Psalm 145–147

A Hymn of Praise^b

145 I will proclaim your greatness, my God and king;

I will thank you for ever and ever.

²Every day I will thank you;

I will praise you for ever and ever.

³The Lord is great and is to be highly praised;

his greatness is beyond understanding.

⁴What you have done will be praised from one generation to the next;

they will proclaim your mighty acts.

⁵They will speak of your glory and majesty,

and I will meditate on your wonderful deeds.

⁶People will speak of your mighty deeds,

and I will proclaim your greatness.

⁷They will tell about all your goodness

and sing about your kindness.

⁸The Lord is loving and merciful,

slow to become angry and full of constant love.

⁹He is good to everyone

and has compassion on all he made.

¹⁰All your creatures, Lord, will praise you,

and all your people will give you thanks.

¹¹They will speak of the glory of your royal power

and tell of your might,

¹²so that everyone will know your mighty deeds

and the glorious majesty of your kingdom.

¹³Your rule is eternal,

and you are king for ever.

The Lord is faithful to his promises,

and he is merciful in all his acts.

¹⁴He helps those who are in trouble;

he lifts those who have fallen.

¹⁵All living things look hopefully to you,

and you give them food when they need it.

¹⁶You give them enough

and satisfy the needs of all.

¹⁷The Lord is righteous in all he does,

merciful in all his acts.

¹⁸He is near to those who call to him,

who call to him with sincerity.

¹⁹He supplies the needs of those who honour him;

he hears their cries and saves them.

²⁰He protects everyone who loves him,

but he will destroy the wicked.

²¹I will always praise the Lord;

let all his creatures praise his holy name for ever.

In Praise of God the Saviour

146Praise the Lord!

Praise the Lord, my soul!

²I will praise him as long as I live;

I will sing to my God all my life.

³Don’t put your trust in human leaders;

no human being can save you.

⁴When they die, they return to the dust;

on that day all their plans come to an end.

⁵Happy are those who have the God of Jacob to help them

and who depend on the Lord their God,

^6*the Creator of heaven, earth, and sea,

and all that is in them.

He always keeps his promises;

⁷he judges in favour of the oppressed

and gives food to the hungry. The Lord sets prisoners free

⁸and gives sight to the blind.

He lifts those who have fallen;

he loves his righteous people.

⁹He protects the strangers who live in our land;

he helps widows and orphans,

but takes the wicked to their ruin.

¹⁰The Lord is king for ever.

Your God, O Zion, will reign for all time.

Praise the Lord!

In Praise of God the Almighty

147Praise the Lord!

It is good to sing praise to our God;

it is pleasant and right to praise him.

²The Lord is restoring Jerusalem;

he is bringing back the exiles.

³He heals the broken-hearted

and bandages their wounds.

⁴He has decided the number of the stars

and calls each one by name.

⁵Great and mighty is our Lord;

his wisdom cannot be measured.

⁶He raises the humble,

but crushes the wicked to the ground.

⁷Sing hymns of praise to the Lord;

play music on the harp to our God.

⁸He spreads clouds over the sky;

he provides rain for the earth

and makes grass grow on the hills.

⁹He gives animals their food

and feeds the young ravens when they call.

¹⁰His pleasure is not in strong horses,

nor his delight in brave soldiers;

¹¹but he takes pleasure in those who honour him,

in those who trust in his constant love.

¹²Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

¹³He keeps your gates strong;

he blesses your people.

¹⁴He keeps your borders safe

and satisfies you with the finest wheat.

¹⁵He gives a command to the earth,

and what he says is quickly done.

¹⁶He spreads snow like a blanket

and scatters frost like dust.

¹⁷He sends hail like gravel;

no one can endure the cold he sends!

¹⁸Then he gives a command, and the ice melts;

he sends the wind, and the water flows.

¹⁹He gives his message to his people,

his instructions and laws to Israel.

²⁰He has not done this for other nations;

they do not know his laws.

Praise the Lord!