Psalm 132-138

New International Version

Psalm 132^(A)

A song of ascents.

¹Lord, remember David
and all his self-denial.^(B)

²He swore an oath to the Lord,
    he made a vow to the Mighty One of Jacob:^(C)
³“I will not enter my house^(D)
    or go to my bed,
⁴I will allow no sleep to my eyes
    or slumber to my eyelids,
⁵till I find a place^(E) for the Lord,
    a dwelling for the Mighty One of Jacob.”

⁶We heard it in Ephrathah,^(F)
    we came upon it in the fields of Jaar:^[a]^(G)
⁷“Let us go to his dwelling place,^(H)
    let us worship at his footstool,^(I) saying,
⁸‘Arise, Lord,^(J) and come to your resting place,
    you and the ark of your might.
⁹May your priests be clothed with your righteousness;^(K)
    may your faithful people^(L) sing for joy.’”

¹⁰For the sake of your servant David,
do not reject your anointed one.

¹¹The Lord swore an oath to David,^(M)
    a sure oath he will not revoke:
“One of your own descendants^(N)
    I will place on your throne.
¹²If your sons keep my covenant^(O)
    and the statutes I teach them,
then their sons will sit
    on your throne^(P) for ever and ever.”

¹³For the Lord has chosen Zion,^(Q)
    he has desired it for his dwelling,^(R) saying,
¹⁴“This is my resting place for ever and ever;^(S)
    here I will sit enthroned,^(T) for I have desired it.
¹⁵I will bless her with abundant provisions;
    her poor I will satisfy with food.^(U)
¹⁶I will clothe her priests^(V) with salvation,
    and her faithful people will ever sing for joy.^(W)

¹⁷“Here I will make a horn^[b] grow^(X) for David
and set up a lamp^(Y) for my anointed one.^(Z)
¹⁸I will clothe his enemies with shame,^(AA)
but his head will be adorned with a radiant crown.”^(AB)

Psalm 133

A song of ascents. Of David.

¹How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together^(AC) in unity!^(AD)

²It is like precious oil poured on the head,^(AE)
    running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
    down on the collar of his robe.
³It is as if the dew^(AF) of Hermon^(AG)
    were falling on Mount Zion.^(AH)
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,^(AI)
    even life forevermore.^(AJ)

Psalm 134

A song of ascents.

¹Praise the Lord, all you servants^(AK) of the Lord
who minister^(AL) by night^(AM) in the house of the Lord.
²Lift up your hands^(AN) in the sanctuary^(AO)
and praise the Lord.^(AP)

³May the Lord bless you from Zion,^(AQ)
he who is the Maker of heaven^(AR) and earth.

Psalm 135^(AS)

¹Praise the Lord.^[c]

Praise the name of the Lord;
praise him, you servants^(AT) of the Lord,
²you who minister in the house^(AU) of the Lord,
in the courts^(AV) of the house of our God.

³Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;^(AW)
sing praise to his name,^(AX) for that is pleasant.^(AY)
⁴For the Lord has chosen Jacob^(AZ) to be his own,
Israel to be his treasured possession.^(BA)

⁵I know that the Lord is great,^(BB)
    that our Lord is greater than all gods.^(BC)
⁶The Lord does whatever pleases him,^(BD)
    in the heavens and on the earth,^(BE)
    in the seas and all their depths.
⁷He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
    he sends lightning with the rain^(BF)
    and brings out the wind^(BG) from his storehouses.^(BH)

⁸He struck down the firstborn^(BI) of Egypt,
    the firstborn of people and animals.
⁹He sent his signs^(BJ) and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
    against Pharaoh and all his servants.^(BK)
¹⁰He struck down many^(BL) nations
    and killed mighty kings—
¹¹Sihon^(BM) king of the Amorites,^(BN)
    Og king of Bashan,^(BO)
    and all the kings of Canaan^(BP)—
¹²and he gave their land as an inheritance,^(BQ)
    an inheritance to his people Israel.

¹³Your name, Lord, endures forever,^(BR)
your renown,^(BS) Lord, through all generations.
¹⁴For the Lord will vindicate his people^(BT)
and have compassion on his servants.^(BU)

¹⁵The idols of the nations^(BV) are silver and gold,
    made by human hands.^(BW)
¹⁶They have mouths, but cannot speak,^(BX)
    eyes, but cannot see.
¹⁷They have ears, but cannot hear,
    nor is there breath^(BY) in their mouths.
¹⁸Those who make them will be like them,
    and so will all who trust in them.

¹⁹All you Israelites, praise the Lord;^(BZ)
    house of Aaron, praise the Lord;
²⁰house of Levi, praise the Lord;
    you who fear him, praise the Lord.
²¹Praise be to the Lord from Zion,^(CA)
    to him who dwells in Jerusalem.^(CB)

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 136

¹Give thanks^(CC) to the Lord, for he is good.^(CD)
His love endures forever.^(CE)
²Give thanks^(CF) to the God of gods.^(CG)
His love endures forever.
³Give thanks^(CH) to the Lord of lords:^(CI)
His love endures forever.

⁴to him who alone does great wonders,^(CJ)
His love endures forever.
⁵who by his understanding^(CK) made the heavens,^(CL)
His love endures forever.
⁶who spread out the earth^(CM) upon the waters,^(CN)
His love endures forever.
⁷who made the great lights^(CO)—
His love endures forever.
⁸the sun to govern^(CP) the day,
His love endures forever.
⁹the moon and stars to govern the night;
His love endures forever.

¹⁰to him who struck down the firstborn^(CQ) of Egypt
His love endures forever.
¹¹and brought Israel out^(CR) from among them
His love endures forever.
¹²with a mighty hand^(CS) and outstretched arm;^(CT)
His love endures forever.

¹³to him who divided the Red Sea^[d]^(CU) asunder
His love endures forever.
¹⁴and brought Israel through^(CV) the midst of it,
His love endures forever.
¹⁵but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea;^(CW)
His love endures forever.

¹⁶to him who led his people through the wilderness;^(CX)
His love endures forever.

¹⁷to him who struck down great kings,^(CY)
His love endures forever.
¹⁸and killed mighty kings^(CZ)—
His love endures forever.
¹⁹Sihon king of the Amorites^(DA)
His love endures forever.
²⁰and Og king of Bashan^(DB)—
His love endures forever.
²¹and gave their land^(DC) as an inheritance,^(DD)
His love endures forever.
²²an inheritance^(DE) to his servant Israel.^(DF)
His love endures forever.

²³He remembered us^(DG) in our low estate
His love endures forever.
²⁴and freed us^(DH) from our enemies.^(DI)
His love endures forever.
²⁵He gives food^(DJ) to every creature.
His love endures forever.

²⁶Give thanks^(DK) to the God of heaven.^(DL)
His love endures forever.^(DM)

Psalm 137

¹By the rivers of Babylon^(DN) we sat and wept^(DO)
    when we remembered Zion.^(DP)
²There on the poplars^(DQ)
    we hung our harps,^(DR)
³for there our captors^(DS) asked us for songs,
    our tormentors demanded^(DT) songs of joy;
    they said, “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”^(DU)

⁴How can we sing the songs of the Lord^(DV)
    while in a foreign land?
⁵If I forget you,^(DW) Jerusalem,
    may my right hand forget its skill.
⁶May my tongue cling to the roof^(DX) of my mouth
    if I do not remember^(DY) you,
if I do not consider Jerusalem^(DZ)
    my highest joy.

⁷Remember, Lord, what the Edomites^(EA) did
    on the day Jerusalem fell.^(EB)
“Tear it down,” they cried,
    “tear it down to its foundations!”^(EC)
⁸Daughter Babylon, doomed to destruction,^(ED)
    happy is the one who repays you
    according to what you have done to us.
⁹Happy is the one who seizes your infants
    and dashes them^(EE) against the rocks.

Psalm 138

Of David.

¹I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods”^(EF) I will sing^(EG) your praise.
²I will bow down toward your holy temple^(EH)
    and will praise your name^(EI)
    for your unfailing love and your faithfulness,^(EJ)
for you have so exalted your solemn decree
    that it surpasses your fame.^(EK)
³When I called,^(EL) you answered me;^(EM)
    you greatly emboldened^(EN) me.

⁴May all the kings of the earth^(EO) praise you, Lord,
when they hear what you have decreed.
⁵May they sing^(EP) of the ways of the Lord,
for the glory of the Lord^(EQ) is great.

⁶Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;^(ER)
    though lofty, he sees them^(ES) from afar.
⁷Though I walk^(ET) in the midst of trouble,
    you preserve my life.^(EU)
You stretch out your hand^(EV) against the anger of my foes;^(EW)
    with your right hand^(EX) you save me.^(EY)
⁸The Lord will vindicate^(EZ) me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever^(FA)—
    do not abandon^(FB) the works of your hands.^(FC)

Footnotes

Psalm 132:6 Or heard of it in Ephrathah, / we found it in the fields of Jearim. (See 1 Chron. 13:5,6) (And no quotation marks around verses 7-9)
Psalm 132:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one, that is, king.
Psalm 135:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verses 3 and 21
Psalm 136:13 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 15