135 1-4 Hallelujah!
Praise the name of God,
    praise the works of God.
All you priests on duty in God’s temple,
    serving in the sacred halls of our God,
Shout “Hallelujah!” because God’s so good,
    sing anthems to his beautiful name.
And why? Because God chose Jacob,
    embraced Israel as a prize possession.

5-12 I, too, give witness to the greatness of God,
    our Lord, high above all other gods.
He does just as he pleases—
    however, wherever, whenever.
He makes the weather—clouds and thunder,
    lightning and rain, wind pouring out of the north.
He struck down the Egyptian firstborn,
    both human and animal firstborn.
He made Egypt sit up and take notice,
    confronted Pharaoh and his servants with miracles.
Yes, he struck down great nations,
    he slew mighty kings—
Sihon king of the Amorites, also Og of Bashan—
    every last one of the Canaanite kings!
Then he turned their land over to Israel,
    a gift of good land to his people.

13-18 God, your name is eternal,
    God, you’ll never be out-of-date.
God stands up for his people,
    God holds the hands of his people.
The gods of the godless nations are mere trinkets,
    made for quick sale in the markets:
Chiseled mouths that can’t talk,
    painted eyes that can’t see,
Carved ears that can’t hear—
    dead wood! cold metal!
Those who make and trust them
    become like them.

19-21 Family of Israel, bless God!
    Family of Aaron, bless God!
Family of Levi, bless God!
    You who fear God, bless God!
Oh, blessed be God of Zion,
    First Citizen of Jerusalem!
Hallelujah!

Psalm 135(A)

Praise the Lord.[a]

Praise the name of the Lord;
    praise him, you servants(B) of the Lord,
you who minister in the house(C) of the Lord,
    in the courts(D) of the house of our God.

Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;(E)
    sing praise to his name,(F) for that is pleasant.(G)
For the Lord has chosen Jacob(H) to be his own,
    Israel to be his treasured possession.(I)

I know that the Lord is great,(J)
    that our Lord is greater than all gods.(K)
The Lord does whatever pleases him,(L)
    in the heavens and on the earth,(M)
    in the seas and all their depths.
He makes clouds rise from the ends of the earth;
    he sends lightning with the rain(N)
    and brings out the wind(O) from his storehouses.(P)

He struck down the firstborn(Q) of Egypt,
    the firstborn of people and animals.
He sent his signs(R) and wonders into your midst, Egypt,
    against Pharaoh and all his servants.(S)
10 He struck down many(T) nations
    and killed mighty kings—
11 Sihon(U) king of the Amorites,(V)
    Og king of Bashan,(W)
    and all the kings of Canaan(X)
12 and he gave their land as an inheritance,(Y)
    an inheritance to his people Israel.

13 Your name, Lord, endures forever,(Z)
    your renown,(AA) Lord, through all generations.
14 For the Lord will vindicate his people(AB)
    and have compassion on his servants.(AC)

15 The idols of the nations(AD) are silver and gold,
    made by human hands.(AE)
16 They have mouths, but cannot speak,(AF)
    eyes, but cannot see.
17 They have ears, but cannot hear,
    nor is there breath(AG) 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;(AH)
    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,(AI)
    to him who dwells in Jerusalem.(AJ)

Praise the Lord.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 135:1 Hebrew Hallelu Yah; also in verses 3 and 21