Psalms 112:1--114:8

Psalm 112

112:1 Praise the Lord!

How blessed is the one who obeys the Lord,

who takes great delight in keeping his commands.

112:2 His descendants will be powerful on the earth;

the godly will be blessed.

112:3 His house contains wealth and riches;

his integrity endures.

112:4 In the darkness a light shines for the godly,

for each one who is merciful, compassionate, and just.

112:5 It goes well for the one who generously lends money,

and conducts his business honestly.

112:6 For he will never be upended;

others will always remember one who is just.

112:7 He does not fear bad news.

He is confident; he trusts in the Lord.

112:8 His resolve is firm; he will not succumb to fear

before he looks in triumph on his enemies.

112:9 He generously gives to the needy;

his integrity endures.

He will be vindicated and honored.

112:10 When the wicked see this, they will worry;

they will grind their teeth in frustration and melt away;

the desire of the wicked will perish.

Psalm 113

113:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise, you servants of the Lord,

praise the name of the Lord!

113:2 May the Lord’s name be praised

now and forevermore!

113:3 From east to west

the Lord’s name is deserving of praise.

113:4 The Lord is exalted over all the nations;

his splendor reaches beyond the sky.

113:5 Who can compare to the Lord our God,

who sits on a high throne?

113:6 He bends down to look

at the sky and the earth.

113:7 He raises the poor from the dirt,

and lifts up the needy from the garbage pile,

113:8 that he might seat him with princes,

with the princes of his people.

113:9 He makes the barren woman of the family

a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 114

114:1 When Israel left Egypt,

when the family of Jacob left a foreign nation behind,

114:2 Judah became his sanctuary,

Israel his kingdom.

114:3 The sea looked and fled;

the Jordan River turned back.

114:4 The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs.

114:5 Why do you flee, O sea?

Why do you turn back, O Jordan River?

114:6 Why do you skip like rams, O mountains,

like lambs, O hills?

114:7 Tremble, O earth, before the Lord –

before the God of Jacob,

114:8 who turned a rock into a pool of water,

a hard rock into springs of water!