Psalms 135

Your Name, O Lord, Endures Forever

1 ^aPraise the Lord!
Praise the name of the Lord,
give praise, O ^bservants of the Lord,
2who ^cstand in the house of the Lord,
in ^dthe courts of the house of our God!
3Praise the Lord, for ^ethe Lord is good;
sing to his name, ^ffor it is pleasant! ▼

▼Or  for he is beautiful

4For the Lord has ^hchosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his ⁱown possession.
5 For I know that ^jthe Lord is great,
and that our Lord is above all gods.
6 ^kWhatever the Lord pleases, he does,
in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all deeps.
7 ^lHe it is who makes the clouds rise at the end of the earth,
who ^mmakes lightnings for the rain
and brings forth the wind from his ⁿstorehouses.
8 He it was who ^ostruck down the firstborn of Egypt,
both of man and of beast;
9who in your midst, O Egypt,
sent ^psigns and wonders
against Pharaoh and all his servants;
10 ^qwho struck down many nations
and killed mighty kings,
11 ^rSihon, king of the Amorites,
and ^sOg, king of Bashan,
and ^tall the kingdoms of Canaan,
12and ^ugave their land as a heritage,
a heritage to his people Israel.
13 ^vYour name, O Lord, endures forever,
^wyour renown, ▼

▼Or remembrance

O Lord, throughout all ages.
14 ^yFor the Lord will vindicate his people
and ^zhave compassion on his servants.
15 ^aaThe idols of the nations are silver and gold,
the work of human hands.
16They have mouths, but do not speak;
they have eyes, but do not see;
17they have ears, but do not hear,
nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18Those who make them become like them,
so do all who trust in them.
19 ^abO house of Israel, bless the Lord!
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20O house of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21Blessed be the Lord ^acfrom Zion,
he who ^addwells in Jerusalem!
^aePraise the Lord!

Psalms 136

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

1 ^afGive thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
^agfor his steadfast love endures forever.
2Give thanks to ^ahthe God of gods,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
3Give thanks to ^aithe Lord of lords,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
4 to him who alone ^ajdoes great wonders,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
5to him who ^akby understanding ^almade the heavens,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
6to him who ^amspread out the earth ^anabove the waters,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
7to him who ^aomade the great lights,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
8the sun to rule over the day,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
9the moon and stars to rule over the night,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
10 to him who ^apstruck down the firstborn of Egypt,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
11and ^aqbrought Israel out from among them,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
12with ^ara strong hand and an outstretched arm,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
13to him who ^asdivided the Red Sea in two,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
14 ^atand made Israel pass through the midst of it,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
15but ^auoverthrew ▼

▼Hebrew shook off

Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
16to him who ^awled his people through the wilderness,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
17 to him ^axwho struck down great kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
18and killed mighty kings,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
19Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
20and Og, king of Bashan,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
21and gave their land as a heritage,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
22a heritage to Israel his ^ayservant,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
23 It is he who ^azremembered us in our low estate,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
24and ^barescued us from our foes,
for his steadfast love endures forever;
25he who ^bbgives food to all flesh,
for his steadfast love endures forever.
26 Give thanks to ^bcthe God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

Psalms 137

How Shall We Sing the Lord’s Song?

1 By the waters of Babylon,
there we sat down and wept,
when we remembered Zion.
2On the willows ▼

▼Or poplars

there
we hung up our lyres.
3For there our captors
required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
“Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”
4 ^beHow shall we sing the Lord’s song
in a foreign land?
5If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
^bflet my right hand forget its skill!
6Let my ^bgtongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
above my highest joy!
7 Remember, O Lord, against the ^bhEdomites
^bithe day of Jerusalem,
how they said, ^bj“Lay it bare, lay it bare,
down to its foundations!”
8O daughter of Babylon, ^bkdoomed to be destroyed,
blessed shall he be who ^blrepays you
with what you have done to us!
9Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
and ^bmdashes them against the rock!

Psalms 138

Give Thanks to the Lord

Of David.

1 ^bnI give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
before ^bothe gods I sing your praise;
2I bow down ^bptoward your ^bqholy temple
and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
for you have exalted above all things
your name and your word. ▼

▼Or  you have exalted your word above all your name

3On the day I called, you answered me;
my strength of soul you increased. ▼

▼Hebrew you made me bold in my soul with strength

4 ^btAll the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
for they have heard the words of your mouth,
5and they shall sing of ^buthe ways of the Lord,
for great is the glory of the Lord.
6 ^bvFor though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
but the haughty he knows from afar.
7 ^bwThough I walk in the midst of trouble,
you ^bxpreserve my life;
you ^bystretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
and your ^bzright hand delivers me.
8The Lord will ^cafulfill his purpose for me;
^cbyour steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
Do not forsake ^ccthe work of your hands.

Psalms 139

Search Me, O God, and Know My Heart

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, you have ^cdsearched me and known me!
2You ^ceknow when I sit down and when I rise up;
you ^cfdiscern my thoughts from afar.
3You search out my path and my lying down
and are acquainted with all my ways.
4Even before a word is on my tongue,
behold, O Lord, ^cgyou know it altogether.
5You ^chhem me in, behind and before,
and ^cilay your hand upon me.
6 ^cjSuch knowledge is ^cktoo wonderful for me;
it is high; I cannot attain it.
7 ^clWhere shall I go from your Spirit?
Or where ^cmshall I flee from your presence?
8 ^cnIf I ascend to heaven, you are there!
^coIf I make my bed in Sheol, you are there!
9If I take the wings of the morning
and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,
10even there your hand shall ^cplead me,
and your right hand shall hold me.
11If I say, ^cq“Surely the darkness shall cover me,
and the light about me be night,”
12 ^creven the darkness is not dark to you;
the night is bright as the day,
for darkness is as light with you.
13 For you ^csformed my inward parts;
you ^ctknitted me together in my mother’s womb.
14I praise you, for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. ▼

▼Or  for I am fearfully set apart

^cvWonderful are your works;
my soul knows it very well.
15 ^cwMy frame was not hidden from you,
when I was being made in secret,
intricately woven in ^cxthe depths of the earth.
16Your eyes saw my unformed substance;
in your ^cybook were written, every one of them,
the days that were formed for me,
when as yet there was none of them.
17 How precious to me are your ^czthoughts, O God!
How vast is the sum of them!
18 ^daIf I would count them, they are more than ^dbthe sand.
I awake, and I am still with you.
19 Oh that you would ^dcslay the wicked, O God!
O ^ddmen of blood, ^dedepart from me!
20They ^dfspeak against you with malicious intent;
your enemies ^dgtake your name in vain. ▼

▼Hebrew lacks  your name

21 ^diDo I not hate those who hate you, O Lord?
And do I not ^djloathe those who ^dkrise up against you?
22I hate them with complete hatred;
I count them my enemies.
23 Search me, O God, and know my heart!
^dlTry me and know my thoughts! ▼

▼Or cares

24And see if there be any grievous way in me,
and ^dnlead me in ^dothe way everlasting! ▼

▼Or  in the ancient way (compare Jeremiah 6:16)

Psalms 140

Deliver Me, O Lord, from Evil Men

To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

1 ^dqDeliver me, O Lord, from evil men;
preserve me from ^drviolent men,
2who plan evil things in their heart
and ^dsstir up wars continually.
3They make ^dttheir tongue sharp as ^dua serpent’s,
and ^dvunder their lips is the ^dwvenom of asps.  Selah
4 Guard me, O Lord, from the hands of the wicked;
preserve me from ^dxviolent men,
who have planned to trip up my feet.
5The arrogant have ^dyhidden a trap for me,
and with cords they have spread ^dza net; ▼

▼Or they have spread cords as a net

beside the way they have set ^ebsnares for me.  Selah
6 ^ecI say to the Lord, You are my God;
give ear to ^edthe voice of my pleas for mercy, O Lord!
7O Lord, my Lord, ^eethe strength of my salvation,
you have covered my head in the day of battle.
8 ^efGrant not, O Lord, the desires of the wicked;
do not further their ▼

▼Hebrew his

evil plot, or ^ehthey will be exalted!  Selah
9 As for the head of those who surround me,
let ^eithe mischief of their lips overwhelm them!
10Let ^ejburning coals fall upon them!
Let them be cast into fire,
into miry pits, no more to rise!
11Let not the slanderer be established in the land;
let evil hunt down the violent man speedily!
12 I know that the Lord will ^ekmaintain the cause of the afflicted,
and ^elwill execute justice for the needy.
13Surely ^emthe righteous shall give thanks to your name;
^enthe upright shall dwell in your presence.

Psalms 141

Give Ear to My Voice

A Psalm of David.

1 O Lord, I call upon you; ^eohasten to me!
Give ear to my voice when I call to you!
2Let ^epmy prayer be counted as incense before you,
and ^eqthe lifting up of my hands as ^erthe evening sacrifice!
3 ^esSet a guard, O Lord, over my mouth;
^etkeep watch over the door of my lips!
4 ^euDo not let my heart incline to any evil,
to busy myself with wicked deeds
in company with men who ^evwork iniquity,
and ^ewlet me not eat of their delicacies!
5 ^exLet a righteous man strike me—it is a kindness;
let him rebuke me—it is oil for my head;
let my head not refuse it.
Yet ^eymy prayer is continually against their evil deeds.
6When their judges are ^ezthrown over the cliff, ▼

▼Or  When their judges fall into the hands of the Rock

then they shall hear my words, for they are pleasant.
7As when one plows and breaks up the earth,
so shall our bones ^fbbe scattered at the mouth of Sheol. ▼

▼The meaning of the Hebrew in verses 6, 7 is uncertain

8 But ^fdmy eyes are toward you, O God, my Lord;
^fein you I seek refuge; leave me not defenseless! ▼

▼Hebrew  refuge; do not pour out my life!

9Keep me from ^fgthe trap that they have laid for me
and from the snares of evildoers!
10Let the wicked ^fhfall into their own nets,
while I pass by safely.

Psalms 142

You Are My Refuge

A Maskil ▼

▼Probably a musical or liturgical term

of David, when he was in ^fjthe cave. A Prayer.

1 With my voice I ^fkcry out to the Lord;
with my voice I ^flplead for mercy to the Lord.
2I ^fmpour out my complaint before him;
I tell my trouble before him.
3 When my spirit ^fnfaints within me,
you know my way!
In the path where I walk
they have ^fohidden a trap for me.
4 ^fpLook to the ^fqright and see:
^frthere is none who takes notice of me;
^fsno refuge remains to me;
no one cares for my soul.
5 I cry to you, O Lord;
I say, “You are my ^ftrefuge,
my ^fuportion in ^fvthe land of the living.”
6 ^fwAttend to my cry,
for ^fxI am brought very low!
Deliver me from my persecutors,
^fyfor they are too strong for me!
7 ^fzBring me out of prison,
that I may give thanks to your name!
The righteous will surround me,
for you will ^gadeal bountifully with me.

Psalms 143

My Soul Thirsts for You

A Psalm of David.

1 Hear my prayer, O Lord;
^gbgive ear to my pleas for mercy!
In your ^gcfaithfulness answer me, in your ^gdrighteousness!
2 ^geEnter not into judgment with your servant,
for no one living is righteous ^gfbefore you.
3 For the enemy has pursued my soul;
^gghe has crushed my life to the ground;
^ghhe has made me sit in darkness like those long dead.
4Therefore my spirit ^gifaints within me;
my heart within me is appalled.
5 ^gjI remember the days of old;
^gkI meditate on all that you have done;
I ponder the work of your hands.
6 ^glI stretch out my hands to you;
^gmmy soul thirsts for you like ^gna parched land.  Selah
7 ^goAnswer me quickly, O Lord!
^gpMy spirit fails!
^gqHide not your face from me,
^grlest I be like those who go down to the pit.
8 ^gsLet me hear in the morning of your steadfast love,
for in you I ^gttrust.
^guMake me know the way I should go,
^gvfor to you I lift up my soul.
9 ^gwDeliver me from my enemies, O Lord!
I have fled to you for refuge. ▼

▼One Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint; most Hebrew manuscripts To you I have covered

10 ^gyTeach me to do your will,
for you are my God!
^gzLet your good Spirit ^halead me
on ^hblevel ground!
11 ^hcFor your name’s sake, O Lord, ^hdpreserve my life!
In your righteousness ^hebring my soul out of trouble!
12And in your steadfast love you will ^hfcut off my enemies,
and you will destroy all the adversaries of my soul,
for I am your ^hgservant.

Psalms 144

My Rock and My Fortress

Of David.

1 Blessed be the Lord, my ^hhrock,
^hiwho trains my hands for war,
and my fingers for battle;
2he is my ^hjsteadfast love and my ^hkfortress,
my ^hlstronghold and my deliverer,
my ^hmshield and he in whom I take refuge,
who ^hnsubdues peoples ▼

▼Many Hebrew manuscripts, Dead Sea Scroll, Jerome, Syriac, Aquila; most Hebrew manuscripts  subdues my people

under me.
3 O Lord, ^hpwhat is man that you ^hqregard him,
or the son of man that you think of him?
4 ^hrMan is like a breath;
his days are like ^hsa passing ^htshadow.
5 ^huBow your heavens, O Lord, and come down!
^hvTouch the mountains so that they smoke!
6 ^hwFlash forth the lightning and scatter them;
^hxsend out your arrows and rout them!
7 ^hyStretch out your hand from on high;
^hzrescue me and deliver me from the many waters,
from the hand ^iaof foreigners,
8whose mouths speak ^iblies
and whose right hand is ^ica right hand of falsehood.
9 I will sing ^ida new song to you, O God;
upon ^iea ten-stringed harp I will play to you,
10who gives victory to kings,
who ^ifrescues David his servant from the cruel sword.
11Rescue me and deliver me
from the hand ^igof foreigners,
whose mouths speak ^ihlies
and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.
12 May our sons in their youth
be like ⁱⁱplants full grown,
our daughters like ^ijcorner pillars
cut for the structure of a palace;
13 ^ikmay our granaries be full,
^ilproviding all kinds of produce;
may our sheep bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our fields;
14may our cattle be heavy with young,
suffering no mishap or failure in bearing; ▼

▼Hebrew with no breaking in or going out

may there be no ⁱⁿcry of distress in our streets!
15 ^ioBlessed are the people to whom such blessings fall!
^ipBlessed are the people whose God is the Lord!

Psalms 145

Great Is the Lord

▼

▼This psalm is an acrostic poem, each verse beginning with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet

A Song of Praise. Of David.

1 ^irI will extol you, my God and ^isKing,
and bless your name forever and ever.
2Every day I will bless you
^itand praise your name forever and ever.
3 ^iuGreat is the Lord, and greatly to be praised,
and his ^ivgreatness is unsearchable.
4 ^iwOne generation shall commend your works to another,
and shall declare your mighty acts.
5On ^ixthe glorious splendor of your majesty,
and on your wondrous works, I will meditate.
6They shall speak of ^iythe might of your awesome deeds,
and I will declare your greatness.
7They shall pour forth the fame of your ^izabundant goodness
and shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
8 The Lord is ^jagracious and merciful,
slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9The Lord is ^jbgood to all,
and his mercy is over all that he has made.
10 ^jcAll your works shall give thanks to you, O Lord,
and all your ^jdsaints shall bless you!
11They shall speak of the glory of your kingdom
and tell of your power,
12to ^jemake known to the children of man your ▼

▼Hebrew his; also next line

^jgmighty deeds,
and ^jhthe glorious splendor of your kingdom.
13 ^jiYour kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,
and your dominion endures throughout all generations.
[The Lord is faithful in all his words
and kind in all his works.] ▼

▼These two lines are supplied by one Hebrew manuscript, Septuagint, Syriac (compare Dead Sea Scroll)

14The Lord ^jkupholds all who are falling
and ^jlraises up all who are bowed down.
15The eyes of all ^jmlook to you,
and you give them their food in due season.
16You ^jnopen your hand;
you ^josatisfy the desire of every living thing.
17The Lord is ^jprighteous in all his ways
and ^jqkind in all his works.
18The Lord is ^jrnear to all who call on him,
to all who call on him ^jsin truth.
19He ^jtfulfills the desire of those who fear him;
he also ^juhears their cry and saves them.
20The Lord ^jvpreserves all who love him,
but all the wicked he will destroy.
21 My mouth will speak the praise of the Lord,
and ^jwlet all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Psalms 146

Put Not Your Trust in Princes

1 ^jxPraise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
2I will praise the Lord ^jyas long as I live;
^jzI will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
3 ^kaPut not your trust in princes,
^kbin a son of man, in whom there is ^kcno salvation.
4When ^kdhis breath departs, he returns to the earth;
on that very day his plans perish.
5 ^keBlessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose ^kfhope is in the Lord his God,
6 ^kgwho made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
^khwho keeps faith forever;
7 ^kiwho executes justice for the oppressed,
^kjwho gives food to the hungry.
^kkThe Lord sets the prisoners free;
8 ^klthe Lord opens the eyes of the blind.
^kmThe Lord lifts up those who are bowed down;
^knthe Lord loves the righteous.
9 ^koThe Lord watches over the sojourners;
^kphe upholds the widow and the fatherless,
but ^kqthe way of the wicked he brings to ruin.
10 ^krThe Lord will reign forever,
your God, O Zion, to all generations.
^ksPraise the Lord!