Psalm 146–147

Psalm 146

¹Hallelujah! 

Praise the Lord, my soul! 

²I want to praise the Lord throughout my life. 

I want to make music to praise my God as long as I live. 

³Do not trust influential people, 

mortals who cannot help you. 

⁴When they breathe their last breath, they return to the ground. 

On that day their plans come to an end. 

⁵Blessed are those who receive help from the God of Jacob. 

Their hope rests on the Lord their God, 

⁶who made heaven, earth, 

the sea, and everything in them. 

The Lord remains faithful forever. 

⁷He brings about justice for those who are oppressed. 

He gives food to those who are hungry. 

The Lord sets prisoners free. 

⁸The Lord gives sight to blind people. 

The Lord straightens ⸤the backs⸥ of those who are bent over. 

The Lord loves righteous people. 

⁹The Lord protects foreigners. 

The Lord gives relief to orphans and widows. 

But he keeps wicked people from reaching their goal. 

¹⁰The Lord rules as king forever. 

Zion, your God rules throughout every generation. 

Hallelujah! 

Psalm 147

¹Hallelujah! 

It is good to sing psalms to our God. 

It is pleasant to sing ⸤his⸥ praise beautifully. 

²The Lord is the builder of Jerusalem. 

He is the one who gathers the outcasts of Israel together. 

³He is the healer of the brokenhearted. 

He is the one who bandages their wounds. 

⁴He determines the number of stars. 

He gives each one a name. 

⁵Our Lord is great, and his power is great. 

There is no limit to his understanding. 

⁶The Lord gives relief to those who are oppressed. 

He brings wicked people down to the ground. 

⁷Sing to the Lord a song of thanksgiving. 

Make music to our God with a lyre. 

⁸He covers the sky with clouds. 

He provides rain for the ground. 

He makes grass grow on the mountains. 

⁹He is the one who gives food to animals 

and to young ravens when they call out. 

¹⁰He finds no joy in strong horses, 

nor is he pleased by brave soldiers. 

¹¹The Lord is pleased with those who fear him, 

with those who wait with hope for his mercy. 

¹²Praise the Lord, Jerusalem! 

Praise your God, Zion! 

¹³He makes the bars across your gates strong. 

He blesses the children within you. 

¹⁴He is the one who brings peace to your borders 

and satisfies your ⸤hunger⸥ with the finest wheat. 

¹⁵He is the one who sends his promise throughout the earth. 

His word travels with great speed. 

¹⁶He is the one who sends snow like wool 

and scatters frost like ashes. 

¹⁷He is the one who throws his hailstones like breadcrumbs. 

Who can withstand his chilling blast? 

¹⁸He sends out his word and melts his hailstones. 

He makes wind blow ⸤and⸥ water flow. 

¹⁹He speaks his word to Jacob, 

his laws and judicial decisions to Israel. 

²⁰He has done nothing like this for any other nation. 

The other nations do not know the decisions he has handed down. 

Hallelujah!