Psalm 111:1–115:18
Praise to God for His Faithfulness and Justice
1 Praise 1the Lord!
aI will praise the Lord with my whole heart,
In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation.
2 bThe works of the Lord are great,
cStudied by all who have pleasure in them.
3 His work is dhonorable and glorious,
And His righteousness endures forever.
4 He has made His wonderful works to be remembered;
eThe Lord is gracious and full of compassion.
5 He has given food to those who fear Him;
He will ever be mindful of His covenant.
6 He has declared to His people the power of His works,
In giving them the 2heritage of the nations.
7 The works of His hands are fverity 3and justice;
All His precepts are sure.
8 gThey stand fast forever and ever,
And are hdone in truth and uprightness.
9 iHe has sent redemption to His people;
He has commanded His covenant forever:
jHoly and awesome is His name.
10 kThe fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;
A good understanding have all those who do His commandments.
His praise endures forever.
The Blessed State of the Righteous
1 Praise 1the Lord!
Blessed is the man who fears the Lord,
Who adelights greatly in His commandments.
2 bHis descendants will be mighty on earth;
The generation of the upright will be blessed.
3 cWealth and riches will be in his house,
And his righteousness 2endures forever.
4 dUnto the upright there arises light in the darkness;
He is gracious, and full of compassion, and righteous.
5 eA good man deals graciously and lends;
He will guide his affairs fwith discretion.
6 Surely he will never be shaken;
gThe righteous will be in everlasting remembrance.
7 hHe will not be afraid of evil tidings;
His heart is steadfast, trusting in the Lord.
8 His iheart is established;
jHe will not be afraid,
Until he ksees his desire upon his enemies.
He has given to the poor;
His righteousness endures forever;
His 3horn will be exalted with honor.
10 The wicked will see it and be grieved;
He will gnash his teeth and melt away;
The desire of the wicked shall perish.
The Majesty and Condescension of God
1 Praise 1the Lord!
aPraise, O servants of the Lord,
Praise the name of the Lord!
2 bBlessed be the name of the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore!
3 cFrom the rising of the sun to its going down
The Lord’s name is to be praised.
4 The Lord is dhigh above all nations,
eHis glory above the heavens.
5 fWho is like the Lord our God,
Who dwells on high,
6 gWho humbles Himself to behold
The things that are in the heavens and in the earth?
7 hHe raises the poor out of the dust,
And lifts the ineedy out of the ash heap,
8 That He may jseat him with princes—
With the princes of His people.
9 kHe grants the 2barren woman a home,
Like a joyful mother of children.
Praise the Lord!
The Power of God in His Deliverance of Israel
1 When aIsrael went out of Egypt,
The house of Jacob bfrom a people 1of strange language,
2 cJudah became His sanctuary,
And Israel His dominion.
3 dThe sea saw it and fled;
eJordan turned back.
4 fThe mountains skipped like rams,
The little hills like lambs.
5 gWhat ails you, O sea, that you fled?
O Jordan, that you turned back?
6 O mountains, that you skipped like rams?
O little hills, like lambs?
7 Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the God of Jacob,
8 hWho turned the rock into a pool of water,
The flint into a fountain of waters.
The Futility of Idols and the Trustworthiness of God
1 Not aunto us, O Lord, not unto us,
But to Your name give glory,
Because of Your mercy,
Because of Your truth.
2 Why should the 1Gentiles say,
b“So where is their God?”
3 cBut our God is in heaven;
He does whatever He pleases.
4 dTheir idols are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
5 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
Eyes they have, but they do not see;
6 They have ears, but they do not hear;
Noses they have, but they do not smell;
7 They have hands, but they do not handle;
Feet they have, but they do not walk;
Nor do they mutter through their throat.
8 eThose who make them are like them;
So is everyone who trusts in them.
9 fO Israel, trust in the Lord;
gHe is their help and their shield.
10 O house of Aaron, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
11 You who fear the Lord, trust in the Lord;
He is their help and their shield.
12 The Lord 2has been mindful of us;
He will bless us;
He will bless the house of Israel;
He will bless the house of Aaron.
13 hHe will bless those who fear the Lord,
Both small and great.
14 May the Lord give you increase more and more,
You and your children.
15 May you be iblessed by the Lord,
jWho made heaven and earth.
16 The heaven, even the heavens, are the Lord’s;
But the earth He has given to the children of men.
17 kThe dead do not praise the Lord,
Nor any who go down into silence.
18 lBut we will bless the Lord
From this time forth and forevermore.
Praise the Lord!