Psalms 143:1-150:6

ISV^{(i) 1} A Davidic Song
Longing for God LORD, hear my prayer; pay attention to my request, because you are faithful; answer me in your righteousness. ² Do not enter into judgment with your servant, for no living person is righteous in your sight. ³ For those who oppose me are pursuing my life, crushing me to the ground, making me sit in darkness like those who died long ago. ⁴ As a result, my spirit is desolate within me, and my mind within me is appalled. ⁵ I remember the former times, meditating on everything you have done. I think about the work of your hands. ⁶ I stretch out my hands toward you, longing for you like a parched land. Interlude ⁷ Answer me quickly, LORD; my spirit is failing. Do not hide your face from me; otherwise, I will become like those who descend to the Pit, ⁸ In the morning let me hear of your gracious love, for in you I trust. Cause me to know the way I should take, because I have set my hope on you. ⁹ Deliver me from my enemies, LORD. I have taken refuge in you. ¹⁰ Teach me to do your will, for you are my God. Let your good Spirit lead me on level ground. ¹¹ For the sake of your name, LORD, preserve my life. Because you are righteous, bring me out of trouble. ¹² Because of your gracious love, you will cut off my enemies. You will destroy all who oppose me, for I am your servant.
^{144 1} Davidic
A Song for God’s Provision Blessed be the LORD, my rock, who trains my hands for battle and my fingers for warfare, ² he is my gracious love and my fortress, my strong tower and my deliverer, my shield and the one in whom I find refuge, who subdues peoples under me. ³ LORD, what are human beings, that you should care about them, or mortal man, that you should think about him? ⁴ The human person is a mere empty breath; his days are like a fading shadow. ⁵ Bow your heavens, LORD, and descend; touch the mountains, and they will smolder. ⁶ Send forth lightning and scatter the enemy, shoot your arrows and confuse them. ⁷ Reach down your hand from your high place; rescue me and deliver me from mighty waters, from the control of foreigners. ⁸ Their mouths speak lies, and their right hand deceives, ⁹ God, I will sing a new song to you. On a harp of ten strings I will play to you— ¹⁰ to you who gives victory to kings, rescuing his servant David from cruel swords. ¹¹ Rescue me and deliver me from the control of foreigners, whose mouths speak lies, and whose right hand deceives. ¹² May our sons in their youth be like full-grown plants, and our daughters like pillars destined to decorate a palace. ¹³ May our granaries be filled, storing produce in abundance; may our sheep bring forth thousands, even tens of thousands in our fields. ¹⁴ May our cattle grow heavy with young, with no damage or loss. May there be no cry of anguish in our streets! ¹⁵ Happy are the people to whom these things come; happy are the people whose God is the LORD.
^{145 1} A Davidic Psalm
Praising God for His Works I will speak highly of you, my God and King, and I will bless your name forever and ever. ² I will bless you every day and I will praise your name forever and ever. ³ The LORD is great, and to be praised highly, though his greatness is indescribable. ⁴ One generation will acclaim your works to another and will describe your mighty actions. ⁵ I will speak about the glorious splendor of your majesty as well as your awesome actions. ⁶ People will speak about the might of your great deeds, and I will announce your greatness. ⁷ They will extol the fame of your abundant goodness, and will sing out loud about your righteousness. ⁸ Gracious and merciful is the LORD, slow to become angry, and overflowing with gracious love. ⁹ The LORD is good to everyone and his mercies extend to everything he does. ¹⁰ LORD, everything you have done will praise you, and your holy ones will bless you. ¹¹ They will speak about the glory of your kingdom, and they will talk about your might, ¹² in order to make known your mighty acts to mankind as well as the majestic splendor of your kingdom. ¹³ Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and your authority endures from one generation to another. ^13bGod is faithful about everything he says and merciful in everything he does. ¹⁴ The LORD supports everyone who falls and raises up those who are bowed down. ¹⁵ Everyone’s eyes are on you, as you give them their food in due time. ¹⁶ You open your hand and keep on satisfying the desire of every living thing. ¹⁷ The LORD is righteous in all of his ways and graciously loving in all of his activities. ¹⁸ The LORD remains near to all who call out to him, to everyone who calls out to him sincerely. ¹⁹ He fulfills the desire of those who fear him, hearing their cry and saving them. ²⁰ The LORD preserves everyone who loves him, but he will destroy all of the wicked. ²¹ My mouth will praise the LORD, and all creatures will bless his holy name forever and ever.
^{146 1} Praise to God the Help of Israel Hallelujah! Praise the LORD, my soul! ² I will praise the LORD as long as I live, singing praises to my God while I exist. ³ Do not look to nobles, nor to mere human beings who cannot save. ⁴ When they stop breathing, they return to the ground; on that very day their plans evaporate! ⁵ Happy is the one whose help is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the LORD his God, ⁶ maker of heaven and earth, the seas and everything in them, forever the guardian of truth, ⁷ who brings justice for the oppressed, and who gives food to the hungry. The LORD frees the prisoners; ⁸ the LORD gives sight to the blind. The LORD lifts up those who are weighed down. The LORD loves the righteous. ⁹ The LORD stands guard over the stranger; he supports both widows and orphans, but makes the path of the wicked slippery. ¹⁰ The LORD will reign forever, your God, Zion, for all generations! Hallelujah!
^{147 1} Praise for God’s Provision Hallelujah! It is good to sing praise to our God, and it is fitting to sing glorious praise. ² The LORD rebuilds Jerusalem; he gathers together the outcasts of Israel. ³ He heals the brokenhearted, binding up their injuries. ⁴ He keeps track of the number of stars, assigning names to all of them. ⁵ Our Lord is great, and rich in power; his understanding has no limitation. ⁶ The LORD supports the afflicted while he casts the wicked to the ground. ⁷ Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving, and compose music to our God with the lyre. ⁸ He shields the heavens with clouds, preparing rain for the earth and making grass grow on the hills. ⁹ He gives wild animals their food, including the young ravens when they cry. ¹⁰ He takes no delight in the strength of a horse, and gains no pleasure in the runner’s swiftness. ¹¹ But the LORD is pleased with those who fear him, with those who depend on his gracious love. ¹² Glorify the LORD, Jerusalem! Praise your God, Zion! ¹³ For he has strengthened the bars of your gates, blessing your children within you. ¹⁴ He grants peace within your borders, satisfying you with the finest of wheat. ¹⁵ He sends out his command to the earth, making his word go forth quickly. ¹⁶ He supplies snow like wool, scattering frost like ashes. ¹⁷ He casts down his ice crystals like bread fragments. Who can endure his freezing cold? ¹⁸ He sends out his word and melts them. He makes his wind blow and the water flows. ¹⁹ He declares his words to Jacob, his statutes and decrees to Israel. ²⁰ He has not dealt with any other nation like this; they never knew his decrees. Hallelujah!
^{148 1} Let All the Earth Praise the LORD Hallelujah! Praise the LORD from heaven; praise him in the highest places. ² Praise him, all his angels; praise him, all his armies! ³ Praise him, sun and moon; praise him, all you shining stars. ⁴ Praise him, you heaven of heavens, and you waters above the heavens. ⁵ Let them praise the name of the LORD, for he himself gave the command that they be created. ⁶ He set them in place to last forever and ever; he gave the command and will not rescind it. ⁷ Praise the LORD, you from the earth, you creatures of the sea and all you depths, ⁸ fire, hail, snow, fog, and wind storm that carry out his command, ⁹ mountains and every hill, fruit trees and cedars, ¹⁰ living creatures and livestock, insects and flying birds, ¹¹ earthly kings and all peoples, nobles and all court officials of the earth, ¹² young men and young women alike, along with older people and children. ¹³ Let them praise the name of the LORD, for his name alone is lifted up; his majesty transcends earth and heaven. ¹⁴ He has raised up a source of strength for his people, an object of praise for all of his holy ones, that is, for the people of Israel who are near him. Hallelujah!
^{149 1} A Song About Rejoicing in God Hallelujah! Sing a new song to the LORD, praising him where the godly gather together. ² May Israel rejoice in its Maker, and Zion’s descendants in their King! ³ May they praise his name with dancing, chanting songs to him with tambourines and lyres. ⁴ For the LORD is pleased with his people; he beautifies the afflicted with salvation. ⁵ May those he loves be exalted, singing for joy on their couches. ⁶ Let high praises to God be heard in their throats, while they wield two-edged swords in their hands ⁷ as they bring retribution to nations and punishment to peoples, ⁸ binding their kings with chains, their officials with iron bands, ⁹ and executing the judgment written against them. This is honor for all the ones he loves. Hallelujah!
^{150 1} A Psalm of Praise Hallelujah! Praise God in his Holy Place. Praise him in his great expanse. ² Praise him for his mighty works. Praise him according to his excellent greatness. ³ Praise him with trumpet sounding. Praise him with stringed instrument and harp. ⁴ Praise him with tambourine and dancing. Praise him with stringed and wind instruments. ⁵ Praise him with loud cymbals. Praise him with reverberating cymbals. ⁶ Let everyone who breathes praise the LORD. Hallelujah!