Historical
Psalm 133[a]
A Vision of a Blessed Community
1 A song of ascents. Of David.
How good and how pleasant it is,
when brothers[b] dwell together as one!
2 Like fine oil on the head,[c](A)
running down upon the beard,
Upon the beard of Aaron,
upon the collar of his robe.
3 Like dew[d] of Hermon coming down
upon the mountains of Zion.(B)
There the Lord has decreed a blessing,
life for evermore!(C)
Psalm 134[e]
Exhortation to the Night Watch to Bless God
1 A song of ascents.
O come, bless the Lord,
all you servants of the Lord[f]
You who stand in the house of the Lord
throughout the nights.(D)
2 Lift up your hands toward the sanctuary,(E)
and bless the Lord.
3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
the Maker of heaven and earth.(F)
Psalm 135[g]
Praise of God, the Ruler and Benefactor of Israel
1 Hallelujah!
I
Praise the name of the Lord!
Praise, you servants of the Lord,(G)
2 Who stand in the house of the Lord,
in the courts of the house of our God!(H)
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good!
Sing to his name, for it brings joy!
4 [h]For the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself,
Israel as his treasured possession.(I)
II
5 For I know that the Lord is great,
that our Lord is greater than all gods.(J)
6 Whatever the Lord desires
he does in heaven and on earth,
in the seas and all the depths.(K)
7 It is he who raises storm clouds from the end of the earth,
makes lightning for the rain,
and brings forth wind from his storehouse.(L)
III
8 He struck down Egypt’s firstborn,(M)
of human being and beast alike,
9 And sent signs and wonders against you, Egypt,
against Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 It is he who struck down many nations,(N)
and slew mighty kings—
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
and Og, king of Bashan,
all the kings of Canaan—
12 And made their land a heritage,
a heritage for Israel his people.
13 O Lord, your name is forever,
your renown, from generation to generation!(O)
14 For the Lord defends his people,
shows mercy to his servants.(P)
IV
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,(Q)
the work of human hands.
16 They have mouths but do not speak;
they have eyes but do not see;
17 They have ears but do not hear;
nor is there breath in their mouths.
18 Their makers will become like them,
and anyone who trusts in them.
V
19 House of Israel, bless the Lord!(R)
House of Aaron, bless the Lord!
20 House of Levi, bless the Lord!
You who fear the Lord, bless the Lord!
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
who dwells in Jerusalem!
Hallelujah!
Psalm 136[i]
Hymn of Thanksgiving for God’s Everlasting Mercy
I
1 Praise the Lord, for he is good;(S)
for his mercy endures forever;
2 Praise the God of gods;
for his mercy endures forever;
3 Praise the Lord of lords;
for his mercy endures forever;
II
4 Who alone has done great wonders,(T)
for his mercy endures forever;
5 Who skillfully made the heavens,(U)
for his mercy endures forever;
6 Who spread the earth upon the waters,(V)
for his mercy endures forever;
7 Who made the great lights,
for his mercy endures forever;
8 The sun to rule the day,
for his mercy endures forever;
9 The moon and stars to rule the night,(W)
for his mercy endures forever;
III
10 Who struck down the firstborn of Egypt,(X)
for his mercy endures forever;
11 And led Israel from their midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
12 With mighty hand and outstretched arm,(Y)
for his mercy endures forever;
13 Who split in two the Red Sea,
for his mercy endures forever;
14 And led Israel through its midst,
for his mercy endures forever;
15 But swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea,(Z)
for his mercy endures forever;
16 Who led the people through the desert,(AA)
for his mercy endures forever;
IV
17 Who struck down great kings,(AB)
for his mercy endures forever;
18 Slew powerful kings,
for his mercy endures forever;
19 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
for his mercy endures forever;
20 Og, king of Bashan,
for his mercy endures forever;
21 And made their lands a heritage,
for his mercy endures forever;
22 [j]A heritage for Israel, his servant,
for his mercy endures forever.
V
23 The Lord remembered us in our low estate,
for his mercy endures forever;
24 Freed us from our foes,
for his mercy endures forever;
25 And gives bread to all flesh,
for his mercy endures forever.
VI
26 Praise the God of heaven,
for his mercy endures forever.
Psalm 137[k]
Sorrow and Hope in Exile
I
1 By the rivers of Babylon
there we sat weeping
when we remembered Zion.(AC)
2 On the poplars in its midst
we hung up our harps.(AD)
3 For there our captors asked us
for the words of a song;
Our tormentors, for joy:
“Sing for us a song of Zion!”
4 But how could we sing a song of the Lord
in a foreign land?
II
5 If I forget you, Jerusalem,
may my right hand forget.(AE)
6 May my tongue stick to my palate
if I do not remember you,
If I do not exalt Jerusalem
beyond all my delights.
III
7 Remember, Lord, against Edom
that day at Jerusalem.
They said: “Level it, level it
down to its foundations!”(AF)
8 Desolate Daughter Babylon, you shall be destroyed,
blessed the one who pays you back
what you have done us!(AG)
9 [l]Blessed the one who seizes your children
and smashes them against the rock.(AH)
Psalm 138[m]
Hymn of a Grateful Heart
1 Of David.
I
I thank you, Lord, with all my heart;(AI)
in the presence of the angels[n] to you I sing.
2 I bow low toward your holy temple;
I praise your name for your mercy and faithfulness.
For you have exalted over all
your name and your promise.
3 On the day I cried out, you answered;
you strengthened my spirit.
II
4 All the kings of earth will praise you, Lord,
when they hear the words of your mouth.
5 They will sing of the ways of the Lord:
“How great is the glory of the Lord!”
6 The Lord is on high, but cares for the lowly(AJ)
and knows the proud from afar.
7 Though I walk in the midst of dangers,
you guard my life when my enemies rage.
You stretch out your hand;
your right hand saves me.
8 The Lord is with me to the end.
Lord, your mercy endures forever.
Never forsake the work of your hands!
Psalm 139[o]
The All-knowing and Ever-present God
1 For the leader. A psalm of David.
I
Lord, you have probed me, you know me:
2 you know when I sit and stand;[p](AK)
you understand my thoughts from afar.
3 You sift through my travels and my rest;
with all my ways you are familiar.
4 Even before a word is on my tongue,
Lord, you know it all.
5 Behind and before you encircle me
and rest your hand upon me.
6 Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,
far too lofty for me to reach.(AL)
7 Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence, where can I flee?
8 If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;
if I lie down in Sheol, there you are.(AM)
9 If I take the wings of dawn[q]
and dwell beyond the sea,
10 Even there your hand guides me,
your right hand holds me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light”[r]—
12 Darkness is not dark for you,
and night shines as the day.
Darkness and light are but one.(AN)
II
13 You formed my inmost being;
you knit me in my mother’s womb.(AO)
14 I praise you, because I am wonderfully made;
wonderful are your works!
My very self you know.
15 My bones are not hidden from you,
When I was being made in secret,
fashioned in the depths of the earth.[s]
16 Your eyes saw me unformed;
in your book all are written down;(AP)
my days were shaped, before one came to be.
III
17 How precious to me are your designs, O God;
how vast the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them, they would outnumber the sands;
when I complete them, still you are with me.(AQ)
19 When you would destroy the wicked, O God,
the bloodthirsty depart from me!(AR)
20 Your foes who conspire a plot against you
are exalted in vain.
IV
21 Do I not hate, Lord, those who hate you?
Those who rise against you, do I not loathe?(AS)
22 With fierce hatred I hate them,
enemies I count as my own.
Scripture texts, prefaces, introductions, footnotes and cross references used in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Inc., Washington, DC All Rights Reserved. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or by any information storage and retrieval system, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.