The Happiness of Those Whose Help Is the Lord

146 Praise[a] the Lord!

(A)Praise the Lord, O my soul!
(B)While I live I will praise the Lord;
I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

(C)Do not put your trust in princes,
Nor in [b]a son of man, in whom there is no [c]help.
(D)His spirit departs, he returns to his earth;
In that very day (E)his plans perish.

(F)Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,
Whose hope is in the Lord his God,
(G)Who made heaven and earth,
The sea, and all that is in them;
Who keeps truth forever,
(H)Who executes justice for the oppressed,
(I)Who gives food to the hungry.
(J)The Lord gives freedom to the prisoners.

(K)The Lord opens the eyes of the blind;
(L)The Lord raises those who are bowed down;
The Lord loves the righteous.
(M)The Lord watches over the strangers;
He relieves the fatherless and widow;
(N)But the way of the wicked He [d]turns upside down.

10 (O)The Lord shall reign forever—
Your God, O Zion, to all generations.

Praise the Lord!

Praise to God for His Word and Providence

147 Praise[e] the Lord!
For (P)it is good to sing praises to our God;
(Q)For it is pleasant, and (R)praise is beautiful.

The Lord (S)builds up Jerusalem;
(T)He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
(U)He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their [f]wounds.
(V)He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
(W)Great is our Lord, and (X)mighty in power;
(Y)His understanding is infinite.
(Z)The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God,
(AA)Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who prepares rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
(AB)He gives to the beast its food,
And (AC)to the young ravens that cry.

10 (AD)He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
He has blessed your children within you.
14 (AE)He makes peace in your borders,
And (AF)fills you with [g]the finest wheat.

15 (AG)He sends out His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
16 (AH)He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes;
17 He casts out His hail like [h]morsels;
Who can stand before His cold?
18 (AI)He sends out His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.

19 (AJ)He declares His word to Jacob,
(AK)His statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 (AL)He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.

[i]Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 146:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  2. Psalm 146:3 A human being
  3. Psalm 146:3 salvation
  4. Psalm 146:9 Lit. makes crooked
  5. Psalm 147:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  6. Psalm 147:3 Lit. sorrows
  7. Psalm 147:14 Lit. fat of wheat
  8. Psalm 147:17 fragments of food
  9. Psalm 147:20 Heb. Hallelujah

Psalm 146

Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the Lord,(A) my soul.

I will praise the Lord all my life;(B)
    I will sing praise(C) to my God as long as I live.(D)
Do not put your trust in princes,(E)
    in human beings,(F) who cannot save.
When their spirit departs, they return to the ground;(G)
    on that very day their plans come to nothing.(H)
Blessed are those(I) whose help(J) is the God of Jacob,
    whose hope is in the Lord their God.

He is the Maker of heaven(K) and earth,
    the sea, and everything in them—
    he remains faithful(L) forever.
He upholds(M) the cause of the oppressed(N)
    and gives food to the hungry.(O)
The Lord sets prisoners free,(P)
    the Lord gives sight(Q) to the blind,(R)
the Lord lifts up those who are bowed down,(S)
    the Lord loves the righteous.(T)
The Lord watches over the foreigner(U)
    and sustains the fatherless(V) and the widow,(W)
    but he frustrates the ways of the wicked.

10 The Lord reigns(X) forever,
    your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.[b]

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant(Y) and fitting to praise him!(Z)

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;(AA)
    he gathers the exiles(AB) of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted(AC)
    and binds up their wounds.(AD)
He determines the number of the stars(AE)
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord(AF) and mighty in power;(AG)
    his understanding has no limit.(AH)
The Lord sustains the humble(AI)
    but casts the wicked(AJ) to the ground.

Sing to the Lord(AK) with grateful praise;(AL)
    make music(AM) to our God on the harp.(AN)

He covers the sky with clouds;(AO)
    he supplies the earth with rain(AP)
    and makes grass grow(AQ) on the hills.
He provides food(AR) for the cattle
    and for the young ravens(AS) when they call.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength(AT) of the horse,(AU)
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights(AV) in those who fear him,(AW)
    who put their hope(AX) in his unfailing love.(AY)

12 Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;(AZ)
    praise your God, Zion.

13 He strengthens the bars of your gates(BA)
    and blesses your people(BB) within you.
14 He grants peace(BC) to your borders
    and satisfies you(BD) with the finest of wheat.(BE)

15 He sends his command(BF) to the earth;
    his word runs(BG) swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow(BH) like wool
    and scatters the frost(BI) like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail(BJ) like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word(BK) and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes,(BL) and the waters flow.

19 He has revealed his word(BM) to Jacob,(BN)
    his laws and decrees(BO) to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;(BP)
    they do not know(BQ) his laws.[c]

Praise the Lord.(BR)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 146:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 10
  2. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 20
  3. Psalm 147:20 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint nation; / he has not made his laws known to them