Add parallel Print Page Options

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord!

How good to sing praises to our God!
    How delightful and how fitting!
The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem
    and bringing the exiles back to Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted
    and bandages their wounds.
He counts the stars
    and calls them all by name.
How great is our Lord! His power is absolute!
    His understanding is beyond comprehension!
The Lord supports the humble,
    but he brings the wicked down into the dust.

Sing out your thanks to the Lord;
    sing praises to our God with a harp.
He covers the heavens with clouds,
    provides rain for the earth,
    and makes the grass grow in mountain pastures.
He gives food to the wild animals
    and feeds the young ravens when they cry.
10 He takes no pleasure in the strength of a horse
    or in human might.
11 No, the Lord’s delight is in those who fear him,
    those who put their hope in his unfailing love.

12 Glorify the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he has strengthened the bars of your gates
    and blessed your children within your walls.
14 He sends peace across your nation
    and satisfies your hunger with the finest wheat.
15 He sends his orders to the world—
    how swiftly his word flies!
16 He sends the snow like white wool;
    he scatters frost upon the ground like ashes.
17 He hurls the hail like stones.[a]
    Who can stand against his freezing cold?
18 Then, at his command, it all melts.
    He sends his winds, and the ice thaws.
19 He has revealed his words to Jacob,
    his decrees and regulations to Israel.
20 He has not done this for any other nation;
    they do not know his regulations.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. 147:17 Hebrew like bread crumbs.

Praise to Yahweh for His Providence

147 Praise Yah.[a]
For it is good to sing praises to our God;
for it is pleasant; praise is fitting.
Yahweh is building Jerusalem;
he gathers the scattered ones of Israel.
He is the one who heals the brokenhearted,
and binds up their wounds.
He counts the number of the stars;
he gives names to all of them.
Great is our Lord, and abundant in power;
his understanding is unlimited.
Yahweh helps the afflicted up;
he brings the wicked down to the ground.
Sing to Yahweh with thanksgiving;
sing praises to our God with lyre,
who covers the heavens with clouds,
who provides rain for the earth,
who causes grass to grow on the mountains.
He gives to the animal its food,
and to the young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
he takes no pleasure in the legs of the man.
11 Yahweh takes pleasure in those who fear him,
the ones who hope[b] for his loyal love.
12 Laud Yahweh, O Jerusalem;
praise your God, O Zion,
13 for he strengthens the bars of your gates.
He blesses your children within you;
14 he makes your border peaceful;
he satisfies you with the finest of wheat.[c]
15 He sends out his command[d] to the earth;
his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives snow like wool;
he scatters frost like ashes;
17 he throws his hail like crumbs.
Who can stand before his cold?[e]
18 He sends out his word and melts them;
he blows his breath, the water flows.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
20 He has not done so for any nation,
and they do not know his ordinances.
Praise Yah.[f]

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew hallelujah; here and v. 20
  2. Psalm 147:11 That is, “wait expectantly”
  3. Psalm 147:14 Literally “the fat of the wheat”
  4. Psalm 147:15 Or “utterance”
  5. Psalm 147:17 With slight alteration of the Hebrew, the line might read “before his cold water stands”
  6. Psalm 147:20 Hebrew hallelujah