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Psalm 147

147 Praise the Lord!
    Because it is good to sing praise to our God!
    Because it is a pleasure to make beautiful praise!

The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem, gathering up Israel’s exiles.
God heals the brokenhearted
    and bandages their wounds.
God counts the stars by number,
    giving each one a name.
Our Lord is great and so strong!
    God’s knowledge can’t be grasped!
The Lord helps the poor,
    but throws the wicked down on the dirt!

Sing to the Lord with thanks;
    sing praises to our God with a lyre!
God covers the skies with clouds;
    God makes rain for the earth;
God makes the mountains sprout green grass.
    God gives food to the animals—
    even to the baby ravens when they cry out.
10 God doesn’t prize the strength of a horse;
    God doesn’t treasure the legs of a runner.
11 No. The Lord treasures the people
who honor him,
    the people who wait for his faithful love.

12 Worship the Lord, Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, Zion!
13 Because God secures the bars on your gates,
    God blesses the children you have there.
14 God establishes your borders peacefully.
    God fills you full with the very best wheat.

15 God issues his command to the earth—
    God’s word speeds off fast!
16 God spreads snow like it was wool;
    God scatters frost like it was ashes;
17 God throws his hail down like crumbs—
    who can endure God’s freezing cold?
18 Then God issues his word and melts it all away!
    God makes his winds blow;
    the water flows again.

19 God proclaims his word to Jacob;
    his statutes and rules to Israel.
20 God hasn’t done that with any other nation;
    those nations have no knowledge of God’s rules.[a]

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:20 LXX, Tg, DSS (11QPsa) God hasn’t let those nations know his rules.

Praise to God for His Word and Providence

147 Praise[a] the Lord!
For (A)it is good to sing praises to our God;
(B)For it is pleasant, and (C)praise is beautiful.

The Lord (D)builds up Jerusalem;
(E)He gathers together the outcasts of Israel.
(F)He heals the brokenhearted
And binds up their [b]wounds.
(G)He counts the number of the stars;
He calls them all by name.
(H)Great is our Lord, and (I)mighty in power;
(J)His understanding is infinite.
(K)The Lord lifts up the humble;
He casts the wicked down to the ground.

Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises on the harp to our God,
(L)Who covers the heavens with clouds,
Who prepares rain for the earth,
Who makes grass to grow on the mountains.
(M)He gives to the beast its food,
And (N)to the young ravens that cry.

10 (O)He does not delight in the strength of the horse;
He takes no pleasure in the legs of a man.
11 The Lord takes pleasure in those who fear Him,
In those who hope in His mercy.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the bars of your gates;
He has blessed your children within you.
14 (P)He makes peace in your borders,
And (Q)fills you with [c]the finest wheat.

15 (R)He sends out His command to the earth;
His word runs very swiftly.
16 (S)He gives snow like wool;
He scatters the frost like ashes;
17 He casts out His hail like [d]morsels;
Who can stand before His cold?
18 (T)He sends out His word and melts them;
He causes His wind to blow, and the waters flow.

19 (U)He declares His word to Jacob,
(V)His statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 (W)He has not dealt thus with any nation;
And as for His judgments, they have not known them.

[e]Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:1 Heb. Hallelujah
  2. Psalm 147:3 Lit. sorrows
  3. Psalm 147:14 Lit. fat of wheat
  4. Psalm 147:17 fragments of food
  5. Psalm 147:20 Heb. Hallelujah

He Heals the Brokenhearted

147 (A)Praise the Lord!
For (B)it is good to sing praises to our God;
    for (C)it is pleasant,[a] and (D)a song of praise is fitting.
The Lord (E)builds up Jerusalem;
    he (F)gathers the outcasts of Israel.
He heals (G)the brokenhearted
    and (H)binds up their wounds.
He (I)determines the number of the stars;
    he (J)gives to all of them their names.
(K)Great is our Lord, and (L)abundant in power;
    (M)his understanding is beyond measure.
The Lord (N)lifts up the humble;[b]
    he casts the wicked to the ground.

(O)Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
    make melody to our God on (P)the lyre!
He covers the heavens with clouds;
    he prepares (Q)rain for the earth;
    he makes (R)grass grow on the hills.
He (S)gives to the beasts their food,
    and to (T)the young ravens that cry.
10 His delight is not in (U)the strength of the horse,
    nor his pleasure in the legs of a man,
11 but the Lord (V)takes pleasure in those who fear him,
    in those who (W)hope in his steadfast love.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem!
    Praise your God, O Zion!
13 For he strengthens (X)the bars of your gates;
    he blesses your children within you.
14 He (Y)makes peace in your borders;
    he (Z)fills you with the (AA)finest of the wheat.
15 He (AB)sends out his command to the earth;
    his word runs swiftly.
16 He gives (AC)snow like wool;
    he scatters (AD)frost like ashes.
17 He hurls down his crystals of (AE)ice like crumbs;
    who can stand before his (AF)cold?
18 He (AG)sends out his word, and melts them;
    he makes his wind blow and the waters flow.
19 He declares his word to Jacob,
    his (AH)statutes and rules[c] to Israel.
20 He (AI)has not dealt thus with any other nation;
    they do not know his rules.[d]
(AJ)Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:1 Or for he is beautiful
  2. Psalm 147:6 Or afflicted
  3. Psalm 147:19 Or and just decrees
  4. Psalm 147:20 Or his just decrees

Psalm 147

Praise the Lord.[a]

How good it is to sing praises to our God,
    how pleasant(A) and fitting to praise him!(B)

The Lord builds up Jerusalem;(C)
    he gathers the exiles(D) of Israel.
He heals the brokenhearted(E)
    and binds up their wounds.(F)
He determines the number of the stars(G)
    and calls them each by name.
Great is our Lord(H) and mighty in power;(I)
    his understanding has no limit.(J)
The Lord sustains the humble(K)
    but casts the wicked(L) to the ground.

Sing to the Lord(M) with grateful praise;(N)
    make music(O) to our God on the harp.(P)

He covers the sky with clouds;(Q)
    he supplies the earth with rain(R)
    and makes grass grow(S) on the hills.
He provides food(T) for the cattle
    and for the young ravens(U) when they call.

10 His pleasure is not in the strength(V) of the horse,(W)
    nor his delight in the legs of the warrior;
11 the Lord delights(X) in those who fear him,(Y)
    who put their hope(Z) in his unfailing love.(AA)

12 Extol the Lord, Jerusalem;(AB)
    praise your God, Zion.

13 He strengthens the bars of your gates(AC)
    and blesses your people(AD) within you.
14 He grants peace(AE) to your borders
    and satisfies you(AF) with the finest of wheat.(AG)

15 He sends his command(AH) to the earth;
    his word runs(AI) swiftly.
16 He spreads the snow(AJ) like wool
    and scatters the frost(AK) like ashes.
17 He hurls down his hail(AL) like pebbles.
    Who can withstand his icy blast?
18 He sends his word(AM) and melts them;
    he stirs up his breezes,(AN) and the waters flow.

19 He has revealed his word(AO) to Jacob,(AP)
    his laws and decrees(AQ) to Israel.
20 He has done this for no other nation;(AR)
    they do not know(AS) his laws.[b]

Praise the Lord.(AT)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 147:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verse 20
  2. Psalm 147:20 Masoretic Text; Dead Sea Scrolls and Septuagint nation; / he has not made his laws known to them