Psalm 132(A)

A song of ascents.

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

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

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

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

11 The 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.
12 If 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.”

13 For 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.
15 I will bless her with abundant provisions;
    her poor I will satisfy with food.(U)
16 I 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)
18 I 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.

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

It 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.
It 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.

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

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

Psalm 135(AS)

Praise the Lord.[c]

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

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

I know that the Lord is great,(BB)
    that our Lord is greater than all gods.(BC)
The Lord does whatever pleases him,(BD)
    in the heavens and on the earth,(BE)
    in the seas and all their depths.
He 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)

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

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

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

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

Praise the Lord.

Psalm 136

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Psalm 137

By the rivers of Babylon(DN) we sat and wept(DO)
    when we remembered Zion.(DP)
There on the poplars(DQ)
    we hung our harps,(DR)
for 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)

How can we sing the songs of the Lord(DV)
    while in a foreign land?
If I forget you,(DW) Jerusalem,
    may my right hand forget its skill.
May 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.

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

Psalm 138

Of David.

I will praise you, Lord, with all my heart;
    before the “gods”(EF) I will sing(EG) your praise.
I 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)
When I called,(EL) you answered me;(EM)
    you greatly emboldened(EN) me.

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

Though the Lord is exalted, he looks kindly on the lowly;(ER)
    though lofty, he sees them(ES) from afar.
Though 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)
The Lord will vindicate(EZ) me;
    your love, Lord, endures forever(FA)
    do not abandon(FB) the works of your hands.(FC)

Psalm 139

For the director of music. Of David. A psalm.

You have searched me,(FD) Lord,
    and you know(FE) me.
You know when I sit and when I rise;(FF)
    you perceive my thoughts(FG) from afar.
You discern my going out(FH) and my lying down;
    you are familiar with all my ways.(FI)
Before a word is on my tongue
    you, Lord, know it completely.(FJ)
You hem me in(FK) behind and before,
    and you lay your hand upon me.
Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,(FL)
    too lofty(FM) for me to attain.

Where can I go from your Spirit?
    Where can I flee(FN) from your presence?
If I go up to the heavens,(FO) you are there;
    if I make my bed(FP) in the depths, you are there.
If I rise on the wings of the dawn,
    if I settle on the far side of the sea,
10 even there your hand will guide me,(FQ)
    your right hand(FR) will hold me fast.
11 If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me
    and the light become night around me,”
12 even the darkness will not be dark(FS) to you;
    the night will shine like the day,
    for darkness is as light to you.

13 For you created my inmost being;(FT)
    you knit me together(FU) in my mother’s womb.(FV)
14 I praise you(FW) because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;
    your works are wonderful,(FX)
    I know that full well.
15 My frame was not hidden from you
    when I was made(FY) in the secret place,
    when I was woven together(FZ) in the depths of the earth.(GA)
16 Your eyes saw my unformed body;
    all the days ordained(GB) for me were written in your book
    before one of them came to be.
17 How precious to me are your thoughts,[e](GC) God!(GD)
    How vast is the sum of them!
18 Were I to count them,(GE)
    they would outnumber the grains of sand(GF)
    when I awake,(GG) I am still with you.

19 If only you, God, would slay the wicked!(GH)
    Away from me,(GI) you who are bloodthirsty!(GJ)
20 They speak of you with evil intent;
    your adversaries(GK) misuse your name.(GL)
21 Do I not hate those(GM) who hate you, Lord,
    and abhor(GN) those who are in rebellion against you?
22 I have nothing but hatred for them;
    I count them my enemies.(GO)
23 Search me,(GP) God, and know my heart;(GQ)
    test me and know my anxious thoughts.
24 See if there is any offensive way(GR) in me,
    and lead me(GS) in the way everlasting.

Psalm 140[f]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Rescue me,(GT) Lord, from evildoers;
    protect me from the violent,(GU)
who devise evil plans(GV) in their hearts
    and stir up war(GW) every day.
They make their tongues as sharp as(GX) a serpent’s;
    the poison of vipers(GY) is on their lips.[g]

Keep me safe,(GZ) Lord, from the hands of the wicked;(HA)
    protect me from the violent,
    who devise ways to trip my feet.
The arrogant have hidden a snare(HB) for me;
    they have spread out the cords of their net(HC)
    and have set traps(HD) for me along my path.

I say to the Lord, “You are my God.”(HE)
    Hear, Lord, my cry for mercy.(HF)
Sovereign Lord,(HG) my strong deliverer,
    you shield my head in the day of battle.
Do not grant the wicked(HH) their desires, Lord;
    do not let their plans succeed.

Those who surround me proudly rear their heads;
    may the mischief of their lips engulf them.(HI)
10 May burning coals fall on them;
    may they be thrown into the fire,(HJ)
    into miry pits, never to rise.
11 May slanderers not be established in the land;
    may disaster hunt down the violent.(HK)

12 I know that the Lord secures justice for the poor(HL)
    and upholds the cause(HM) of the needy.(HN)
13 Surely the righteous will praise your name,(HO)
    and the upright will live(HP) in your presence.(HQ)

Footnotes

  1. 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)
  2. Psalm 132:17 Horn here symbolizes strong one, that is, king.
  3. Psalm 135:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verses 3 and 21
  4. Psalm 136:13 Or the Sea of Reeds; also in verse 15
  5. Psalm 139:17 Or How amazing are your thoughts concerning me
  6. Psalm 140:1 In Hebrew texts 140:1-13 is numbered 140:2-14.
  7. Psalm 140:3 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 5 and 8.

Bible Gateway Recommends