THE PSALMS

BOOK FIVE  –  Part 3 of 3

(Psalms 120 - 150)

 

 

“I exalt You, my God, O King; and bless Your Name for ever and ever.

Every day I bless You, and praise Your Name for ever and ever.

Great is YHWH, and greatly to be praised;

and His greatness is unsearchable.”

 (Psalm 145:1-3)

 

OUR COLOURED TEXT

Our text is coloured to highlight Deity, promises, blessings, prophecies, praise, salvation, judgment and emphasis.  This is to encourage an analytical eye while studying the psalms.

 

COLOUR  SCHEME:

ORANGE for Names, titles & attributes of God.      

GREEN for blessings, promises & answered prayer.    

RED for salvation & deliverance.    

MAJENTA for worship, praise & thanksgiving. 

PURPLE for Messianic passages.    

DARK BLUE for prophetic passages. 

BROWN for warnings, discipline, & judgments,

BLUE for general text or emphasis.    

 

Suggested memory verses - the verse number is indicated in red.

 

PSALM 120

I Am For Peace - They are For War

In this lament the psalmist cries for deliverance, retribution and for peace.

A Song of Ascents

 

1    In my distress I cried to YHWH, and He answered me.

2    Deliver my soul, O YHWH, from lying lips,

      from a deceitful tongue.

3    What shall be given to you,

      and what more shall be done to you,

      you deceitful tongue?

4    Sharp arrows of the warrior,

      with the burning coals of the broom tree.

 

5    Woe is me that I dwell in Meshech,

      that I dwell among the tents of Kedar!

6    Too long has my soul lived among those who hate peace.

7    I am for peace, but when I speak, they are for war.    r

 

 

PSALM 121

YHWH Your KeeperProtector

This is a pilgrim’s hymn which affirms that all true help

comes from Yahweh the Keeper of Israel

A Song of Ascents

 

1    I lift up my eyes to the mountains;

      where does my help come from?

2    My help comes from YHWH

      who made heaven and earth.

3    He does not allow your foot to slip.

      He who watches over and keeps you does not slumber!

4    Look! He who is keeping Israel

      neither slumbers nor sleeps.

5    YHWH is your Guard and Keeper;

      YHWH is your Shade at your right hand.

6    The sun does not harm you by day,

      nor the moon by night.

7    YHWH protects you from all evil.

      He preserves your soul.

8    YHWH guards your going out and your coming in,

      both now and for evermore.  r

 

 

PSALM 122

Pray for the Peace of Jerusalem

The psalmist recounts his joyful pilgrimage to Jerusalem,

and praises the city as the spiritual and civic centre of the nation.

He calls for prayer for the peace and prosperity of Jerusalem.

A song of Ascents, of David

 

1    I was glad when they said to me,

      'Let us go into the House of YHWH.'

2    Our feet have been standing within your gates,

      O Jerusalem!

3    Jerusalem is built

      as a city that is closely bound together;

4    to which the tribes go up, the tribes of YAH -

      a testimony to Israel -

      to give thanks to the Name of YHWH.

5    For there thrones are set for judgment,

      the thrones of the House of David.

 

6    Pray for the peace of Jerusalem;

      Let those who love you be at rest.

7    May peace be within your walls,

      rest and security within your citadels.

8    For the sake of my brothers and my companions,

      I will now say, 'May peace be within you.'

9    Because of the House of YHWH our Elohim

      I seek your good. r

 

 

PSALM 123

Have Mercy on Us, O YHWH

The psalmist expresses his confidence in God,

and prays for the people’s deliverance from those who have contempt for them.

A Song of Ascents

 

1    Unto You do I lift up my eyes -

      to You who dwell in the heavens!

2    Look! As the eyes of servants are toward the hand of their masters,

      as the eyes of a maid are toward the hand of her mistress,

      so are our eyes toward YHWH our God,

      until He has mercy on us.

 

3    Have mercy on us, O YHWH, have mercy on us;

      for we are satiated with contempt.

4    Our soul is greatly filled

      with the scorn of those who are at ease,

      and with the contempt of the arrogant.   r

 

 

PSALM 124

YHWH Is On Our Side

The psalmist reflects on Israel’s past needs and give thanks for God’s deliverance. Help comes in the Name of Yahweh who made heaven and earth.

A Song of Ascents, of David

 

1    "If it had not been YHWH who was on our side,"

      let Israel now say;

2    "If it had not been YHWH who was on our side,

      when men rose against us;

3    then they would have swallowed us alive,

      in their burning rage against us;

4    then the flood-waters would have overwhelmed us,

      the torrent would have swept over our soul;

5    then the proud raging waters would have swept over our soul."

 

6    Blessed is YHWH,

      who has not given us as prey to their teeth.

7    Our soul escaped like a bird from the snare of the trapper;

      the snare was broken and we have escaped.

8    Our help is in the Name of YHWH,

      who made heaven and earth.     r

 

 

PSALM 125

YHWH Surrounds His People

The psalmist expresses assurance that believers are secure like Mt Zion,

and the domination of wickedness will  end.

 

1    Those who trust in YHWH are like Mount Zion

      which cannot be moved, but remains forever.

2    As the mountains surround Jerusalem,

      so YHWH surrounds His people

      from this time onwards, and for ever.

3    For the sceptre of wickedness will not rest on the land allotted to the righteous;

      lest the righteous stretch forth their hands to do evil.

 

4    Do good, O YHWH, to those who are good,

      and to those who are upright in their hearts.

5    But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways,

      YHWH will banish them with the workers of iniquity.

      Peace be upon Israel.    r

 

 

PSALM 126

Restoring the Captives

Sow in Tears ... Reap in Joy

The restored exiles rejoice in the LORD’S deliverance and prays for the restoration of the rest of the exiles. The writer reiterates the principle of sowing and reaping.

A Song of Ascents

 

1        1    When YHWH turned back the captivity

      and brought the captives back to Zion,

      we were like those who dream.

2    Then our mouth was filled with laughter,

      and our tongue with joyful singing.

      Then they said among the nations,

      'YHWH has done great things for them.'

3    YHWH will do great things for us,

      and we will be glad.

 

4        Turn back our captivity, O YHWH,

Bring back the rest of our captives as the streams in the South.

5    Those sowing in tears shall reap with joyful singing.

6    He who goes out weeping, carrying seed to sow,

      will return with shouts of joy,

      bringing his sheaves with him.    r

 

 

PSALM 127

Sons are the Heritage of YHWH,

Children are His Reward

In this psalm Solomon stresses that life should be lived in

dependence on YHWH, and that children are His blessing.

A Song of Ascents, of Solomon

 

1    Unless YHWH builds the house,

      its builders labour in vain.

      Unless YHWH guards the city,

      the watchman keeps awake in vain.

2    It is vain for you to rise up early, to stay up late,

      to eat the bread of grief and toil;

      for He gives sleep to His beloved – the ones He loves.

 

3    Look!  Sons are a heritage of YHWH;

      children  - the fruit of the womb - are His reward.

4    Like arrows in the hand of a warrior,

      so are the sons of one's youth.

5    Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.

      They will not be ashamed,

      when they speak with their enemies in the gate.  r

                                                                                               

 

PSALM 128

Blessed Are They Who Stand in Awe of YHWH!

The blessings on the family that reverences the LORD.

A Song of Ascents

 

1    How blessed is everyone who stands in awe of YHWH,

      who walks in His ways.

2    You will eat the fruit of the labour of your hands;

      you will be happy and it will be well with you.

3    Your wife will be like a fruitful vine within your house;

      your sons like olive plants around your table.

4    Look! For thus shall the man be blessed

      who stands in awe of YHWH.

 

5    YHWH bless you out of Zion;

      may you see the prosperity of Jerusalem all the days of your life,

6    and may you see your children's children.

      Peace be upon Israel.   r

 

 

PSALM 129

They Plowed My Back

Israel oppressed, but YHWH will cut the cords of the wicked.

A Song of Ascents

 

1    "Often they have oppressed me from my youth,"

      let Israel now say,

2    "Often they have oppressed me from my youth;

      yet they have not prevailed against me.

3    "The plowers plowed on my back;

      they have made their furrows long."

4    YHWH is righteous;

      He has cut the cords of the wicked in two.

 

5    Let all who hate Zion

      be put to shame and turned backward.

6    Let them be like grass upon the housetops

      which withers before it grows up;

7    which does not fill the reaper’s hand,

      nor fill the arms of the one who binds the sheaves.

8    And those who pass by shall not say,

      "The blessing of YHWH be upon you;

      we bless you in the Name of YHWH."    r

 

 

PSALM 130

Wait Confidently for YHWH

A heart-felt cry for forgiveness and deliverance;

and an exhortation to Israel to wait and to trust YHWH

A Song of Ascents

 

1    Out of the depths I have cried to You, O YHWH.

2    Sovereign Master, hear my voice!

      Let Your ears be attentive

      to the voice of my supplications.

3    O Yah, if You should mark iniquities,

      O Master, who could stand?

4    But there is forgiveness with You,

      that You might be feared.

 

5    I waited for YHWH, my soul waits expectantly,

      and in His Word I have waited with hope.

6    My soul looks for the Sovereign Master

      more than the watchmen for the morning;

      yes, more than those watching for the morning.

7    O Israel, wait and hope confidently in YHWH;

      for with YHWH there is lovingkindness,

      and with Him is such great redemption.

8    And He will redeem Israel from all his iniquities.   r

 

 

PSALM 131

Childlike Trust in YHWH

David  expresses his childlike trust in YHWH,

and calls on Israel to wait for the LORD.

A Song of Ascents, of David

 

1    O YHWH, my heart has not been arrogant,

      nor have my eyes been haughty;

      neither have I involved myself in great matters,

      nor in things too wondrous for me.

2    Have I not calmed and quietened my soul,

      like a weaned child is by its mother?

      My soul is like a child I have weaned.

3    O Israel, wait confidently for YHWH

      from this time onwards, and for ever.    r

 

 

PSALM 132

YHWH Has Chosen to Dwell in Zion

The first part of the psalm requests Yahweh to remember David’s zeal and determination to bring back the Ark of the Covenant to Jerusalem,

and to build a House for YHWH. The second part reiterates

God’s choice of Zion as His dwelling place, and His covenant with David –

that his descendant will be the Messiah.

A Song of Ascents

 

1    O YHWH, remember David,

      and all his afflictions;

2    how he swore to YHWH,

      and vowed to the Mighty One of Jacob;

3    "I will not enter my house,

      nor go to lie on my bed;

4    I will not give sleep to my eyes,

      or slumber to my eyelids;

5    until I find a place for YHWH,

      a dwelling place for the Mighty One of Jacob."

 

6    Look! We heard of it in Ephrathah;

      we found it in the fields of Jaar (Kiriath-Jearim).

7    Let us go into His dwelling place;

      let us worship at His footstool.

8    Arise, O YHWH, to Your place of rest;

      You and the Ark of Your Strength.

9    Let Your priests put on righteousness;

      and let Your humble, devout ones shout for joy.

 

10  ^For the sake of David Your servant,

      do not turn away the face of Your Anointed One.

11  YHWH has sworn in truth to David,

      and He will not revoke it;

      "Of the fruit of your body - your descendants -

      I will set upon your throne.

12  If your sons keep My covenant,

      and My testimonies that I teach them,

      their sons also shall sit upon your throne for ever."^

 

13  For YHWH has chosen Zion;

      He has desired it for His dwelling.

14  "This is My place of rest for ever;

      here I will dwell, for I have desired it.

15  I will abundantly bless her with provisions;

      I will satisfy her needy ones with bread;

16  I will clothe her priests with salvation;

      and her humble, devout ones will sing for joy.

17  ^There I will cause the *horn of David to bud and grow;

      I have prepared a lamp for Mine Anointed One.

18  His enemies I will clothe with shame; 

      while on Him His crown shall shine."^    r

     

*  horn here symbolises "strong one, that is, king, Messiah."

 

 

PSALM 133

The Unity of Brethren

Brothers living together in unity is like precious oil and like the dew of Hermon.

 

1    See, how good and how pleasant it is

      for brothers to dwell together in unity!

2    It is like the precious oil on the head,

      running down the beard, the beard of Aaron,

      running down to the edge of his robes.

3    It is like the dew of Hermon

      falling upon the mountains of Zion;

      for there YHWH commanded the blessing -

      life forever.    r

 

 

PSALM 134

All Servants, Bless YHWH

A Song of Ascents

 

1    Come, bless YHWH, all you servants of YHWH,

      who stand and serve by night in the House of YHWH!

2    Lift up your hands in the sanctuary,

      and bless YHWH.

3    YHWH, Maker of the heavens and earth,

      blesses you from Zion.   r

 

 

PSALM 135

YHWH Is Good, YHWH is Great!

This psalm is a call to praise Yahweh for His goodness in choosing Israel,

and because of His greatness in creation and history.

1    Praise Yah!

      Praise the Name of YHWH;

      praise Him, you servants of YHWH,

2    you who are standing in the House of YHWH,

      in the courts of the House of our God!

3    Praise Yah, for YHWH is good;

      sing praises to His Name, for it is pleasant.

4    For Yah has chosen Jacob for Himself,

      Israel for His own treasured possession.

 

5    For I know that YHWH is great,

      and that our Master is above all gods.

6    YHWH has done whatever has pleased Him,

      in the heavens and in earth,

      in the seas and in all the depths,

7    causing the vapors to ascend from the ends of the earth;

      He makes lightning for the rain;

      and brings out the wind from His treasuries.

 

8    He struck down the first-born of Egypt,

      both of man and beast.

9    He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,

      upon Pharaoh and all his servants.

10  He struck down many nations, and slew mighty kings -

11  Sihon, king of the Amorites,

      and Og, king of Bashan,

      and all the kingdoms of Canaan;

12  and He gave their land as an inheritance,

      an inheritance to Israel His people.

13  O YHWH, Your Name is everlasting;

      Your renown and remembrance, O YHWH,

      will endure throughout all generations.

14  For YHWH will judge and vindicate His people,

      and have compassion on His servants.

15  The idols of the nations are silver and gold,

      the work of men's hands.

16  They have mouths, but they do not speak;

      they have eyes, but they do not see;

17  they have ears, but they do not hear;

      nor is there any breath in their mouth.

18  Those who make them are like them,

      yes, everyone who trusts in them.

 

19  O House of Israel, bless YHWH;

      O house of Aaron, bless YHWH;

20  O house of Levi, bless YHWH;

      you who revere YHWH, bless YHWH.

21  Blessed is YHWH from Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem.

      Praise Yah!    r

 

 

PSALM 136

Give Thanks to YHWH for His Mercy and Kindness!

A psalm of great praise to the LORD for His mercy and kindness,

His great deeds in nature, in the history of Israel, and for His mercy to all.

 

1    Give thanks to YHWH, for He is good;

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

2    Give thanks to the God of gods,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

3    Give thanks to the Master of masters,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

4    To Him who alone does great wonders,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

5    To Him who by His understanding made the heavens,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

6    To Him who spread out the earth above the waters,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

7    To Him who made great lights,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

8    The sun to rule by day,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

9    The moon and stars to rule by night,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

 

10  To Him who smote the firstborn of Egypt,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

11  and brought out Israel from among them,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

12  with a strong hand and an outstretched arm,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

 

13  To Him who divided the Red Sea in two,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

14  and made Israel pass through the midst of it,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

15  but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

 

16  To Him who led His people through the wilderness,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

 

17  To Him who smote great kings,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

18  and slew mighty kings,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

19  - Sihon, king of the Amorites,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

20  and Og, king of Bashan,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

21  and gave their land as an inheritance,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

22  an inheritance to Israel His servant,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

23  who remembered us in our lowly state,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

24  and rescued us from our adversaries,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting,

25  who gives food to every creature,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.

 

26  Give thanks to the God of the heavens,

            for His mercy and kindness is everlasting.   r

 

 

PSALM 137

If I Forget You, O Jerusalem!

This is a Song of the Exiles about the plight of the captives in Babylon.

The writer expresses love for Jerusalem,

and prays that Yahweh will remember the enemies.

 

1    By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down,

      and we wept as we remembered Zion.

2    We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it,

3    for there our captors asked us for the words of a song,

      and our tormentors asked us to be joyful; saying,

      "Sing to us a song of Zion."

 

4    How can we sing the songs of YHWH in a foreign land?

5    If I forget you, O Jerusalem,

      may my right hand forget its skill.

6    May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouth,

      if I do not remember you,

      if I do not exalt Jerusalem above my highest joy.

 

7    Remember, O YHWH, to recompense the sons of Edom,

      who, on the day of Jerusalem, said:

      "Raze it, raze it to its foundation."

8    O daughter of Babylon, you devastated one,

      how blessed is the one who repays you

      for what you have done to us.

9    How blessed is the one who seizes and

      dashes your little ones against the rock.    r

 

 

PSALM 138

Your Word and Your Name Are Magnified

The psalmist praises Yahweh  for answering his prayer,

and expresses his confidence that He will accomplish His purposes for him.

The LORD will deal with his enemies

(the world, the flesh and the devil).

And the kings of the earth will hear God’s words and give thanks to Him.

 

1    I praise You, O YHWH, with all my heart;

      before "the gods" I sing Your praise.

2    I bow myself down and worship towards Your holy temple,

      and praise Your Name for Your lovingkindness and Your truth;

      for You have exalted Your Word, and Your Name, above all.

3    On the day I called, You answered me;

      You made me bold with strength in my soul.

 

4    Let all the kings of the earth give thanks to You, O YHWH,

      when they hear the words of Your mouth.

5    And let them sing of the ways of YHWH,

      for great is the glory of YHWH.

6    For though YHWH is exalted, He regards the lowly;

      but the haughty He knows from afar.

 

7    Though I walk in the midst of trouble and distress,

      You revive me;

      You stretch forth Your Hand against the wrath of my enemies,

      and Your Right Hand saves me.

8    YHWH perfects and fulfils that which concerns me.

      Your lovingkindness, O YHWH, is everlasting.

      Do not forsake the works of Your Hands.   r

 

 

PSALM 139

YHWH Searches and Knows Everything

This psalm focuses on four great attributes of Yahweh:

His knowledge of all things; His Presence everywhere;

His power in the formation of man;

and His holiness which destroys evil men and searches the believer’s heart.

A Psalm of David

 

1    O YHWH, You have searched me and have known me.

2    You know when I sit down and when I rise up;

      You understand my thoughts from afar.

3    You scrutinize my path and my lying down,

      and are familiar with all my ways.

4    For there is not a word on my tongue,

      O YHWH, but lo and behold, You know it all.

5    You have hemmed me in - behind and before,

      and have laid Your Hand upon me.

6    Such knowledge is too wonderful for me!

      It is too high, I cannot reach it.

 

7    Where can I go from Your Spirit?

      Where can I flee from Your Presence?

8    If I ascend to the heavens, You are there;

      If I make my bed in Sheol (the realm of the dead),

      See! You are there also.

9    If  I rise on the wings of the morning,

      and if  I settle in the remotest part of the seas,

10  even there Your Hand will lead me,

      and Your Right Hand will lay hold of me.

11  If I say, 'Surely the darkness will cover me,'

      then night would be light around me.

12  Even darkness does not hide anything from You.

      But the night shines like the day,

      for darkness and light are both alike to You.

 

13  For You have possessed my kidneys --

 

      You have formed my innermost being,

      You covered me in my mother's womb.

14  I will confess and praise You,

      for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.

      Marvellous are Your works,

      and my soul knows it very well.

15  My bones were not hidden from You,

      when I was made in secret,

      and skilfully woven "in the depths of the earth."

16  Your eyes have seen my unformed substance;

      and in Your book they were all written --

      everything about me, including

      the days that were ordained for me,

      when as yet there was not one of them.

17  And how precious are Your thoughts to me, O God!

      How great has been the sum of them!

18  If I should count them, they would be more than the sand.

      When I awake, I am still with You.

 

19  O that you would slay the wicked, O Eloah - God.*

      Away from me, therefore, you men of blood!

20  They speak against You wickedly, Eloah,

      and Your enemies take Your Name in vain.

21  Do I not hate those who hate You, O YHWH?

      And am I not grieved with those who rise up against You?

22  I hate them with perfect hatred -- with righteous indignation.

      They have become my enemies.

23  Search me, O God, and know my heart.

      Try me and know my thoughts,

24  and see if there be any grievous way in me,

      and lead me in the everlasting way.    r

 

(*The word Eloah, one of the Hebrew words translated as 'God', is used mostly in the book of Job. It is used only four times in Psalms, including this occurrence.)

 

 

PSALM 140

Protection From Violent Men

The psalmist cries for preservation from violent men,

and calls for retribution upon the wicked.

He expresses confidence that Yahweh will answer and

uphold the cause of the poor and afflicted.

To the Chief Musician. A Psalm of David.

 

1    Rescue me, O YHWH, from evil men;

      preserve me from men of violence,

2    who have devised evil things in their hearts.

      All day long they gather and stir up wars.

3    They sharpen their tongues as a serpent;

      the poison of a cobra is under their lips.   Selah.

 

4    Guard me, O YHWH, from the hands of the wicked;

      preserve me from men of violence

      who have schemed to trip up my steps.

5    The proud have hidden a trap for me, and cords;

      they have spread a net by the wayside;

      they have set snares for me.    Selah.

 

6    I said to YHWH, "You are my God;

      hear the voice of my supplications, O YHWH!

7    O YHWH Adonai, the Strength of my salvation,

      You have covered my head in the day of battle.

8    Do not grant the desires of the wicked, O YHWH;

      do not further his evil device,

      lest they be exalted. Selah.

 

9    As for the head of those who surround me,

      may the evil of their lips cover them.

10  Let burning coals fall on them;

      let them be cast into the fire,

      into deep pits from which they cannot rise.

11  Let not a slanderer be established in the earth;

      let evil hunt down and overthrow the violent man."

 

12  I know that YHWH will maintain the cause of the afflicted,

      and justice for the poor.

13  Yes, the righteous give thanks to Your Name;

      the upright dwell in Your Presence.   r

 

 

PSALM 141

My Eyes Are Toward YHWH Adonai

David cries to Yahweh to hear him,

to keep him from evil speech and actions,

and to deliver him from his enemies.

A Psalm of David

 

1    O YHWH, I call upon You; come quickly to me!

      Give ear to my voice when I call to You!

2    May my prayer be set before You as incense;

      may the lifting up of my hands be as the evening offering.

3    Set a guard over my mouth, O YHWH;

      keep watch over the door of my lips.

4    Do not let my heart be drawn to anything evil,

      to practise deeds of wickedness with men who are evildoers;

      and let me not eat of their delicacies.

 

5    Let the righteous strike me in kindness,

      and let him reprove me - it is oil upon the head.

      Let my head not refuse it.

      My prayer is still against their wicked deeds.

6    Their judges are thrown down by the sides of the rock,

      and they hear my words, for they are pleasant.

7    As when one plows and breaks up the earth,

      our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.

 

8    But my eyes are toward You, O YHWH Adonai.

      In You I take refuge; do not leave me destitute.

9    Keep me from the trap they have set for me,

      and from the snares of evildoers.

10  Let the wicked fall into their own nets,

      while I pass by in safety.   r

 

 

PSALM 142

 

Yahweh My Refuge; Deliver Me from My Persecutors

David cries to God; his complaint is that his foes seek to kill him,

and that no-one cares. But his refuge and confidence is in Yahweh.

Maskil of David, when he was in the cave.

 A Prayer.

 

1    I cry aloud with my voice to YHWH;

      I enteat YHWH with my voice for grace.

2    I pour out my complaint before Him;

      I tell Him all about my distress and trouble.

 

3    When my spirit grew faint within me;

      then You knew my path.

      In the way where I walk they have hidden a trap for me.

4    Look on the right hand and see,

      for there is no one who regards me;

      there is no refuge for me; no one cares for my soul.

 

5    I cried out to You, O YHWH;

      I said, "You are my Refuge,

      my Portion in the land of the living.

6    Listen to my cry, for I am brought very low.

      Deliver me from my persecutors,

      for they are too strong for me.

7    Bring my soul out of prison,

      so that I may proclaim and give thanks to Your Name.

      The righteous will gather about me,

      because You deal bountifully with me."    r

 

 

PSALM 143

Answer me quickly, O YHWH, my spirit fails!

David laments his present distress and remembers the past works of Yahweh.

He appeals for revival, guidance and for deliverance from his enemies.

A Psalm of David.

 

1    Hear my prayer, O YHWH,

      listen to my pleadings!

      Answer me in Your faithfulness,

      in Your righteousness!

2    Do not enter into judgment with Your servant,

      for no-one living is righteous before You.

3    For the enemy has persecuted my soul;

      he has crushed my life to the ground;

      he has made me dwell in dark places,

      like those who have long been dead.

4    Therefore my spirit grew faint within me;

      my heart is distressed within me.

 

5    I remembered the days of old;

      I meditated on all Your works;

      I muse on the work of Your hands.

6    I have stretched out my hands to You;

      my soul longs for You, like a parched land.  Selah.

 

7    Answer me quickly, O YHWH, my spirit fails;

      do not hide Your Face from me,

      lest I become like those who go down to the pit.

8    Let me hear Your lovingkindness in the morning;

      for I trust in You.

      Teach me the way in which I should walk,

      for to You I lift up my soul.

9    Deliver me from my enemies O YHWH;

      I take refuge in You.

 

10  Teach me to do Your will, for You are my God.

      Your Spirit is good;

      lead me on level, upright ground.

11  For Your Name’s sake, O YHWH, revive me.

      In Your righteousness bring my soul out of distress.

12  In Your lovingkindness cut off my enemies,

      and destroy all those who afflict my soul,

      for I am Your servant.    r

 

 

PSALM 144

O YHWH, Deliver me out of the Hands of Aliens

David praises Yahweh, his Fortress, Refuge and Deliverer,

and prays to be rescued out of the hands of aliens.

He anticipates God’s future prosperity and blessings.

A Psalm of David.

     

1    Blessed is YHWH, my Rock,

      who is training my hands for war,

      and my fingers for battle;

2    my Lovingkindness and my Fortress,

      my High Tower and my Deliverer;

      my Shield and He in whom I take refuge;

      the One who subdues my people under me.

3    YHWH, what is man that You take knowledge of him?

      Or the son of man that You are mindful of him?

4    Man is like a mere breath;

      his days are like a passing shadow.

 

5    Incline Your heavens, O YHWH, and come down;

      touch the mountains that they smoke.

6    Send forth lightning and scatter them;

      send out Your arrows and confuse them.

7    Stretch forth Your Hand from above;

      rescue me and deliver me out of great waters,

      from the hand of aliens,

8    whose mouth speaks deceit,

      and whose right hand is a right hand of lies.

 

9    A new song I sing to You, O God;

      on a harp of ten strings I sing praises to You,

10  who gives deliverance to kings;

      who rescues David His servant from the evil sword.

11  Rescue me, and deliver me from the hand of aliens,

      whose mouth speaks deceit,

      and whose right hand is a right hand of falsehood -

12  so that our sons, like plants, may be strong in their youth,

      and so that our daughters may be as polished pillars in a palace;

13 so that our storehouses may be full,

      furnishing every kind of produce,

      and that our flocks may bring forth thousands

      and ten thousands in our fields;

14  so that our oxen may be able to draw heavy loads,

      so that there may be no breaking in,

      no going out as refugees, and no outcry in our streets.

15  How blessed are the people of whom this is true.

      How blessed are the people whose God is YHWH!    r

 

PSALM 145

YHWH Praised For His Mighty Acts

David vows to bless and praise Yahweh every day and forever,

because of His majesty and great works.

He extols God’s wonderful attributes, and His everlasting kingdom.

Verses 14-20 declare the blessings of Yahweh on His people.

A Psalm of Praise, of David

 

1    I exalt You, my God, O King;

      and bless Your Name for ever and ever.

2    Every day I bless You,

      and praise Your Name for ever and ever.

 

3    Great is YHWH, and greatly to be praised;

      and His greatness is unsearchable.

 

4    Generation after generation praise Your works,

      and they declare Your mighty acts.

5    I will declare the glorious splendour of Your majesty,

      and tell all about Your wonderful works.

6    And men speak of the power of Your awesome acts;

      and I recount Your greatness.

7    They celebrate Your abundant goodness,

      and sing of Your righteousness.

 

8    YHWH is gracious and merciful;

      slow to anger and great in lovingkindness.

9    YHWH is good to all,

      and His mercies are over all His works.

10  All Your works give thanks to You, O YHWH,

      and Your devout, set-apart people bless You.

11  They speak of the glory of Your kingdom,

      and talk of Your power;

12  so that the sons of men may know Your mighty acts,

      and the glory of the majesty of Your kingdom.

13  Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,

      and Your dominion endures throughout all generations.

      *YHWH is faithful to all His promises

      And loving towards all He has made. (*see note)

 

14  YHWH sustains all who fall,

      and raises up all who are bowed down.

15  The eyes of all look to You,

      and You give them their food in due time.

16  You open Your Hand,

      and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

 

17  YHWH is righteous in all His ways,

      and kind in all His deeds.

18  YHWH is near to all who call upon Him,

      to all who call upon Him in truth.

19  He fulfils the desire of those who fear Him;

      He also hears their cry and saves them.

20  YHWH keeps all who love Him;

      but all the wicked He will destroy.

21  My mouth speaks the praise of YHWH;

      and all flesh will bless His holy Name

      for ever and ever.    r

 

*    This is alphabetic acrostic psalm, each very beginning with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. In most texts the letter nun is missing between verses 13 and 14. But in the Septuagint (Greek OT), and also a Qumran text, a nun stanza is including, which the NIV uses, and we have included above in italics.

 

PSALM 146

YHWH Thwarts the Way of the Wicked

The last five psalms (146 to 150) are joyous hymns of praise.

Each of these psalms begins and ends with “Praise Yah,” (HalleluYah)

This psalm lists the causes for praise – the greatness and grace of God.

 

1    Praise YAH!

      Praise YHWH, O my soul!

2    While I live I will praise YHWH;

      I will sing praises to my God while I exist.

3    Do not trust in princes,

      nor in a son of a man in whom there is no salvation.

4    His spirit departs, he returns to the earth;

      in that very day his thoughts and plans perish.

5    How blessed is he who has the God of Jacob for his help,

      whose hope is in YHWH his God;

6    who made the heavens and earth,

      the sea and all that is in them;

      who keeps truth forever;

7    who executes justice for the oppressed;

      who gives bread to the hungry.

      YHWH sets the prisoners free.

 

8    YHWH opens the eyes of the blind;

      YHWH raises up those who are bowed down;

      YHWH loves the righteous.

9    YHWH protects the strangers;

      He supports the fatherless and the widow;

      but He thwarts the way of the wicked.

10  YHWH reigns forever,

      Your God, O Zion, to all generations.

      Praise YAH!   r

 

 

PSALM 147

YHWH Heals the Broken-hearted

This psalm calls for praise to Yahweh for His grace to Jerusalem,

and His preservation of Zion; for His greatness in creation;

His grace to those who trust in Him;

and for His Word which He sends forth to the earth.

 

1    Praise YAH!

      For it is good to sing praises to our God;

      for it is pleasant and praise is fitting and beautiful.

2    YHWH builds up Jerusalem;

      He gathers the exiles of Israel.

3    He heals the broken-hearted,

      and binds up their wounds.

4    He appoints the number of the stars;

      He gives names to all of them.

5    Great is our Master, and mighty in power;

      His understanding is infinite.

6    YHWH supports the humble and afflicted;

      and casts the wicked down to the ground.

 

7    Sing to YHWH with thanksgiving;

      sing praises to our God on the lyre,

8    who covers the heavens with clouds,

      who provides rain for the earth,

      who makes grass to grow on the mountains.

9    He gives to the beast its food,

      and to the young ravens which cry.

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

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

11  YHWH takes pleasure in those who fear Him,

      in those who wait for His lovingkindness.

 

12  Praise YHWH, O Jerusalem!

      Praise your God, O Zion!

13  For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;

      He has blessed your sons within you.

14  He makes peace in your borders;

      He satisfies you with the finest of the wheat.

15  He sends forth His command to the earth;

      His Word runs very swiftly.

16  He gives snow like wool;           

      He scatters the frost like ashes.

17  He casts forth His hail as fragments;

      who can stand before His cold?

18  He sends forth His word and melts them;

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

19  He declares His words to Jacob,

      His statutes and His judgments to Israel.

20  He has not dealt thus with any other nation.

      They have not known His judgments.

      Praise YAH!   r

 

 

PSALM 148

Let All Creation Praise Yah!

            The psalmist calls on the heavens and the earth to praise Yahweh.

 

1    Praise YAH!

      Praise YHWH from the heavens;

      praise Him in the heights!

2    Praise Him, all His angels;

      Praise Him, all His hosts!

3    Praise Him, sun and moon;

      Praise Him, all you stars of light!

4    Praise Him, heavens of heavens,

      and you waters that are above the heavens!

5    Let them praise the Name of YHWH,

      for He commanded and they were created.

6    He has also established them for ever and ever;

      He has made a decree which will not pass away.

 

7    Praise YHWH from the earth,

      sea-monsters and all depths;

8    fire and hail, snow and clouds;

      stormy wind, fulfilling His Word;

9    mountains and all hills;

      fruit trees and all cedars;

10  wild beasts and all cattle;

      creeping things and winged fowl;

11  kings of the earth and all peoples;

      rulers and all judges of the earth;

12  both young men and maidens;

      old men and children.

 

13  Let them praise the Name of YHWH,

      For His Name alone is exalted;

      His majesty is above the earth and the heavens.         

14  And He lifts up the horn of His people,

      the praise of all His devout, set-apart people,

      of the sons of Israel, a people near to Him.

      Praise YAH!   r

 

 

PSALM 149

Let Israel Praise YHWH!

This psalm calls upon God’s people to praise Yahweh their Maker and King.

It concludes with a song of triumph over the wicked nations.

 

1    Praise YAH!

      Sing to YHWH a new song,

      and His praise in the assembly of the devout, set-apart people.

2    Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;

      let the sons of Zion be joyful in their King.

3    Let them praise His Name with dancing;

      let them sing praises to Him with tambourine and lyre.

4    For YHWH takes pleasure in His people;

      He will beautify the humble with salvation.

 

5    Let the devout, set-apart people exult in glory;

      let them sing for joy on their beds.

6    Let the high praises of God be in their mouth,

      and a two-edged sword in their hand,

7    to execute vengeance on the nations,

      and punishments on the peoples;

8    to bind their kings with chains,

      and their nobles with shackles of iron;

9    to execute on them the written judgment -

      this is an honour for all His devout, set-apart people.

      Praise YAH!   r

 

 

PSALM 150

Praise YAH !

In this final psalm, everything that has breath is called upon

to join, with the full orchestra, in a climatic song of praise

 

1    Praise YAH!

      Praise God in His holy place.

      Praise Him in the vast expanse of His power.

2    Praise Him for His mighty deeds.

      Praise Him for His surpassing greatness.

3    Praise Him with the sounding of the trumpet.

      Praise Him with the harp and lyre.

4    Praise Him with tambourine and dance.

      Praise Him with strings and woodwinds.

5    Praise Him with the sound of cymbals.

      Praise Him with resounding cymbals.

6    Let everything that has breath praise YAH.

      Hallelu-YAH!    r

 

 

END OF PSALMS BOOK FIVE