A psalm of praise, by David.
145:1 I will extol you, my God, O king!
I will praise your name continually!
145:2 Every day I will praise you!
I will praise your name continually!
145:3 The Lord is great and certainly worthy of praise!
No one can fathom his greatness!
145:4 One generation will praise your deeds to another,
and tell about your mighty acts!
145:5 I will focus on your honor and majestic splendor,
and your amazing deeds!
145:6 They will proclaim the power of your awesome acts!
I will declare your great deeds!
145:7 They will talk about the fame of your great kindness,
and sing about your justice.
145:8 The Lord is merciful and compassionate;
he is patient and demonstrates great loyal love.
145:9 The Lord is good to all,
and has compassion on all he has made.
145:10 All he has made will give thanks to the Lord.
Your loyal followers will praise you.
145:11 They will proclaim the splendor of your kingdom;
they will tell about your power,
145:12 so that mankind might acknowledge your mighty acts,
and the majestic splendor of your kingdom.
145:13 Your kingdom is an eternal kingdom,
and your dominion endures through all generations.
145:14 The Lord supports all who fall,
and lifts up all who are bent over.
145:15 Everything looks to you in anticipation,
and you provide them with food on a regular basis.
145:16 You open your hand,
and fill every living thing with the food they desire.
145:17 The Lord is just in all his actions,
and exhibits love in all he does.
145:18 The Lord is near all who cry out to him,
all who cry out to him sincerely.
145:19 He satisfies the desire of his loyal followers;
he hears their cry for help and delivers them.
145:20 The Lord protects those who love him,
but he destroys all the wicked.
145:21 My mouth will praise the Lord.
Let all who live praise his holy name forever!
146:1 Praise the Lord!
Praise the Lord, O my soul!
146:2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live!
I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist!
146:3 Do not trust in princes,
or in human beings, who cannot deliver!
146:4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground;
on that day their plans die.
146:5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God,
146:6 the one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who remains forever faithful,
146:7 vindicates the oppressed,
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases the imprisoned.
146:8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up all who are bent over.
The Lord loves the godly.
146:9 The Lord protects those residing outside their native land;
he lifts up the fatherless and the widow,
but he opposes the wicked.
146:10 The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come!
Praise the Lord!
147:1 Praise the Lord,
for it is good to sing praises to our God!
Yes, praise is pleasant and appropriate!
147:2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem,
and gathers the exiles of Israel.
147:3 He heals the brokenhearted,
and bandages their wounds.
147:4 He counts the number of the stars;
he names all of them.
147:5 Our Lord is great and has awesome power;
there is no limit to his wisdom.
147:6 The Lord lifts up the oppressed,
but knocks the wicked to the ground.
147:7 Offer to the Lord a song of thanks!
Sing praises to our God to the accompaniment of a harp!
147:8 He covers the sky with clouds,
provides the earth with rain,
and causes grass to grow on the hillsides.
147:9 He gives food to the animals,
and to the young ravens when they chirp.
147:10 He is not enamored with the strength of a horse,
nor is he impressed by the warrior’s strong legs.
147:11 The Lord takes delight in his faithful followers,
and in those who wait for his loyal love.
147:12 Extol the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
147:13 For he makes the bars of your gates strong.
He blesses your children within you.
147:14 He brings peace to your territory.
He abundantly provides for you the best grain.
147:15 He sends his command through the earth;
swiftly his order reaches its destination.
147:16 He sends the snow that is white like wool;
he spreads the frost that is white like ashes.
147:17 He throws his hailstones like crumbs.
Who can withstand the cold wind he sends?
147:18 He then orders it all to melt;
he breathes on it, and the water flows.
147:19 He proclaims his word to Jacob,
his statutes and regulations to Israel.
147:20 He has not done so with any other nation;
they are not aware of his regulations.
Praise the Lord!