Psalms 146:1--150:6

Psalm 146

146:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, O my soul!

146:2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live!

I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist!

146:3 Do not trust in princes,

or in human beings, who cannot deliver!

146:4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground;

on that day their plans die.

146:5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the Lord his God,

146:6 the one who made heaven and earth,

the sea, and all that is in them,

who remains forever faithful,

146:7 vindicates the oppressed,

and gives food to the hungry.

The Lord releases the imprisoned.

146:8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.

The Lord lifts up all who are bent over.

The Lord loves the godly.

146:9 The Lord protects those residing outside their native land;

he lifts up the fatherless and the widow,

but he opposes the wicked.

146:10 The Lord rules forever,

your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come!

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 147

147:1 Praise the Lord,

for it is good to sing praises to our God!

Yes, praise is pleasant and appropriate!

147:2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem,

and gathers the exiles of Israel.

147:3 He heals the brokenhearted,

and bandages their wounds.

147:4 He counts the number of the stars;

he names all of them.

147:5 Our Lord is great and has awesome power;

there is no limit to his wisdom.

147:6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,

but knocks the wicked to the ground.

147:7 Offer to the Lord a song of thanks!

Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp!

147:8 He covers the sky with clouds,

provides the earth with rain,

and causes grass to grow on the hillsides.

147:9 He gives food to the animals,

and to the young ravens when they chirp.

147:10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,

nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.

147:11 The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers,

and in those who wait for his loyal love.

147:12 Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

147:13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong.

He blesses your children within you.

147:14 He brings peace to your territory.

He abundantly provides for you the best grain.

147:15 He sends his command through the earth;

swiftly his order reaches its destination.

147:16 He sends the snow that is white like wool;

he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.

147:17 He throws his hailstones like crumbs.

Who can withstand the cold wind he sends?

147:18 He then orders it all to melt;

he breathes on it, and the water flows.

147:19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,

his statutes and regulations to Israel.

147:20 He has not done so with any other nation;

they are not aware of his regulations.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 148

148:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord from the sky!

Praise him in the heavens!

148:2 Praise him, all his angels!

Praise him, all his heavenly assembly!

148:3 Praise him, O sun and moon!

Praise him, all you shiny stars!

148:4 Praise him, O highest heaven,

and you waters above the sky!

148:5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for he gave the command and they came into existence.

148:6 He established them so they would endure;

he issued a decree that will not be revoked.

148:7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

you sea creatures and all you ocean depths,

148:8 O fire and hail, snow and clouds,

O stormy wind that carries out his orders,

148:9 you mountains and all you hills,

you fruit trees and all you cedars,

148:10 you animals and all you cattle,

you creeping things and birds,

148:11 you kings of the earth and all you nations,

you princes and all you leaders on the earth,

148:12 you young men and young women,

you elderly, along with you children!

148:13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

for his name alone is exalted;

his majesty extends over the earth and sky.

148:14 He has made his people victorious,

and given all his loyal followers reason to praise –

the Israelites, the people who are close to him.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 149

149:1 Praise the Lord!

Sing to the Lord a new song!

Praise him in the assembly of the godly!

149:2 Let Israel rejoice in their Creator!

Let the people of Zion delight in their king!

149:3 Let them praise his name with dancing!

Let them sing praises to him to the accompaniment of the tambourine and harp!

149:4 For the Lord takes delight in his people;

he exalts the oppressed by delivering them.

149:5 Let the godly rejoice because of their vindication!

Let them shout for joy upon their beds!

149:6 May they praise God

while they hold a two-edged sword in their hand,

149:7 in order to take revenge on the nations,

and punish foreigners.

149:8 They bind their kings in chains,

and their nobles in iron shackles,

149:9 and execute the judgment to which their enemies have been sentenced.

All his loyal followers will be vindicated.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 150

150:1 Praise the Lord!

Praise God in his sanctuary!

Praise him in the sky, which testifies to his strength!

150:2 Praise him for his mighty acts!

Praise him for his surpassing greatness!

150:3 Praise him with the blast of the horn!

Praise him with the lyre and the harp!

150:4 Praise him with the tambourine and with dancing!

Praise him with stringed instruments and the flute!

150:5 Praise him with loud cymbals!

Praise him with clanging cymbals!

150:6 Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord!