Psalm 136-138

English Standard Version

His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

136 ^(A)Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good,
    ^(B)for his steadfast love endures forever.
²Give thanks to ^(C)the God of gods,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.
³Give thanks to ^(D)the Lord of lords,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

⁴to him who alone ^(E)does great wonders,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
⁵to him who ^(F)by understanding ^(G)made the heavens,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
⁶to him who ^(H)spread out the earth ^(I)above the waters,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
⁷to him who ^(J)made the great lights,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
⁸the sun to rule over the day,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
⁹the moon and stars to rule over the night,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

¹⁰to him who ^(K)struck down the firstborn of Egypt,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
¹¹and ^(L)brought Israel out from among them,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
¹²with ^(M)a strong hand and an outstretched arm,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
¹³to him who ^(N)divided the Red Sea in two,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
¹⁴^(O)and made Israel pass through the midst of it,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
¹⁵but ^(P)overthrew^[a] Pharaoh and his host in the Red Sea,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
¹⁶to him who ^(Q)led his people through the wilderness,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;

¹⁷to him ^(R)who struck down great kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
¹⁸and killed mighty kings,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
¹⁹Sihon, king of the Amorites,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
²⁰and Og, king of Bashan,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
²¹and gave their land as a heritage,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
²²a heritage to Israel his ^(S)servant,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

²³It is he who ^(T)remembered us in our low estate,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
²⁴and ^(U)rescued us from our foes,
    for his steadfast love endures forever;
²⁵he who ^(V)gives food to all flesh,
    for his steadfast love endures forever.

²⁶Give thanks to ^(W)the God of heaven,
for his steadfast love endures forever.

How Shall We Sing the Lord's Song?

137 By the waters of Babylon,
    there we sat down and wept,
    when we remembered Zion.
²On the willows^[b] there
    we hung up our lyres.
³For there our captors
    required of us songs,
and our tormentors, mirth, saying,
    “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

⁴^(X)How shall we sing the Lord's song
    in a foreign land?
⁵If I forget you, O Jerusalem,
    ^(Y)let my right hand forget its skill!
⁶Let my ^(Z)tongue stick to the roof of my mouth,
    if I do not remember you,
if I do not set Jerusalem
    above my highest joy!

⁷Remember, O Lord, against the ^(AA)Edomites
    ^(AB)the day of Jerusalem,
how they said, ^(AC)“Lay it bare, lay it bare,
    down to its foundations!”
⁸O daughter of Babylon, ^(AD)doomed to be destroyed,
    blessed shall he be who ^(AE)repays you
    with what you have done to us!
⁹Blessed shall he be who takes your little ones
    and ^(AF)dashes them against the rock!

Give Thanks to the Lord

Of David.

138 ^(AG)I give you thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart;
    before ^(AH)the gods I sing your praise;
²I bow down ^(AI)toward your ^(AJ)holy temple
    and give thanks to your name for your steadfast love and your faithfulness,
    for you have exalted above all things
    your name and your word.^[c]
³On the day I called, you answered me;
    my strength of soul you increased.^[d]

⁴^(AK)All the kings of the earth shall give you thanks, O Lord,
    for they have heard the words of your mouth,
⁵and they shall sing of ^(AL)the ways of the Lord,
    for great is the glory of the Lord.
⁶^(AM)For though the Lord is high, he regards the lowly,
    but the haughty he knows from afar.

⁷^(AN)Though I walk in the midst of trouble,
    you ^(AO)preserve my life;
you ^(AP)stretch out your hand against the wrath of my enemies,
    and your ^(AQ)right hand delivers me.
⁸The Lord will ^(AR)fulfill his purpose for me;
    ^(AS)your steadfast love, O Lord, endures forever.
    Do not forsake ^(AT)the work of your hands.