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Psalm 147

Praise the Eternal!
It is good to sing praises to our God,
    for praise is beautiful and pleasant.
The Eternal, Architect of earth, is building Jerusalem,
    finding the lost, gathering Israel’s outcasts.
He binds their wounds,
    heals the sorrows of their hearts.
He counts all the stars within His hands,
    carefully fixing their number
    and giving them names.
Our Lord is great. Nothing is impossible with His overwhelming power.
    He is loving, compassionate, and wise beyond all measure.
The Eternal will lift up the lowly
    but throw down the wicked to the earth.

Psalm 147 is a postexilic hymn of praise to God as Creator and Sustainer. It celebrates the rebuilding of the walls and gates that protect Jerusalem. God secures the city, grants peace to the border towns, and controls the elements.

Open your mouths with thanks!
    Sing praises to the Eternal!
    Strum the harp in unending praise to our God
Who blankets the heavens with clouds,
    sends rain to water the thirsty earth,
    and pulls up each blade of grass upon the mountainside.
He opens His hands to feed all the animals
    and scatters seed to nestlings when they cry.
10 He takes no pleasure in the raw strength of horses;
    He finds no joy in the speed of the sprinter.
11 But the Eternal does take pleasure in those who worship Him,
    those who invest hope in His unfailing love.

12 O Jerusalem, praise the Eternal!
    O Zion, praise your God!
13 For His divine power reinforces your city gates,
    blesses your children in the womb.
14 He establishes peace within your borders,
    fills your markets with hearty golden wheat.
15 His command ripples across the earth;
    His word runs out on swift feet.
16 He blankets the earth in wooly snow,
    scattering frost like ashes over the land.
17 He throws down hail like stones falling from a mountain.
    Can any withstand His wintry blast?
18 But He dispatches His word, and the thaw begins;
    at His command, the spring winds blow, gently stirring the waters back to life.
19 He brings Jacob in on His plan, declaring His word—
    His statutes and His teachings to Israel.
20 He has not treated any other nation in such a way;
    they live unaware of His commands.
Praise the Eternal!

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

147 Praise ye the Lord: for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.

The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.

He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.

He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.

Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.

The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.

Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:

Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.

He giveth to the beast his food, and to the young ravens which cry.

10 He delighteth not in the strength of the horse: he taketh not pleasure in the legs of a man.

11 The Lord taketh pleasure in them that fear him, in those that hope in his mercy.

12 Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise thy God, O Zion.

13 For he hath strengthened the bars of thy gates; he hath blessed thy children within thee.

14 He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the finest of the wheat.

15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth: his word runneth very swiftly.

16 He giveth snow like wool: he scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.

17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?

18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: he causeth his wind to blow, and the waters flow.

19 He sheweth his word unto Jacob, his statutes and his judgments unto Israel.

20 He hath not dealt so with any nation: and as for his judgments, they have not known them. Praise ye the Lord.