Psalms 146
Psalm 146 ▼▼sn Psalm 146. The psalmist urges his audience not to trust in men, but in the Lord, the just king of the world who cares for the needy.
1 Praise the Lord.Praise the Lord, O my soul.
2I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist.
3Do not trust in princes,
or in human beings, who cannot deliver. ▼
▼tn Heb “in a son of man, to whom there is no deliverance.”
4Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground.
On that day their plans die. ▼
5How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God.
6The one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who remains forever faithful, ▼
▼tn Heb “the one who guards faithfulness forever.”
7vindicates the oppressed, ▼
▼tn Heb “executes justice for the oppressed.”
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases the imprisoned.
8The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up all who are bent over. ▼
The Lord loves the godly.
9The Lord protects the resident foreigner.
He lifts up the fatherless and the widow, ▼
▼sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by resident foreigners, the fatherless, and widows. Cf. Exod 22:21; Lev 19:33-34; Deut 10:18-19; 24:14, 17; 27:19; Jer 22:3; Zech 7:10; Mal 3:5.
but he opposes the wicked. ▼
10The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come. ▼
▼tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.”
Praise the Lord!
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