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Psalm 135
New English Translation

Psalm 135[a]

135 Praise the Lord.
Praise the name of the Lord.
Offer praise, you servants of the Lord,
2 who serve[b] in the Lord’s temple,
in the courts of the temple of our God.
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good.
Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant.[c]
4 Indeed,[d] the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel to be his special possession.[e]
5 Yes,[f] I know the Lord is great,
and our Lord is superior to all gods.
6 He does whatever he pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the ocean depths.
7 He causes the clouds to arise from the end of the earth,
makes lightning bolts accompany the rain,
and brings the wind out of his storehouses.
8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
including both men and animals.
9 He performed awesome deeds[g] and acts of judgment[h]
in your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 He defeated many nations,
and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan.
12 He gave their land as an inheritance,
as an inheritance to Israel his people.
13 O Lord, your name endures,[i]
your reputation, O Lord, lasts.[j]
14 For the Lord vindicates[k] his people,
and has compassion on his servants.[l]
15 The nations’ idols are made of silver and gold;
they are man-made.[m]
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,
eyes, but cannot see,
17 and ears, but cannot hear.
Indeed, they cannot breathe.[n]
18 Those who make them will end up[o] like them,
as will everyone who trusts in them.
19 O family[p] of Israel, praise the Lord.
O family of Aaron, praise the Lord.
20 O family of Levi, praise the Lord.
You loyal followers[q] of the Lord, praise the Lord.
21 The Lord deserves praise in Zion[r]—
he who dwells in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 135:1 sn Psalm 135. The psalmist urges God’s people to praise him because he is the incomparable God and ruler of the world who has accomplished great things for Israel.
  2. Psalm 135:2 tn Heb “stand.”
  3. Psalm 135:3 tn Heb “for [it is] pleasant.” The translation assumes that it is the Lord’s “name” that is pleasant. Another option is to understand the referent of “it” as the act of praising (see Ps 147:1).
  4. Psalm 135:4 tn Or “for.”
  5. Psalm 135:4 sn His special possession. The language echoes Exod 19:5; Deut 7:6; 14:2; 26:18. See also Mal 3:17.
  6. Psalm 135:5 tn Or “for.”
  7. Psalm 135:9 tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).
  8. Psalm 135:9 tn Or “portents”; “omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are alluded to here.
  9. Psalm 135:13 tn Or “is forever.”
  10. Psalm 135:13 tn Heb “O Lord, your remembrance [is] for a generation and a generation.” See Ps 102:12.
  11. Psalm 135:14 tn Heb “judges,” but here the idea is that the Lord “judges on behalf of” his people. The imperfect verbal forms here and in the next line draw attention to the Lord’s characteristic actions.
  12. Psalm 135:14 sn Verse 14 echoes Deut 32:36, where Moses affirms that God mercifully relents from fully judging his wayward people.
  13. Psalm 135:15 tn Heb “the work of the hands of man.”
  14. Psalm 135:17 tn Heb “indeed, there is not breath in their mouth.” For the collocation אַף אֵין (ʾaf ʾen, “indeed, there is not”) see Isa 41:26. Another option is to take אַף as “nose” (see Ps 115:6), in which case one might translate, “a nose, [but] they have no breath in their mouths.”
  15. Psalm 135:18 tn Heb “will be.” Another option is to take the prefixed verbal form as a prayer, “may those who make them end up like them.” sn Because the idols are lifeless, they cannot help their worshipers in times of crisis. Consequently the worshipers end up as dead as the gods in which they trust.
  16. Psalm 135:19 tn Heb “house” (here and in the next two lines).
  17. Psalm 135:20 tn Heb “fearers.”
  18. Psalm 135:21 tn Heb “praised be the Lord from Zion.”
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Psalm 135
New American Standard Bible

Praise the Lord’s Wonderful Works. Futility of Idols.

135 [a](A)Praise [b]the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, you (B)servants of the Lord,
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the (C)courtyards of the house of our God!
3 [c]Praise [d]the Lord, for (D)the Lord is good;
(E)Sing praises to His name, (F)for it is lovely.
4 For [e]the Lord has (G)chosen Jacob for Himself,
Israel as His (H)own possession.

5 For I know that (I)the Lord is great
And that our Lord is (J)above all gods.
6 (K)Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In heaven and on earth, in the seas and in all the ocean depths.
7 [f]He (L)causes the [g]mist to ascend from the ends of the earth,
[h]He (M)makes lightning for the rain;
[i]He (N)brings forth the wind from His treasuries.

8 [j]He (O)struck the firstborn of Egypt,
[k]Both human firstborn and animal.
9 [l]He sent (P)signs and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
Upon (Q)Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 [m](R)He (S)struck many nations
And brought death to mighty kings,
11 (T)Sihon, king of the Amorites,
(U)Og, king of Bashan,
And (V)all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He (W)gave their land as an inheritance,
An inheritance to His people Israel.
13 Your (X)name, Lord, is everlasting,
The mention of You, Lord, is [n]throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will (Y)judge His people
And (Z)will have compassion on His servants.
15 The (AA)idols of the nations are nothing but silver and gold,
The work of human hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath at all in their mouths.
18 Those who make them will become like them,
Yes, everyone who trusts in them.

19 House of (AB)Israel, bless the Lord;
House of Aaron, bless the Lord;
20 House of Levi, bless the Lord;
You (AC)who [o]revere the Lord, bless the Lord.
21 Blessed be the Lord (AD)from Zion,
Who (AE)dwells in Jerusalem.
[p]Praise [q]the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 135:1 Or Hallelujah!
  2. Psalm 135:1 Heb Yah
  3. Psalm 135:3 Or Hallelujah!
  4. Psalm 135:3 Heb Yah
  5. Psalm 135:4 Heb Yah
  6. Psalm 135:7 Lit The one who
  7. Psalm 135:7 I.e., clouds
  8. Psalm 135:7 Lit The one who
  9. Psalm 135:7 Lit The one who
  10. Psalm 135:8 Lit The one who
  11. Psalm 135:8 Lit From man to animal
  12. Psalm 135:9 Lit The one who
  13. Psalm 135:10 Lit The one who
  14. Psalm 135:13 Lit to
  15. Psalm 135:20 Lit fear
  16. Psalm 135:21 Or Hallelujah!
  17. Psalm 135:21 Heb Yah
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