Psalms 136-142

Psalm 136

¹Give ye thanks unto Jehovah, for he is good; for his loving-kindness endureth for ever:

²Give thanks unto the God of gods, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

³Give thanks unto the Lord of lords, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever.

⁴To him who alone doeth great wonders, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever:

⁵To him that by understanding made the heavens, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

⁶To him that stretched out the earth above the waters, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

⁷To him that made great lights, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

⁸The sun for rule over the day, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,

⁹The moon and stars for rule over the night, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever:

¹⁰To him that smote Egypt in their firstborn, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,

¹¹And brought out Israel from among them, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,

¹²With a powerful hand and with a stretched-out arm, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

¹³To him that divided the Red sea into parts, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,

¹⁴And made Israel to pass through the midst of it, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,

¹⁵And overturned Pharaoh and his host in the Red sea, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

¹⁶To him that led his people through the wilderness, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

¹⁷To him that smote great kings, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,

¹⁸And slew famous kings, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

¹⁹Sihon king of the Amorites, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,

²⁰And Og king of Bashan, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

²¹And gave their land for an inheritance, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever,

²²An inheritance unto Israel his servant, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever:

²³Who hath remembered us in our low estate, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever;

²⁴And hath delivered us from our oppressors, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever:

²⁵Who giveth food to all flesh, for his loving-kindness endureth for ever.

²⁶Give ye thanks unto the God of the heavens; for his loving-kindness endureth for ever.

Psalm 137

¹By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down; yea, we wept when we remembered Zion.

²We hanged our harps upon the willows in the midst thereof.

³For there they that carried us away captive required of us a song; and they that made us wail required mirth, saying, Sing us one of the songs of Zion.

⁴How should we sing a song of Jehovah's upon a foreign soil?

⁵If I forget thee, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill;

⁶If I do not remember thee, let my tongue cleave to my palate: if I prefer not Jerusalem above my chief joy.

⁷Remember, O Jehovah, against the sons of Edom, the day of Jerusalem; who said, Lay it bare, Lay it bare, down to its foundation!

⁸Daughter of Babylon, who art to be laid waste, happy he that rendereth unto thee that which thou hast meted out to us.

⁹Happy he that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the rock.

Psalm 138

¹A Psalm of David. I will give thee thanks with my whole heart; before the gods will I sing psalms of thee.

²I will bow down toward the temple of thy holiness, and celebrate thy name for thy loving-kindness and for thy truth; for thou hast magnified thy word above all thy name.

³In the day when I called thou answeredst me; thou didst encourage me with strength in my soul.

⁴All the kings of the earth shall celebrate thee, Jehovah, when they have heard the words of thy mouth;

⁵And they shall sing in the ways of Jehovah, for great is the glory of Jehovah.

⁶For Jehovah is high; but he looketh upon the lowly, and the proud he knoweth afar off.

⁷Though I walk in the midst of trouble, thou wilt revive me: thou wilt stretch forth thy hand against the anger of mine enemies, and thy right hand shall save me.

⁸Jehovah will perfect what concerneth me: thy loving-kindness, O Jehovah, endureth for ever; forsake not the works of thine own hands.

Psalm 139

¹To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Jehovah, thou hast searched me, and known me.

²*Thou* knowest my down-sitting and mine uprising, thou understandest my thought afar off;

³Thou searchest out my path and my lying down, and art acquainted with all my ways;

⁴For there is not yet a word on my tongue, but lo, O Jehovah, thou knowest it altogether.

⁵Thou hast beset me behind and before, and laid thy hand upon me.

⁶O knowledge too wonderful for me! it is high, I cannot attain unto it.

⁷Whither shall I go from thy Spirit? and whither flee from thy presence?

⁸If I ascend up into the heavens thou art there; or if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, thou art there;

⁹If I take the wings of the dawn and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea,

¹⁰Even there shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me.

¹¹And if I say, Surely darkness shall cover me, and the light about me be night;

¹²Even darkness hideth not from thee, and the night shineth as the day: the darkness is as the light.

¹³For thou hast possessed my reins; thou didst cover me in my mother's womb.

¹⁴I will praise thee, for I am fearfully, wonderfully made. Marvellous are thy works; and that my soul knoweth right well.

¹⁵My bones were not hidden from thee when I was made in secret, curiously wrought in the lower parts of the earth.

¹⁶Thine eyes did see my unformed substance, and in thy book all my members were written; during many days were they fashioned, when as yet there was none of them.

¹⁷But how precious are thy thoughts unto me, O God! how great is the sum of them!

¹⁸If I would count them, they are more in number than the sand. When I awake, I am still with thee.

¹⁹Oh that thou wouldest slay the wicked, O +God! And ye men of blood, depart from me.

²⁰For they speak of thee wickedly, they take thy name in vain, thine enemies.

²¹Do not I hate them, O Jehovah, that hate thee? and do not I loathe them that rise up against thee?

²²I hate them with perfect hatred; I account them mine enemies.

²³Search me, O God, and know my heart; prove me, and know my thoughts;

²⁴And see if there be any grievous way in me; and lead me in the way everlasting.

Psalm 140

¹To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David. Free me, O Jehovah, from the evil man; preserve me from the violent man:

²Who devise mischiefs in their heart; every day are they banded together for war.

³They sharpen their tongues like a serpent; adders' poison is under their lips. Selah.

⁴Keep me, O Jehovah, from the hands of the wicked man, preserve me from the violent man, who devise to overthrow my steps.

⁵The proud have hidden a snare for me, and cords; they have spread a net by the way-side; they have set traps for me. Selah.

⁶I have said unto Jehovah, Thou art my God: give ear, O Jehovah, to the voice of my supplications.

⁷Jehovah, the Lord, is the strength of my salvation: thou hast covered my head in the day of battle.

⁸Grant not, O Jehovah, the desire of the wicked; further not his device: they would exalt themselves. Selah.

⁹As for the head of those that encompass me, let the mischief of their own lips cover them.

¹⁰Let burning coals fall on them; let them be cast into the fire; into deep waters, that they rise not up again.

¹¹Let not the man of evil tongue be established in the earth: evil shall hunt the man of violence to his ruin.

¹²I know that Jehovah will maintain the cause of the afflicted one, the right of the needy.

¹³Yea, the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name; the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

Psalm 141

¹A Psalm of David. Jehovah, I have called upon thee: make haste unto me; give ear unto my voice, when I call unto thee.

²Let my prayer be set forth before thee as incense, the lifting up of my hands as the evening oblation.

³Set a watch, O Jehovah, before my mouth; keep the door of my lips.

⁴Incline not my heart to any evil thing, to practise deeds of wickedness with men that are workers of iniquity; and let me not eat of their dainties.

⁵Let the righteous smite me, it is kindness; and let him reprove me, it is an excellent oil which my head shall not refuse: for yet my prayer also is for them in their calamities.

⁶When their judges are thrown down from the rocks, they shall hear my words, for they are sweet.

⁷Our bones are scattered at the mouth of Sheol, as when one cutteth and cleaveth wood upon the earth.

⁸For unto thee, Jehovah, Lord, are mine eyes; in thee do I trust: leave not my soul destitute.

⁹Keep me from the snare which they have laid for me, and from the traps of the workers of iniquity.

¹⁰Let the wicked fall into their own nets, whilst that *I* withal pass over.

Psalm 142

¹An instruction of David; when he was in the cave: a prayer. I cry unto Jehovah with my voice: with my voice unto Jehovah do I make supplication.

²I pour out my plaint before him; I shew before him my trouble.

³When my spirit was overwhelmed within me, then *thou* knewest my path. In the way wherein I walked have they hidden a snare for me.

⁴Look on the right hand and see; there is no man that knoweth me: refuge hath failed me; no man careth for my soul.

⁵I cried unto thee, Jehovah; I said, Thou art my refuge, my portion in the land of the living.

⁶Attend unto my cry, for I am brought very low; deliver me from my persecutors, for they are stronger than I.

⁷Bring my soul out of prison, that I may celebrate thy name. The righteous shall surround me, because thou dealest bountifully with me.