Psalm 147
New English Translation
Psalm 147[a]
147 Praise the Lord,
for it is good to sing praises to our God.
Yes,[b] praise is pleasant and appropriate.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem,
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
3 He heals[c] the brokenhearted,
and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the number of the stars;
he names all of them.
5 Our Lord is great and has awesome power;[d]
there is no limit to his wisdom.[e]
6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,
but knocks[f] the wicked to the ground.
7 Offer to the Lord a song of thanks.[g]
Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp.
8 He covers[h] the sky with clouds,
provides the earth with rain,
and causes grass to grow on the hillsides.[i]
9 He gives food to the animals,
and to the young ravens when they chirp.[j]
10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,
nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.[k]
11 The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers,[l]
and in those who wait for his loyal love.
12 Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem.
Praise your God, O Zion.
13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong.
He blesses your children[m] within you.
14 He[n] brings peace to your territory.[o]
He abundantly provides for you[p] the best grain.
15 He[q] sends his command through the earth;[r]
swiftly his order reaches its destination.[s]
16 He sends the snow that is white like wool;
he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.[t]
17 He throws his hailstones[u] like crumbs.
Who can withstand the cold wind he sends?[v]
18 He then orders it all to melt;[w]
he breathes on it,[x] and the water flows.
19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and regulations to Israel.
20 He has not done so with any other nation;
they are not aware of his regulations.
Praise the Lord!
Footnotes
- Psalm 147:1 sn Psalm 147. The psalmist praises the Lord for he is the sovereign ruler of the world who cares for the needs of his covenant people.
- Psalm 147:1 tn Or “for.”
- Psalm 147:3 tn Heb “the one who heals.”
- Psalm 147:5 tn Heb “and great of strength.”
- Psalm 147:5 tn Heb “to his wisdom there is no counting.”
- Psalm 147:6 tn Heb “brings down.”
- Psalm 147:7 tn Heb “sing to the Lord with thanksgiving.”
- Psalm 147:8 tn Heb “the one who covers.”
- Psalm 147:8 tn Heb “hills.”
- Psalm 147:9 tn Heb “which cry out.”
- Psalm 147:10 tn Heb “he does not desire the strength of the horse, he does not take delight in the legs of the man.” Here “the horse” refers to the war horse used by ancient Near Eastern chariot forces, and “the man” refers to the warrior whose muscular legs epitomize his strength.
- Psalm 147:11 tn Heb “those who fear him.”
- Psalm 147:13 tn Heb “your sons.”
- Psalm 147:14 tn Heb “the one who.”
- Psalm 147:14 tn Heb “he makes your boundary peace.”
- Psalm 147:14 tn Heb “satisfies you with.”
- Psalm 147:15 tn Heb “the one who.”
- Psalm 147:15 tn Heb “the one who sends his word, the earth.” The Hebrew term אֶרֶץ (ʾerets, “earth”) is an adverbial accusative; one must supply a preposition before it (such as “through” or “to”) in the English translation.
- Psalm 147:15 tn Heb “swiftly his word runs.”
- Psalm 147:16 tn Heb “the one who gives snow like wool, frost like ashes he scatters.”
- Psalm 147:17 tn Heb “his ice.”
- Psalm 147:17 tn Heb “Before his cold, who can stand?”
- Psalm 147:18 tn Heb “he sends his word and melts them.”
- Psalm 147:18 tn Heb “he blows his breath.”
Psalm 147
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 147
Praise for God’s Care for Jerusalem
1 Praise the Lord!
How good it is to sing praises to our God,
for he is gracious, and a song of praise is fitting.(A)
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem;
he gathers the outcasts of Israel.(B)
3 He heals the brokenhearted
and binds up their wounds.(C)
4 He determines the number of the stars;
he gives to all of them their names.(D)
5 Great is our Lord and abundant in power;
his understanding is beyond measure.(E)
6 The Lord lifts up the downtrodden;
he casts the wicked to the ground.
7 Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
make melody to our God on the lyre.
8 He covers the heavens with clouds,
prepares rain for the earth,
makes grass grow on the hills.(F)
9 He gives to the animals their food
and to the young ravens when they cry.(G)
10 His delight is not in the strength of the horse
nor his pleasure in the speed of a runner,[a](H)
11 but the Lord takes pleasure in those who fear him,
in those who hope in his steadfast love.
12 Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens the bars of your gates;
he blesses your children within you.
14 He grants peace[b] within your borders;
he fills you with the finest of wheat.(I)
15 He sends out his command to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.(J)
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes.(K)
17 He hurls down hail like crumbs—
who can stand before his cold?
18 He sends out his word and melts them;
he makes his wind blow, and the waters flow.(L)
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and ordinances to Israel.(M)
20 He has not dealt thus with any other nation;
they do not know his ordinances.
Praise the Lord!(N)
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