Psalm 112-113

Contemporary English Version

God Blesses His Worshipers

¹Shout praises to the Lord!
    The Lord blesses everyone
who worships him and gladly
    obeys his teachings.
²Their descendants will have
    great power in the land,
because the Lord blesses
    all who do right.
³They will get rich and prosper
and will always be remembered
    for their fairness.
⁴They will be so kind
    and merciful and good,
that they will be a light
in the dark for others
    who do the right thing.

⁵Life will go well for those
who freely lend
    and are honest in business.
⁶They won't ever be troubled,
and the kind things they do
    will never be forgotten.
⁷Bad news won't bother them;
they have decided
    to trust the Lord.
⁸They are dependable
    and not afraid,
and they will live to see
    their enemies defeated.
⁹^(A) They will always be remembered
    and greatly praised,
because they were kind
    and freely gave to the poor.
¹⁰When evil people see this,
they angrily bite their tongues
    and disappear.
They will never get
    what they really want.

The Lord Helps People in Need

¹Shout praises to the Lord!
Everyone who serves him,
come and praise his name.

²Let the name of the Lord
    be praised now and forever.
³From dawn until sunset
the name of the Lord
    deserves to be praised.
⁴The Lord is far above
    all of the nations;
he is more glorious
    than the heavens.

⁵No one can compare
    with the Lord our God.
His throne is high above,
⁶and he looks down to see
    the heavens and the earth.
⁷God lifts the poor and needy
    from dust and ashes,
⁸and he lets them take part
    in ruling his people.
⁹When a wife has no children,
    he blesses her with some,
and she is happy.
    Shout praises to the Lord!