Psalm 148-150

English Standard Version

Praise the Name of the Lord

148 ^(A)Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord ^(B)from the heavens;
praise him ^(C)in the heights!
²Praise him, all his angels;
praise him, all his ^(D)hosts!

³Praise him, sun and moon,
praise him, all you shining stars!
⁴Praise him, you ^(E)highest heavens,
and you ^(F)waters above the heavens!

⁵^(G)Let them praise the name of the Lord!
For ^(H)he commanded and they were created.
⁶And he ^(I)established them forever and ever;
he gave ^(J)a decree, and it shall not ^(K)pass away.^[a]

⁷Praise the Lord ^(L)from the earth,
you ^(M)great sea creatures and all deeps,
⁸^(N)fire and hail, ^(O)snow and mist,
^(P)stormy wind ^(Q)fulfilling his word!

⁹^(R)Mountains and all hills,
^(S)fruit trees and all ^(T)cedars!
¹⁰^(U)Beasts and all livestock,
creeping things and ^(V)flying birds!

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

¹³^(X)Let them praise the name of the Lord,
    for ^(Y)his name alone is exalted;
    ^(Z)his majesty is above earth and heaven.
¹⁴He has ^(AA)raised up a horn for his people,
    ^(AB)praise for all his saints,
    for the people of Israel who are ^(AC)near to him.
^(AD)Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a New Song

149 ^(AE)Praise the Lord!
Sing to the Lord ^(AF)a new song,
    his praise in ^(AG)the assembly of the godly!
²Let Israel ^(AH)be glad in ^(AI)his Maker;
    let the children of Zion rejoice in their ^(AJ)King!
³Let them praise his name with ^(AK)dancing,
    making melody to him with ^(AL)tambourine and ^(AM)lyre!
⁴For the Lord ^(AN)takes pleasure in his people;
    he ^(AO)adorns the humble with salvation.
⁵Let the godly exult in glory;
    let them ^(AP)sing for joy on their ^(AQ)beds.
⁶Let ^(AR)the high praises of God be in their throats
    and ^(AS)two-edged swords in their hands,
⁷to execute vengeance on the nations
    and punishments on the peoples,
⁸to bind their kings with ^(AT)chains
    and their nobles with fetters of iron,
⁹to execute on them the judgment ^(AU)written!
    ^(AV)This is honor for all his godly ones.
^(AW)Praise the Lord!

Let Everything Praise the Lord

150 ^(AX)Praise the Lord!
Praise God in his ^(AY)sanctuary;
praise him in ^(AZ)his mighty heavens!^[b]
²Praise him for his ^(BA)mighty deeds;
praise him according to his excellent ^(BB)greatness!

³Praise him with ^(BC)trumpet sound;
    praise him with ^(BD)lute and ^(BE)harp!
⁴Praise him with ^(BF)tambourine and ^(BG)dance;
    praise him with ^(BH)strings and ^(BI)pipe!
⁵Praise him with sounding ^(BJ)cymbals;
    praise him with loud clashing cymbals!
⁶Let ^(BK)everything that has breath praise the Lord!
^(BL)Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

Psalm 148:6 Or it shall not be transgressed
Psalm 150:1 Hebrew expanse (compare Genesis 1:6–8)

James 3

English Standard Version

Taming the Tongue

3 ^(A)Not many of you should become teachers, my brothers, for you know that we who teach will be judged with greater strictness. ²For ^(B)we all stumble in many ways. And if anyone does not stumble in what he says, ^(C)he is a perfect man, ^(D)able also to bridle his whole body. ³If we put ^(E)bits into the mouths of horses so that they obey us, we guide their whole bodies as well. ⁴Look at the ships also: though they are so large and are driven by strong winds, they are guided by a very small rudder wherever the will of the pilot directs. ⁵So also the tongue is a small member, yet ^(F)it boasts of great things.

How great a forest is set ablaze by such a small fire! ⁶And ^(G)the tongue is a fire, a world of unrighteousness. The tongue is set among our members, ^(H)staining the whole body, setting on fire the entire course of life,^[a] and set on fire by hell.^[b] ⁷For every kind of beast and bird, of reptile and sea creature, can be tamed and has been tamed by mankind, ⁸but no human being can tame the tongue. It is a restless evil, ^(I)full of deadly poison. ⁹With it we bless our Lord and Father, and with it we curse people ^(J)who are made in the likeness of God. ¹⁰From the same mouth come blessing and cursing. My brothers,^[c] these things ought not to be so. ¹¹Does a spring pour forth from the same opening both fresh and salt water? ¹²Can a fig tree, my brothers, bear olives, or a grapevine produce figs? Neither can a salt pond yield fresh water.

Wisdom from Above

¹³Who is wise and understanding among you? ^(K)By his good conduct let him show his works ^(L)in the meekness of wisdom. ¹⁴But if you have bitter ^(M)jealousy and selfish ambition in your hearts, do not boast and be false to the truth. ¹⁵This is not ^(N)the wisdom that comes down from above, but is earthly, unspiritual, ^(O)demonic. ¹⁶For where jealousy and selfish ambition exist, there will be disorder and every vile practice. ¹⁷But ^(P)the wisdom from above is first pure, then ^(Q)peaceable, gentle, open to reason, ^(R)full of mercy and good fruits, ^(S)impartial and ^(T)sincere. ¹⁸And ^(U)a harvest of righteousness ^(V)is sown in peace by those who make peace.