Psalm 134-137
New Revised Standard Version Updated Edition
Psalm 134
Praise in the Night
A Song of Ascents.
1 Come, bless the Lord, all you servants of the Lord,
who stand by night in the house of the Lord!(A)
2 Lift up your hands to the holy place,
and bless the Lord.(B)
3 May the Lord, maker of heaven and earth,
bless you from Zion.
Psalm 135
Praise for God’s Goodness and Might
1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord;
give praise, O servants of the Lord,
2 you who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God.(C)
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
sing to his name, for he is gracious.(D)
4 For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his own possession.(E)
5 For I know that the Lord is great;
our Lord is above all gods.(F)
6 Whatever the Lord pleases he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.(G)
7 He it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth;
he makes lightnings for the rain
and brings out the wind from his storehouses.(H)
8 He it was who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both humans and animals;(I)
9 he sent signs and wonders
into your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.(J)
10 He struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings—(K)
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
and all the kingdoms of Canaan—(L)
12 and gave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.(M)
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
your renown, O Lord, throughout all ages.(N)
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people
and have compassion on his servants.(O)
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.(P)
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,
a nose, but there is no breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make them
and all who trust them
shall become like them.
19 O house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!(Q)
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!(R)
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
he who resides in Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord!(S)
Psalm 136
God’s Work in Creation and in History
1 O give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
for his steadfast love endures forever.(T)
2 O give thanks to the God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.(U)
3 O give thanks to the Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 who alone does great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(V)
5 who by understanding made the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(W)
6 who spread out the earth on the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(X)
7 who made the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(Y)
8 the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(Z)
9 the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 who struck Egypt through their firstborn,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AA)
11 and brought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AB)
12 with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AC)
13 who divided the Red Sea[a] in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AD)
14 and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AE)
15 but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea,[b]
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AF)
16 who led his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AG)
who made water flow from the rock,
for his steadfast love endures forever;[c]
17 who struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AH)
18 and killed famous 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;(AI)
22 a heritage to his servant Israel,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who remembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AJ)
24 and rescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;(AK)
25 who gives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.(AL)
26 O give thanks to the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
Psalm 137
Lament over the Destruction of Jerusalem
1 By the rivers of Babylon—
there we sat down, and there we wept
when we remembered Zion.(AM)
2 On the willows[d] there
we hung up our harps.
3 For there our captors
asked us for songs,
and our tormentors asked for mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”(AN)
4 How could we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?
5 If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
let my right hand wither!
6 Let my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy.(AO)
7 Remember, O Lord, against the Edomites
the day of Jerusalem’s fall,
how they said, “Tear it down! Tear it down!
Down to its foundations!”(AP)
8 O daughter Babylon, you devastator![e]
Happy shall they be who pay you back
what you have done to us!(AQ)
9 Happy shall they be who take your little ones
and dash them against the rock!(AR)
New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.