Psalm 135–136

Psalm 135

¹Hallelujah! 

Praise the name of the Lord. 

Praise him, you servants of the Lord 

²who are standing in the house of the Lord, 

in the courtyards of the house of our God. 

³Praise the Lord because he is good. 

Make music to praise his name because his name is beautiful. 

⁴The Lord chose Jacob to be his own 

and chose Israel to be his own special treasure. 

⁵I know that the Lord is great, 

that our Lord is greater than all the false gods. 

⁶The Lord does whatever he wants in heaven or on earth, 

on the seas or in all the depths of the oceans. 

⁷He is the one who makes the clouds rise from the ends of the earth, 

who makes lightning for the thunderstorms, 

and who brings wind out of his storerooms. 

⁸He is the one who killed every firstborn male in Egypt. 

He killed humans and animals alike. 

⁹He sent miraculous signs and amazing things into the heart of Egypt 

against Pharaoh and all his officials. 

¹⁰He is the one who defeated many nations and killed mighty kings: 

¹¹King Sihon of the Amorites, 

King Og of Bashan, 

and all the kingdoms in Canaan. 

¹²He gave their land as an inheritance, 

an inheritance to his people Israel. 

¹³O Lord, your name endures forever. 

O Lord, you will be remembered throughout every generation. 

¹⁴The Lord will provide justice for his people 

and have compassion on his servants. 

¹⁵The idols of the nations are made of silver and gold. 

They were made by human hands.^a

¹⁶They have mouths, but they cannot speak. 

They have eyes, but they cannot see. 

¹⁷They have ears, but they cannot hear. 

They cannot breathe. 

¹⁸Those who make idols end up like them. 

So does everyone who trusts them. 

¹⁹Descendants of Israel, praise the Lord. 

Descendants of Aaron, praise the Lord. 

²⁰Descendants of Levi, praise the Lord. 

You people who fear the Lord, praise the Lord. 

²¹Thank the Lord in Zion. 

Thank the one who lives in Jerusalem. 

Hallelujah! 

Psalm 136

¹Give thanks to the Lord because he is good, 

because his mercy endures forever. 

²Give thanks to the God of gods 

because his mercy endures forever. 

³Give thanks to the Lord of lords 

because his mercy endures forever. 

⁴Give thanks to the only one who does miraculous things— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

⁵to the one who made the heavens by his understanding— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

⁶to the one who spread out the earth on the water— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

⁷to the one who made the great lights— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

⁸the sun to rule the day— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

⁹the moon and stars to rule the night— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹⁰Give thanks to the one who killed the firstborn males in Egypt— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹¹He brought Israel out from among them— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹²with a mighty hand and a powerful arm— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹³Give thanks to one who divided the Red Sea— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹⁴He led Israel through the middle of it— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹⁵He swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹⁶Give thanks to the one who led his people through the desert— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹⁷Give thanks to the one who defeated powerful kings— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹⁸He killed mighty kings— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

¹⁹King Sihon of the Amorites— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

²⁰and King Og of Bashan— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

²¹He gave their land as an inheritance— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

²²as an inheritance for his servant Israel— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

²³He remembered us when we were humiliated— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

²⁴He snatched us from the grasp of our enemies— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

²⁵He gives food to every living creature— 

because his mercy endures forever. 

²⁶Give thanks to the God of heaven 

because his mercy endures forever.