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Psalm 113-118
Contemporary English Version

The Lord Helps People in Need

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

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

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

The Lord Works Wonders

1 (A) God brought his people
out of Egypt, that land
    with a strange language.
2 He made Judah his holy place
    and ruled over Israel.

3 (B) When the sea looked at God,
    it ran away,
and the Jordan River
    flowed upstream.
4 The mountains and the hills
    skipped around like goats.

5 Ask the sea why it ran away
or ask the Jordan
    why it flowed upstream.
6 Ask the mountains and the hills
    why they skipped like goats!

7 Earth, you will tremble,
when the Lord God of Jacob
    comes near,
8 (C) because he turns solid rock
into flowing streams
    and pools of water.

The Lord Deserves To Be Praised

1 We don't deserve praise!
The Lord alone deserves
    all of the praise,
because of his love
    and faithfulness.
2 (D) Why should the nations ask,
    “Where is your God?”

3 Our God is in the heavens,
    doing as he chooses.
4 (E) The idols of the nations
    are made of silver and gold.
5 They have a mouth and eyes,
    but they can't speak or see.
6 Their ears can't hear,
    and their noses can't smell.
7 Their hands have no feeling,
their legs don't move,
    and they can't make a sound.
8 Everyone who made the idols
    and all who trust them
are just as helpless
    as those useless gods.

9 People of Israel,
you must trust the Lord
    to help and protect you.
10 Family of Aaron the priest,
you must trust the Lord
    to help and protect you.
11 All of you worship the Lord,
so you must trust him
    to help and protect you.

12 The Lord will not forget
    to give us his blessing;
he will bless all of Israel
    and the family of Aaron.
13 (F) All who worship the Lord,
no matter who they are,
    will receive his blessing.

14 I pray that the Lord
    will let your family
and your descendants
    always grow strong.
15 May the Lord who created
the heavens and the earth
    give you his blessing.

16 The Lord has kept the heavens
    for himself,
but he has given the earth
    to us humans.
17 The dead are silent
    and cannot praise the Lord,
18 but we will praise him
now and forevermore.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

When the Lord Saves You from Death

1 I love you, Lord!
    You answered my prayers.
2 You paid attention to me,
and so I will pray to you
    as long as I live.
3 Death attacked from all sides,
and I was captured
    by its painful chains.
But when I was really hurting,
4 I prayed and said, “Lord,
    please don't let me die!”

5 You are kind, Lord,
    so good and merciful.
6 You protect ordinary people,
and when I was helpless,
    you saved me
7 and treated me so kindly
that I don't need
    to worry anymore.

8 You, Lord, have saved
    my life from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling.
9 Now I will walk at your side
    in this land of the living.
10 (G) I was faithful to you
    when I was suffering,
11 though in my confusion I said,
    “I can't trust anyone!”

12 What must I give you, Lord,
    for being so good to me?
13 I will pour out an offering
    of wine to you,
and I will pray in your name
because you
    have saved me.
14 I will keep my promise to you
    when your people meet.
15 You are deeply concerned
when one of your loyal people
    faces death.

16 I worship you, Lord,
    just as my mother did,
and you have rescued me
    from the chains of death.
17 I will offer you a sacrifice
to show how grateful I am,
    and I will pray.
18 I will keep my promise to you
    when your people
19 gather at your temple
in Jerusalem.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

Come Praise the Lord

1 (H) All of you nations,
come praise the Lord!
    Let everyone praise him.
2 God's love for us is wonderful;
his faithfulness never ends.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

The Lord Is Always Merciful

1 (I) Tell the Lord
    how thankful you are,
because he is kind
    and always merciful.

2 Let Israel shout,
    “God is always merciful!”
3 Let the family of Aaron
the priest shout,
    “God is always merciful!”
4 Let every true worshiper
of the Lord shout,
    “God is always merciful!”

5 When I was really hurting,
    I prayed to the Lord.
He answered my prayer,
    and took my worries away.
6 (J) The Lord is on my side,
and I am not afraid
    of what others can do to me.
7 With the Lord on my side,
I will defeat
    my hateful enemies.
8 It is better to trust the Lord
    for protection
than to trust anyone else,
9     including strong leaders.

10 Nations surrounded me,
but I got rid of them
    by the power of the Lord.
11 They attacked from all sides,
but I got rid of them
    by the power of the Lord.
12 They swarmed around like bees,
but by the power of the Lord,
    I got rid of them
    and their fiery sting.
13 Their attacks were so fierce
that I nearly fell,
    but the Lord helped me.
14 (K) My power and my strength
come from the Lord,
    and he has saved me.

15 From the tents of God's people
come shouts of victory:
    “The Lord is powerful!
16 With his mighty arm
the Lord wins victories!
    The Lord is powerful!”

17 And so my life is safe,
and I will live to tell
    what the Lord has done.
18 He punished me terribly,
but he did not let death
    lay its hands on me.

19 Open the gates of justice!
I will enter and tell the Lord
    how thankful I am.

20 Here is the gate of the Lord!
Everyone who does right
    may enter this gate.

21 I praise the Lord
for answering my prayers
    and saving me.
22 (L)(M) The stone that the builders
    tossed aside
has now become
    the most important stone.

23 The Lord has done this,
    and it is amazing to us.
24 This day belongs to the Lord!
Let's celebrate
    and be glad today.
25 (N) We'll ask the Lord to save us!
We'll sincerely ask the Lord
    to let us win.

26 (O) God bless the one who comes
    in the name of the Lord!
We praise you from here
    in the house of the Lord.

27 The Lord is our God,
    and he has given us light!
Start the celebration!
March with palm branches
    all the way to the altar.[a]

28 The Lord is my God!
I will praise him and tell him
    how thankful I am.

29 Tell the Lord
    how thankful you are,
because he is kind
    and always merciful.

Footnotes

  1. 118.27 Start … altar: One possible meaning for the difficult Hebrew text.
Listen to Psalm 113-118
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Psalm 113-118
New International Version

Psalm 113

1 Praise the Lord.[a](A)

Praise the Lord, you his servants;(B)
    praise the name of the Lord.
2 Let the name of the Lord be praised,(C)
    both now and forevermore.(D)
3 From the rising of the sun(E) to the place where it sets,
    the name of the Lord is to be praised.

4 The Lord is exalted(F) over all the nations,
    his glory above the heavens.(G)
5 Who is like the Lord our God,(H)
    the One who sits enthroned(I) on high,(J)
6 who stoops down to look(K)
    on the heavens and the earth?

7 He raises the poor(L) from the dust
    and lifts the needy(M) from the ash heap;
8 he seats them(N) with princes,
    with the princes of his people.
9 He settles the childless(O) woman in her home
    as a happy mother of children.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 114

1 When Israel came out of Egypt,(P)
    Jacob from a people of foreign tongue,
2 Judah(Q) became God’s sanctuary,(R)
    Israel his dominion.

3 The sea looked and fled,(S)
    the Jordan turned back;(T)
4 the mountains leaped(U) like rams,
    the hills like lambs.

5 Why was it, sea, that you fled?(V)
    Why, Jordan, did you turn back?
6 Why, mountains, did you leap like rams,
    you hills, like lambs?

7 Tremble, earth,(W) at the presence of the Lord,
    at the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 who turned the rock into a pool,
    the hard rock into springs of water.(X)

Psalm 115(Y)

1 Not to us, Lord, not to us
    but to your name be the glory,(Z)
    because of your love and faithfulness.(AA)

2 Why do the nations say,
    “Where is their God?”(AB)
3 Our God is in heaven;(AC)
    he does whatever pleases him.(AD)
4 But their idols are silver and gold,(AE)
    made by human hands.(AF)
5 They have mouths, but cannot speak,(AG)
    eyes, but cannot see.
6 They have ears, but cannot hear,
    noses, but cannot smell.
7 They have hands, but cannot feel,
    feet, but cannot walk,
    nor can they utter a sound with their throats.
8 Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

9 All you Israelites, trust(AH) in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
10 House of Aaron,(AI) trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.
11 You who fear him,(AJ) trust in the Lord—
    he is their help and shield.

12 The Lord remembers(AK) us and will bless us:(AL)
    He will bless his people Israel,
    he will bless the house of Aaron,
13 he will bless those who fear(AM) the Lord—
    small and great alike.

14 May the Lord cause you to flourish,(AN)
    both you and your children.
15 May you be blessed by the Lord,
    the Maker of heaven(AO) and earth.

16 The highest heavens belong to the Lord,(AP)
    but the earth he has given(AQ) to mankind.
17 It is not the dead(AR) who praise the Lord,
    those who go down to the place of silence;
18 it is we who extol the Lord,(AS)
    both now and forevermore.(AT)

Praise the Lord.[b](AU)

Psalm 116

1 I love the Lord,(AV) for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry(AW) for mercy.(AX)
2 Because he turned his ear(AY) to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The cords of death(AZ) entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name(BA) of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!(BB)”

5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;(BC)
    our God is full of compassion.(BD)
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low,(BE) he saved me.(BF)

7 Return to your rest,(BG) my soul,
    for the Lord has been good(BH) to you.

8 For you, Lord, have delivered me(BI) from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the Lord(BJ)
    in the land of the living.(BK)

10 I trusted(BL) in the Lord when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;(BM)
11 in my alarm I said,
    “Everyone is a liar.”(BN)

12 What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness(BO) to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name(BP) of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows(BQ) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight(BR) of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.(BS)
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;(BT)
    I serve you just as my mother did;(BU)
    you have freed me from my chains.(BV)

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering(BW) to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows(BX) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts(BY) of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.(BZ)

Praise the Lord.[c]

Psalm 117

1 Praise the Lord,(CA) all you nations;(CB)
    extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love(CC) toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord(CD) endures forever.

Praise the Lord.[d]

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the Lord,(CE) for he is good;(CF)
    his love endures forever.(CG)

2 Let Israel say:(CH)
    “His love endures forever.”(CI)
3 Let the house of Aaron say:(CJ)
    “His love endures forever.”
4 Let those who fear the Lord(CK) say:
    “His love endures forever.”

5 When hard pressed,(CL) I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place.(CM)
6 The Lord is with me;(CN) I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?(CO)
7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.(CP)
    I look in triumph on my enemies.(CQ)

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lord(CR)
    than to trust in humans.(CS)
9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.(CT)
10 All the nations surrounded me,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.(CU)
11 They surrounded me(CV) on every side,(CW)
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,(CX)
    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;(CY)
    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.(CZ)
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.(DA)
14 The Lord is my strength(DB) and my defense[e];
    he has become my salvation.(DC)

15 Shouts of joy(DD) and victory
    resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand(DE) has done mighty things!(DF)
16     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die(DG) but live,
    and will proclaim(DH) what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened(DI) me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.(DJ)
19 Open for me the gates(DK) of the righteous;
    I will enter(DL) and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord(DM)
    through which the righteous may enter.(DN)
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;(DO)
    you have become my salvation.(DP)

22 The stone(DQ) the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;(DR)
23 the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous(DS) in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.(DT)

25 Lord, save us!(DU)
    Lord, grant us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes(DV) in the name of the Lord.
    From the house of the Lord we bless you.[f](DW)
27 The Lord is God,(DX)
    and he has made his light shine(DY) on us.
With boughs in hand,(DZ) join in the festal procession
    up[g] to the horns of the altar.(EA)

28 You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God,(EB) and I will exalt(EC) you.

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 113:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 9
  2. Psalm 115:18 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  3. Psalm 116:19 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  4. Psalm 117:2 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  5. Psalm 118:14 Or song
  6. Psalm 118:26 The Hebrew is plural.
  7. Psalm 118:27 Or Bind the festal sacrifice with ropes / and take it
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Psalm 112
Psalm 119
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