my heart(B)
    in the council(C) of the upright and in the assembly.(D)

Great are the works(E) of the Lord;
    they are pondered by all(F) who delight in them.
Glorious and majestic are his deeds,
    and his righteousness endures(G) forever.
He has caused his wonders to be remembered;
    the Lord is gracious and compassionate.(H)
He provides food(I) for those who fear him;(J)
    he remembers his covenant(K) forever.

He has shown his people the power of his works,(L)
    giving them the lands of other nations.(M)
The works of his hands(N) are faithful and just;
    all his precepts are trustworthy.(O)
They are established for ever(P) and ever,
    enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
He provided redemption(Q) for his people;
    he ordained his covenant forever—
    holy and awesome(R) is his name.

10 The fear of the Lord(S) is the beginning of wisdom;(T)
    all who follow his precepts have good understanding.(U)
    To him belongs eternal praise.(V)

Psalm 112[c]

Praise the Lord.[d](W)

Blessed are those(X) who fear the Lord,(Y)
    who find great delight(Z) in his commands.

Their children(AA) will be mighty in the land;
    the generation of the upright will be blessed.
Wealth and riches(AB) are in their houses,
    and their righteousness endures(AC) forever.
Even in darkness light dawns(AD) for the upright,
    for those who are gracious and compassionate and righteous.(AE)
Good will come to those who are generous and lend freely,(AF)
    who conduct their affairs with justice.

Surely the righteous will never be shaken;(AG)
    they will be remembered(AH) forever.
They will have no fear of bad news;
    their hearts are steadfast,(AI) trusting in the Lord.(AJ)
Their hearts are secure, they will have no fear;(AK)
    in the end they will look in triumph on their foes.(AL)
They have freely scattered their gifts to the poor,(AM)
    their righteousness endures(AN) forever;
    their horn[e] will be lifted(AO) high in honor.

10 The wicked will see(AP) and be vexed,
    they will gnash their teeth(AQ) and waste away;(AR)
    the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.(AS)

Psalm 113

Praise the Lord.[f](AT)

Praise the Lord, you his servants;(AU)
    praise the name of the Lord.
Let the name of the Lord be praised,(AV)
    both now and forevermore.(AW)
From the rising of the sun(AX) to the place where it sets,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

The Lord is exalted(AY) over all the nations,
    his glory above the heavens.(AZ)
Who is like the Lord our God,(BA)
    the One who sits enthroned(BB) on high,(BC)
who stoops down to look(BD)
    on the heavens and the earth?

He raises the poor(BE) from the dust
    and lifts the needy(BF) from the ash heap;
he seats them(BG) with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
He settles the childless(BH) woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 114

When Israel came out of Egypt,(BI)
    Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
Judah(BJ) became God’s sanctuary,(BK)
    Israel his dominion.

The sea looked and fled,(BL)
    the Jordan turned back;(BM)
the mountains leaped(BN) like rams,
    the hills like lambs.

Why was it, sea, that you fled?(BO)
    Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
    you hills, like lambs?

Tremble, earth,(BP) at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob,
who turned the rock into a pool,
    the hard rock into springs of water.(BQ)

Psalm 115(BR)

Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name be the glory,(BS)
    because of your love and faithfulness.(BT)

Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”(BU)
Our God is in heaven;(BV)
    he does whatever pleases him.(BW)
But their idols are silver and gold,(BX)
    made by human hands.(BY)
They have mouths, but cannot speak,(BZ)
    eyes, but cannot see.
They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

All you Israelites, trust(CA) in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron,(CB) trust in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him,(CC) trust in the Lord
    he is their help and shield.

12 The Lord remembers(CD) us and will bless us:(CE)
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear(CF) the Lord
    small and great alike.

14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,(CG)
    both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(CH) and earth.

16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,(CI)
    but the earth he has given(CJ) to mankind.
17 It is not the dead(CK) who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,(CL)
    both now and forevermore.(CM)

Praise the Lord.[g](CN)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 111:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 111:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  3. Psalm 112:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the lines of which begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  4. Psalm 112:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  5. Psalm 112:9 Horn here symbolizes dignity.
  6. Psalm 113:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9
  7. Psalm 115:18 Hebrew Hallelu Yah