Psalm 135–136

A Hymn of Praise

135Praise the Lord!

Praise his name, you servants of the Lord,

²who stand in the Lord’s house,

in the Temple of our God.

³Praise the Lord, because he is good;

sing praises to his name, because he is kind.^l

⁴He chose Jacob for himself,

the people of Israel for his own.

⁵I know that our Lord is great,

greater than all the gods.

⁶He does whatever he wishes

in heaven and on earth,

in the seas and in the depths below.

⁷He brings storm clouds from the ends of the earth;

he makes lightning for the storms,

and he brings out the wind from his storeroom.

⁸In Egypt he killed all the firstborn

of people and animals alike.

⁹There he performed miracles and wonders

to punish the king and all his officials.

¹⁰He destroyed many nations

and killed powerful kings:

¹¹Sihon, king of the Amorites,

Og, king of Bashan,

and all the kings in Canaan.

¹²He gave their lands to his people;

he gave them to Israel.

¹³Lord, you will always be proclaimed as God;

all generations will remember you.

¹⁴The Lord will defend his people;

he will take pity on his servants.

^15*The gods of the nations are made of silver and gold;

they are formed by human hands.

^16*They have mouths, but cannot speak,

and eyes, but cannot see.

^17*They have ears, but cannot hear;

they are not even able to breathe.

^18*May all who made them and who trust in them

become^m like the idols they have made!

¹⁹Praise the Lord, people of Israel;

praise him, you priests of God!

²⁰Praise the Lord, you Levites;

praise him, all you that worship him!

²¹Praise the Lord in Zion,

in Jerusalem, his home.

Praise the Lord!

A Hymn of Thanksgiving

136^*Give thanks to the Lord, because he is good;

his love is eternal.

²Give thanks to the greatest of all gods;

his love is eternal.

³Give thanks to the mightiest of all lords;

his love is eternal.

⁴He alone performs great miracles;

his love is eternal.

^5*By his wisdom he made the heavens;

his love is eternal;

^6*he built the earth on the deep waters;

his love is eternal.

^7*He made the sun and the moon;

his love is eternal;

^8*the sun to rule over the day;

his love is eternal;

^9*the moon and the stars to rule over the night;

his love is eternal.

^10*He killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians;

his love is eternal.

^11*He led the people of Israel out of Egypt;

his love is eternal;

¹²with his strong hand, his powerful arm;

his love is eternal.

^13*He divided the Red Sea;

his love is eternal;

^14*he led his people through it;

his love is eternal;

^15*but he drowned the king of Egypt and his army;

his love is eternal.

¹⁶He led his people through the desert;

his love is eternal.

¹⁷He killed powerful kings;

his love is eternal;

¹⁸he killed famous kings;

his love is eternal;

^19*Sihon, king of the Amorites;

his love is eternal;

^20*and Og, king of Bashan;

his love is eternal.

²¹He gave their lands to his people;

his love is eternal;

²²he gave them to Israel, his servant;

his love is eternal.

²³He did not forget us when we were defeated;

his love is eternal;

²⁴he freed us from our enemies;

his love is eternal.

²⁵He gives food to every living creature;

his love is eternal.

²⁶Give thanks to the God of heaven;

his love is eternal.