PSALM 146

The Lord an Abundant Helper.

1 1Praise 2the Lord!

aPraise the Lord, O my soul!

2 I will praise the Lord awhile I live;

I will bsing praises to my God while I have my being.

3 aDo not trust in princes,

In 1mortal bman, in whom there is cno salvation.

4 His aspirit departs, he breturns to 1the earth;

In that very day his cthoughts perish.

5 How ablessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

Whose bhope is in the Lord his God,

6 Who amade heaven and earth,

The bsea and all that is in them;

Who ckeeps 1faith forever;

7 Who aexecutes justice for the oppressed;

Who bgives food to the hungry.

The Lord csets the prisoners free.

8 The Lord aopens the eyes of the blind;

The Lord braises up those who are bowed down;

The Lord cloves the righteous;

9 The Lord 1aprotects the 2strangers;

He 3bsupports the fatherless and the widow,

But He 4thwarts cthe way of the wicked.

10 The Lord will areign forever,

Your God, O Zion, to all generations.

1Praise 2the Lord!

PSALM 147

Praise for Jerusalem’s Restoration and Prosperity.

1 1Praise 2the Lord!

For ait is good to sing praises to our God;

For 3it is pleasant and praise is bbecoming.

2 The Lord abuilds up Jerusalem;

He bgathers the outcasts of Israel.

3 He heals the abrokenhearted

And bbinds up their 1wounds.

4 He acounts the number of the stars;

He 1bgives names to all of them.

5 aGreat is our Lord and abundant in strength;

His bunderstanding is 1infinite.

6 The Lord 1asupports the afflicted;

He brings down the wicked to the ground.

7 aSing to the Lord with thanksgiving;

Sing praises to our God on the lyre,

8 Who acovers the heavens with clouds,

Who bprovides rain for the earth,

Who cmakes grass to 1grow on the mountains.

9 He agives to the beast its food,

And to the byoung ravens which cry.

10 He does not delight in the strength of the ahorse;

He bdoes not take pleasure in the legs of a man.

11 The Lord afavors those who fear Him,

bThose who wait for His lovingkindness.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!

Praise your God, O Zion!

13 For He has strengthened the abars of your gates;

He has bblessed your sons within you.

14 He amakes 1peace in your borders;

He bsatisfies you with cthe 2finest of the wheat.

15 He sends forth His acommand to the earth;

His bword runs very swiftly.

16 He gives asnow like wool;

He scatters the bfrost like ashes.

17 He casts forth His aice as fragments;

Who can stand before His bcold?

18 He asends forth His word and melts them;

He bcauses His wind to blow and the waters to flow.

19 He adeclares His words to Jacob,

His bstatutes and His ordinances to Israel.

20 He ahas not dealt thus with any nation;

And as for His ordinances, they have bnot known them.

1Praise 2the Lord!

PSALM 148

The Whole Creation Invoked to Praise the Lord.

1 1Praise 2the Lord!

Praise the Lord afrom the heavens;

Praise Him bin the heights!

2 Praise Him, aall His angels;

Praise Him, ball His hosts!

3 Praise Him, sun and moon;

Praise Him, all stars of light!

4 Praise Him, 1ahighest heavens,

And the bwaters that are above the heavens!

5 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For aHe commanded and they were created.

6 He has also aestablished them forever and ever;

He has made a bdecree which will not pass away.

7 Praise the Lord from the earth,

aSea monsters and all bdeeps;

8 aFire and hail, bsnow and cclouds;

dStormy wind, efulfilling His word;

9 aMountains and all hills;

Fruit btrees and all cedars;

10 aBeasts and all cattle;

bCreeping things and winged fowl;

11 aKings of the earth and all peoples;

Princes and all judges of the earth;

12 Both young men and virgins;

Old men and children.

13 Let them praise the name of the Lord,

For His aname alone is exalted;

His bglory is above earth and heaven.

14 And He has alifted up a horn for His people,

bPraise for all His godly ones;

Even for the sons of Israel, a people cnear to Him.

1Praise 2the Lord!