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Praise for God’s Help

146 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
I will praise the Lord as long as I live;
    I will sing praises to my God while I have being.

Put not your trust in princes,
    in a son of man, in whom there is no help.
When his breath departs he returns to his earth;
    on that very day his plans perish.

Happy is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord his God,
who made heaven and earth,
    the sea, and all that is in them;
who keeps faith for ever;
    who executes justice for the oppressed;
    who gives food to the hungry.

The Lord sets the prisoners free;
    the Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
The Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
    the Lord loves the righteous.
The Lord watches over the sojourners,
    he upholds the widow and the fatherless;
    but the way of the wicked he brings to ruin.

10 The Lord will reign for ever,
    thy God, O Zion, to all generations.
Praise the Lord!

Praise for God’s Care for Jerusalem

147 Praise the Lord!
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
    for he is gracious, and a song of praise is seemly.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
    he gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted,
    and binds up their wounds.
He determines the number of the stars,
    he gives to all of them their names.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
    his understanding is beyond measure.
The Lord lifts up the downtrodden,
    he casts the wicked to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
    make melody to our God upon the lyre!
He covers the heavens with clouds,
    he prepares rain for the earth,
    he makes grass grow upon the hills.
He gives to the beasts their food,
    and to the young ravens which cry.
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse,
    nor his pleasure in the legs of a man;
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who hope in his steadfast love.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
    he blesses your sons within you.
14 He makes peace in your borders;
    he fills you with the finest of the wheat.
15 He sends forth his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
    he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
17 He casts forth his ice like morsels;
    who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends forth his word, and melts them;
    he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
    his statutes and ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
    they do not know his ordinances.
Praise the Lord!

Praise for God’s Universal Glory

148 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord from the heavens,
    praise him in the heights!
Praise him, all his angels,
    praise him, all his host!

Praise him, sun and moon,
    praise him, all you shining stars!
Praise him, you highest heavens,
    and you waters above the heavens!

Let them praise the name of the Lord!
    For he commanded and they were created.
And he established them for ever and ever;
    he fixed their bounds which cannot be passed.[a]

Praise the Lord from the earth,
    you sea monsters and all deeps,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
    stormy wind fulfilling his command!

Mountains and all hills,
    fruit trees and all cedars!
10 Beasts and all cattle,
    creeping things and flying birds!

11 Kings of the earth and all peoples,
    princes and all rulers of the earth!
12 Young men and maidens together,
    old men and children!

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his glory is above earth and heaven.
14 He has raised up a horn for his people,
    praise for all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are near to him.
Praise the Lord!

Praise for God’s Goodness to Israel

149 Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord a new song,
    his praise in the assembly of the faithful!
Let Israel be glad in his Maker,
    let the sons of Zion rejoice in their King!
Let them praise his name with dancing,
    making melody to him with timbrel and lyre!
For the Lord takes pleasure in his people;
    he adorns the humble with victory.
Let the faithful exult in glory;
    let them sing for joy on their couches.
Let the high praises of God be in their throats
    and two-edged swords in their hands,
to wreak vengeance on the nations
    and chastisement 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 glory for all his faithful ones.
Praise the Lord!

Praise for God’s Surpassing Greatness

150 Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his sanctuary;
    praise him in his mighty firmament!
Praise him for his mighty deeds;
    praise him according to his exceeding greatness!

Praise him with trumpet sound;
    praise him with lute and harp!
Praise him with timbrel and dance;
    praise him with strings and pipe!
Praise him with sounding cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
Let everything that breathes praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 148:6 Or he set a law which cannot pass away

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the Lord,(A) my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;(B)
    I will sing praise(C) to my God as long as I live.(D)
Do not put your trust in princes,(E)
    in human beings,(F) who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;(G)
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.(H)
Blessed are those(I) whose help(J) is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven(K) and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful(L) forever.
He upholds(M) the cause of the oppressed(N)
    and gives food to the hungry.(O)
The Lord sets prisoners free,(P)
    the Lord gives sight(Q) to the blind,(R)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,(S)
    the Lord loves the righteous.(T)
The Lord watches over the foreigner(U)
    and sustains the fatherless(V) and the widow,(W)
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

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

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.[b]

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

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;(AA)
    he gathers the exiles(AB) of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted(AC)
    and binds up their wounds.(AD)
He determines the number of the stars(AE)
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord(AF) and mighty in power;(AG)
    his understanding has no limit.(AH)
The Lord sustains the humble(AI)
    but casts the wicked(AJ) to the ground.

Sing to the Lord(AK) with grateful praise;(AL)
    make music(AM) to our God on the harp.(AN)

He covers the sky with clouds;(AO)
    he supplies the earth with rain(AP)
    and makes grass grow(AQ) on the hills.
He provides food(AR) for the cattle
    and for the young ravens(AS) when they call.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength(AT) of the horse,(AU)
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights(AV) in those who fear him,(AW)
    who put their hope(AX) in his unfailing love.(AY)

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

13 He strengthens the bars of your gates(BA)
    and blesses your people(BB) within you.
14 He grants peace(BC) to your borders
    and satisfies you(BD) with the finest of wheat.(BE)

15 He sends his command(BF) to the earth;
    his word runs(BG) swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow(BH) like wool
    and scatters the frost(BI) like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail(BJ) like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word(BK) and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes,(BL) and the waters flow.

19 He has revealed his word(BM) to Jacob,(BN)
    his laws and decrees(BO) to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;(BP)
    they do not know(BQ) his laws.[c]

Praise the Lord.(BR)

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.[d](BS)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;(BT)
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;(BU)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.(BV)
Praise him, sun(BW) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens(BX)
    and you waters above the skies.(BY)

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

Praise the Lord(CC) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures(CD) and all ocean depths,(CE)
lightning and hail,(CF) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,(CG)
you mountains and all hills,(CH)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals(CI) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings(CJ) 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,(CK)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor(CL) is above the earth and the heavens.(CM)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[e](CN)
    the praise(CO) of all his faithful servants,(CP)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.(CQ)

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 149

Praise the Lord.[f](CR)

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

Let Israel rejoice(CU) in their Maker;(CV)
    let the people of Zion be glad in their King.(CW)
Let them praise his name with dancing(CX)
    and make music to him with timbrel and harp.(CY)
For the Lord takes delight(CZ) in his people;
    he crowns the humble with victory.(DA)
Let his faithful people rejoice(DB) in this honor
    and sing for joy on their beds.(DC)

May the praise of God be in their mouths(DD)
    and a double-edged(DE) sword in their hands,(DF)
to inflict vengeance(DG) on the nations
    and punishment(DH) on the peoples,
to bind their kings with fetters,(DI)
    their nobles with shackles of iron,(DJ)
to carry out the sentence written against them—(DK)
    this is the glory of all his faithful people.(DL)

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 150

Praise the Lord.[g](DM)

Praise God in his sanctuary;(DN)
    praise him in his mighty heavens.(DO)
Praise him for his acts of power;(DP)
    praise him for his surpassing greatness.(DQ)
Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet,(DR)
    praise him with the harp and lyre,(DS)
praise him with timbrel and dancing,(DT)
    praise him with the strings(DU) and pipe,(DV)
praise him with the clash of cymbals,(DW)
    praise him with resounding cymbals.

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

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 146:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 10
  2. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 20
  3. Psalm 147:20 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint nation; / he has not made his laws known to them
  4. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
  5. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.
  6. Psalm 149:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9
  7. Psalm 150:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 6