Psalm 146:1–147:11

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.