Psalms 143-150

Psalm 143

¹A Psalm by David. Hear my prayer, LORD. Listen to my petitions. In your faithfulness and righteousness, relieve me.

²Don’t enter into judgment with your servant, for in your sight no man living is righteous.

³For the enemy pursues my soul. He has struck my life down to the ground. He has made me live in dark places, as those who have been long dead.

⁴Therefore my spirit is overwhelmed within me. My heart within me is desolate.

⁵I remember the days of old. I meditate on all your doings. I contemplate the work of your hands.

⁶I spread out my hands to you. My soul thirsts for you, like a parched land. Selah.

⁷Hurry to answer me, LORD. My spirit fails. Don’t hide your face from me, so that I don’t become like those who go down into the pit.

⁸Cause me to hear your loving kindness in the morning, for I trust in you. Cause me to know the way in which I should walk, for I lift up my soul to you.

⁹Deliver me, LORD, from my enemies. I flee to you to hide me.

¹⁰Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Your Spirit is good. Lead me in the land of uprightness.

¹¹Revive me, LORD, for your name’s sake. In your righteousness, bring my soul out of trouble.

¹²In your loving kindness, cut off my enemies, and destroy all those who afflict my soul, for I am your servant.

Psalm 144

¹By David. Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands to war, and my fingers to battle—

²my loving kindness, my fortress, my high tower, my deliverer, my shield, and he in whom I take refuge, who subdues my people under me.

³LORD, what is man, that you care for him? Or the son of man, that you think of him?

⁴Man is like a breath. His days are like a shadow that passes away.

⁵Part your heavens, LORD, and come down. Touch the mountains, and they will smoke.

⁶Throw out lightning, and scatter them. Send out your arrows, and rout them.

⁷Stretch out your hand from above, rescue me, and deliver me out of great waters, out of the hands of foreigners,

⁸whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

⁹I will sing a new song to you, God. On a ten-stringed lyre, I will sing praises to you.

¹⁰You are he who gives salvation to kings, who rescues David, his servant, from the deadly sword.

¹¹Rescue me, and deliver me out of the hands of foreigners, whose mouths speak deceit, whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood.

¹²Then our sons will be like well-nurtured plants, our daughters like pillars carved to adorn a palace.

¹³Our barns are full, filled with all kinds of provision. Our sheep produce thousands and ten thousands in our fields.

¹⁴Our oxen will pull heavy loads. There is no breaking in, and no going away, and no outcry in our streets.

¹⁵Happy are the people who are in such a situation. Happy are the people whose God is the LORD.

Psalm 145

¹A praise psalm by David. I will exalt you, my God, the King. I will praise your name forever and ever.

²Every day I will praise you. I will extol your name forever and ever.

³Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised! His greatness is unsearchable.

⁴One generation will commend your works to another, and will declare your mighty acts.

⁵I will meditate on the glorious majesty of your honor, on your wondrous works.

⁶Men will speak of the might of your awesome acts. I will declare your greatness.

⁷They will utter the memory of your great goodness, and will sing of your righteousness.

⁸The LORD is gracious, merciful, slow to anger, and of great loving kindness.

⁹The LORD is good to all. His tender mercies are over all his works.

¹⁰All your works will give thanks to you, LORD. Your saints will extol you.

¹¹They will speak of the glory of your kingdom, and talk about your power,

¹²to make known to the sons of men his mighty acts, the glory of the majesty of his kingdom.

¹³Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom. Your dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and loving in all his deeds.

¹⁴The LORD upholds all who fall, and raises up all those who are bowed down.

¹⁵The eyes of all wait for you. You give them their food in due season.

¹⁶You open your hand, and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

¹⁷The LORD is righteous in all his ways, and gracious in all his works.

¹⁸The LORD is near to all those who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

¹⁹He will fulfill the desire of those who fear him. He also will hear their cry, and will save them.

²⁰The LORD preserves all those who love him, but he will destroy all the wicked.

²¹My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD. Let all flesh bless his holy name forever and ever.

Psalm 146

¹Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD, my soul.

²While I live, I will praise the LORD. I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist.

³Don’t put your trust in princes, in a son of man in whom there is no help.

⁴His spirit departs, and he returns to the earth. In that very day, his thoughts perish.

⁵Happy is he who has the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope is in the LORD, his God,

⁶who made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that is in them; who keeps truth forever;

⁷who executes justice for the oppressed; who gives food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners.

⁸The LORD opens the eyes of the blind. The LORD raises up those who are bowed down. The LORD loves the righteous.

⁹The LORD preserves the foreigners. He upholds the fatherless and widow, but he turns the way of the wicked upside down.

¹⁰The LORD will reign forever; your God, O Zion, to all generations. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 147

¹Praise the LORD, for it is good to sing praises to our God; for it is pleasant and fitting to praise him.

²The LORD builds up Jerusalem. He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.

³He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.

⁴He counts the number of the stars. He calls them all by their names.

⁵Great is our Lord, and mighty in power. His understanding is infinite.

⁶The LORD upholds the humble. He brings the wicked down to the ground.

⁷Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving. Sing praises on the harp to our God,

⁸who covers the sky with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who makes grass grow on the mountains.

⁹He provides food for the livestock, and for the young ravens when they call.

¹⁰He doesn’t delight in the strength of the horse. He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.

¹¹The LORD takes pleasure in those who fear him, in those who hope in his loving kindness.

¹²Praise the LORD, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion!

¹³For he has strengthened the bars of your gates. He has blessed your children within you.

¹⁴He makes peace in your borders. He fills you with the finest of the wheat.

¹⁵He sends out his commandment to the earth. His word runs very swiftly.

¹⁶He gives snow like wool, and scatters frost like ashes.

¹⁷He hurls down his hail like pebbles. Who can stand before his cold?

¹⁸He sends out his word, and melts them. He causes his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

¹⁹He shows his word to Jacob, his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.

²⁰He has not done this for just any nation. They don’t know his ordinances. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 148

¹Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD from the heavens! Praise him in the heights!

²Praise him, all his angels! Praise him, all his army!

³Praise him, sun and moon! Praise him, all you shining stars!

⁴Praise him, you heavens of heavens, you waters that are above the heavens.

⁵Let them praise the LORD’s name, for he commanded, and they were created.

⁶He has also established them forever and ever. He has made a decree which will not pass away.

⁷Praise the LORD from the earth, you great sea creatures, and all depths,

⁸lightning and hail, snow and clouds, stormy wind, fulfilling his word,

⁹mountains and all hills, fruit trees and all cedars,

¹⁰wild animals and all livestock, small creatures and flying birds,

¹¹kings of the earth and all peoples, princes and all judges of the earth,

¹²both young men and maidens, old men and children.

¹³Let them praise the LORD’s name, for his name alone is exalted. His glory is above the earth and the heavens.

¹⁴He has lifted up the horn of his people, the praise of all his saints, even of the children of Israel, a people near to him. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 149

¹Praise the LORD! Sing to the LORD a new song, his praise in the assembly of the saints.

²Let Israel rejoice in him who made them. Let the children of Zion be joyful in their King.

³Let them praise his name in the dance! Let them sing praises to him with tambourine and harp!

⁴For the LORD takes pleasure in his people. He crowns the humble with salvation.

⁵Let the saints rejoice in honor. Let them sing for joy on their beds.

⁶May the high praises of God be in their mouths, and a two-edged sword in their hand,

⁷to execute vengeance on the nations, and punishments on the peoples;

⁸to bind their kings with chains, and their nobles with fetters of iron;

⁹to execute on them the written judgment. All his saints have this honor. Praise the LORD!

Psalm 150

¹Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary! Praise him in his heavens for his acts of power!

²Praise him for his mighty acts! Praise him according to his excellent greatness!

³Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet! Praise him with harp and lyre!

⁴Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute!

⁵Praise him with loud cymbals! Praise him with resounding cymbals!

⁶Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!