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Sing and Praise the Lord

Shout praises to the Lord!
    Our God is kind,
and it is right and good
    to sing praises to him.
The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem
and brings the people of Israel
    back home again.
He renews our hopes
    and heals our bodies.
He decided how many stars
there would be in the sky
    and gave each one a name.
Our Lord is great and powerful!
    He understands everything.
The Lord helps the oppressed,
but he smears the wicked
    in the dirt.

Celebrate and sing!
Play your harps
    for the Lord our God.
He fills the sky with clouds
    and sends rain to the earth,
so that the hills
    will be green with grass.
He provides food for cattle
and for the young ravens,
    when they cry out.
10 The Lord doesn't care about
the strength of horses
    or powerful armies.
11 The Lord is pleased only
with those who worship him
    and trust his love.

12 Everyone in Jerusalem,
come and praise
    the Lord your God!
13 He makes your city gates strong
    and blesses your people.
14 God lets you live in peace,
and he gives you
    the very best wheat.

15 As soon as God speaks,
    the earth obeys.
16 He covers the ground with snow
    like a blanket of wool,
and he scatters frost
    like ashes on the ground.
17 God sends down hailstones
like chips of rocks.
    Who can stand the cold?
18 At his command the ice melts,
the wind blows,
    and streams begin to flow.

19 God gave his laws and teachings
to the descendants of Jacob,
    the nation of Israel.
20 But he has not given his laws
to any other nation.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

Come Praise the Lord

Shout praises to the Lord!
Shout the Lord's praises
    in the highest heavens.
All of you angels,
and all who serve him above,
    come and offer praise.

Sun and moon,
and all of you bright stars,
    come and offer praise.
Highest heavens, and the water
above the highest heavens,[a]
    come and offer praise.

Let all things praise
    the name of the Lord,
because they were created
    at his command.
He made them to last forever,
and nothing can change
    what he has done.[b]

All creatures on earth,
you obey his commands,
    so come praise the Lord!

Sea monsters and the deep sea,
fire and hail, snow and frost,
    and every stormy wind,
    come praise the Lord!

All mountains and hills,
    fruit trees and cedars,
10 every wild and tame animal,
all reptiles and birds,
    come praise the Lord!

11 Every king and every ruler,
    all nations on earth,
12 every man and every woman,
young people and old,
    come praise the Lord!

13 All creation, come praise
the name of the Lord.
    Praise his name alone.
The glory of God is greater
    than heaven and earth.

14 Like a bull with mighty horns,
the Lord protects
    his faithful nation Israel,
because they belong to him.
    Shout praises to the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. 148.4 the water … heavens: It was believed that the earth and the heavens were surrounded by water.
  2. 148.6 nothing … done: Or “his laws will never change.”

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.[a]

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

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;(C)
    he gathers the exiles(D) of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted(E)
    and binds up their wounds.(F)
He determines the number of the stars(G)
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord(H) and mighty in power;(I)
    his understanding has no limit.(J)
The Lord sustains the humble(K)
    but casts the wicked(L) to the ground.

Sing to the Lord(M) with grateful praise;(N)
    make music(O) to our God on the harp.(P)

He covers the sky with clouds;(Q)
    he supplies the earth with rain(R)
    and makes grass grow(S) on the hills.
He provides food(T) for the cattle
    and for the young ravens(U) when they call.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength(V) of the horse,(W)
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights(X) in those who fear him,(Y)
    who put their hope(Z) in his unfailing love.(AA)

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

13 He strengthens the bars of your gates(AC)
    and blesses your people(AD) within you.
14 He grants peace(AE) to your borders
    and satisfies you(AF) with the finest of wheat.(AG)

15 He sends his command(AH) to the earth;
    his word runs(AI) swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow(AJ) like wool
    and scatters the frost(AK) like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail(AL) like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word(AM) and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes,(AN) and the waters flow.

19 He has revealed his word(AO) to Jacob,(AP)
    his laws and decrees(AQ) to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;(AR)
    they do not know(AS) his laws.[b]

Praise the Lord.(AT)

Psalm 148

Praise the Lord.[c](AU)

Praise the Lord from the heavens;(AV)
    praise him in the heights above.
Praise him, all his angels;(AW)
    praise him, all his heavenly hosts.(AX)
Praise him, sun(AY) and moon;
    praise him, all you shining stars.
Praise him, you highest heavens(AZ)
    and you waters above the skies.(BA)

Let them praise the name(BB) of the Lord,
    for at his command(BC) they were created,
and he established them for ever and ever—
    he issued a decree(BD) that will never pass away.

Praise the Lord(BE) from the earth,
    you great sea creatures(BF) and all ocean depths,(BG)
lightning and hail,(BH) snow and clouds,
    stormy winds that do his bidding,(BI)
you mountains and all hills,(BJ)
    fruit trees and all cedars,
10 wild animals(BK) and all cattle,
    small creatures and flying birds,
11 kings(BL) of the earth and all nations,
    you princes and all rulers on earth,
12 young men and women,
    old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,(BM)
    for his name alone is exalted;
    his splendor(BN) is above the earth and the heavens.(BO)
14 And he has raised up for his people a horn,[d](BP)
    the praise(BQ) of all his faithful servants,(BR)
    of Israel, the people close to his heart.(BS)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 20
  2. Psalm 147:20 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint nation; / he has not made his laws known to them
  3. Psalm 148:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 14
  4. Psalm 148:14 Horn here symbolizes strength.

147 Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.

10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.

13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.

14 He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.

16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.

17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?

18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.

20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.

148 Praise ye the Lord. Praise ye the Lord from the heavens: praise him in the heights.

Praise ye him, all his angels: praise ye him, all his hosts.

Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light.

Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens.

Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.

He hath also stablished them for ever and ever: he hath made a decree which shall not pass.

Praise the Lord from the earth, ye dragons, and all deeps:

Fire, and hail; snow, and vapours; stormy wind fulfilling his word:

Mountains, and all hills; fruitful trees, and all cedars:

10 Beasts, and all cattle; creeping things, and flying fowl:

11 Kings of the earth, and all people; princes, and all judges of the earth:

12 Both young men, and maidens; old men, and children:

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord: for his name alone is excellent; his glory is above the earth and heaven.

14 He also exalteth the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints; even of the children of Israel, a people near unto him. Praise ye the Lord.