Psalm 133-139
English Standard Version
When Brothers Dwell in Unity
A Song of (A)Ascents. Of David.
133 Behold, how good and pleasant it is
when (B)brothers dwell in unity![a]
2 It is like the precious (C)oil on (D)the head,
running down on the beard,
on the beard of Aaron,
running down on (E)the collar of his robes!
3 It is like (F)the dew of (G)Hermon,
which falls on (H)the mountains of Zion!
For there the Lord (I)has commanded the blessing,
life forevermore.
Come, Bless the Lord
A Song of (J)Ascents.
134 Come, bless the Lord, all you (K)servants of the Lord,
who (L)stand (M)by night in the house of the Lord!
2 (N)Lift up your hands to (O)the holy place
and bless the Lord!
Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever
135 (S)Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
give praise, O (T)servants of the Lord,
2 who (U)stand in the house of the Lord,
in (V)the courts of the house of our God!
3 Praise the Lord, for (W)the Lord is good;
sing to his name, (X)for it is pleasant![b]
4 For the Lord has (Y)chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his (Z)own possession.
5 For I know that (AA)the Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 (AB)Whatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 (AC)He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who (AD)makes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his (AE)storehouses.
8 He it was who (AF)struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and of beast;
9 who in your midst, O Egypt,
sent (AG)signs and wonders
against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 (AH)who struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings,
11 (AI)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and (AJ)Og, king of Bashan,
and (AK)all the kingdoms of Canaan,
12 and (AL)gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
13 (AM)Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
(AN)your renown,[c] O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 (AO)For the Lord will vindicate his people
and (AP)have compassion on his servants.
15 (AQ)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 (AR)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 (AS)from Zion,
he who (AT)dwells in Jerusalem!
(AU)Praise the Lord!
His Steadfast Love Endures Forever
136 (AV)Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
(AW)for his steadfast love endures forever.
2 Give thanks to (AX)the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3 Give thanks to (AY)the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone (AZ)does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5 to him who (BA)by understanding (BB)made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6 to him who (BC)spread out the earth (BD)above the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7 to him who (BE)made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who (BF)struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11 and (BG)brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12 with (BH)a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13 to him who (BI)divided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 (BJ)and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15 but (BK)overthrew[d] Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16 to him who (BL)led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him (BM)who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18 and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20 and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21 and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22 a heritage to Israel his (BN)servant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who (BO)remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24 and (BP)rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25 he who (BQ)gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to (BR)the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?
137 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
2 On the willows[e] there
we hung up our lyres.
3 For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 (BS)How shall we sing the Lord's song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
(BT)let my right hand forget its skill!
6 Let my (BU)tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy!
7 Remember, O Lord, against the (BV)Edomites
(BW)the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, (BX)“Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!”
8 O daughter of Babylon, (BY)doomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who (BZ)repays you
with what you have done to us!
9 Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and (CA)dashes them against the rock!
Give Thanks to the Lord
Of David.
138 (CB)I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before (CC)the gods I sing your praise;
2 I bow down (CD)toward your (CE)holy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word.[f]
3 On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased.[g]
4 (CF)All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5 and they shall sing of (CG)the ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 (CH)For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 (CI)Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
you (CJ)preserve my life;
you (CK)stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your (CL)right hand delivers me.
8 The Lord will (CM)fulfill his purpose for me;
(CN)your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake (CO)the work of your hands.
Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.
139 O Lord, you have (CP)searched me and known me!
2 You (CQ)know when I sit down and when I rise up;
you (CR)discern my thoughts from afar.
3 You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, (CS)you know it altogether.
5 You (CT)hem me in, behind and before,
and (CU)lay your hand upon me.
6 (CV)Such knowledge is (CW)too wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 (CX)Where shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where (CY)shall I flee from your presence?
8 (CZ)If I ascend to heaven, you are there!
(DA)If I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9 If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10 even there your hand shall (DB)lead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11 If I say, (DC)“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 (DD)even the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you (DE)formed my inward parts;
you (DF)knitted me together in my mother's womb.
14 I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.[h]
(DG)Wonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 (DH)My frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in (DI)the depths of the earth.
16 Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your (DJ)book were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your (DK)thoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 (DL)If I would count them, they are more than (DM)the sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would (DN)slay the wicked, O God!
O (DO)men of blood, (DP)depart from me!
20 They (DQ)speak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies (DR)take your name in vain.[i]
21 (DS)Do I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not (DT)loathe those who (DU)rise up against you?
22 I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
(DV)Try me and know my thoughts![j]
24 And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and (DW)lead me in (DX)the way everlasting![k]
Footnotes
- Psalm 133:1 Or dwell together
- Psalm 135:3 Or for he is beautiful
- Psalm 135:13 Or remembrance
- Psalm 136:15 Hebrew shook off
- Psalm 137:2 Or poplars
- Psalm 138:2 Or you have exalted your word above all your name
- Psalm 138:3 Hebrew you made me bold in my soul with strength
- Psalm 139:14 Or for I am fearfully set apart
- Psalm 139:20 Hebrew lacks your name
- Psalm 139:23 Or cares
- Psalm 139:24 Or in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
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