135:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord!
Offer praise, you servants of the Lord,
135:2 who serve 2 in the Lord’s temple,
in the courts of the temple of our God.
135:3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good!
Sing praises to his name, for it is pleasant! 3
135:4 Indeed, 4 the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel to be his special possession. 5
135:5 Yes, 6 I know the Lord is great,
and our Lord is superior to all gods.
135:6 He does whatever he pleases
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the ocean depths.
135:7 He causes the clouds to arise from the end of the earth,
makes lightning bolts accompany the rain,
and brings the wind out of his storehouses.
135:8 He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
including both men and animals.
135:9 He performed awesome deeds 7 and acts of judgment 8
in your midst, O Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
1 sn Psalm 135. The psalmist urges God’s people to praise him because he is the incomparable God and ruler of the world who has accomplished great things for Israel.
2 tn Heb “stand.”
3 tn Heb “for [it is] pleasant.” The translation assumes that it is the
4 tn Or “for.”
5 sn His special possession. The language echoes Exod 19:5; Deut 7:6; 14:2; 26:18. See also Mal 3:17.
6 tn Or “for.”
7 tn Or “signs” (see Ps 65:8).
8 tn Or “portents”; “omens” (see Ps 71:7). The Egyptian plagues are alluded to here.