147 Hallelujah! Praise the Lord !
It is good to sing to praise our God!
Yes, it is right to praise him and it makes us happy.
2 The Lord is building Jerusalem again.
He is bringing home the Israelite exiles.
3 He makes people who are very sad well again. [ a ]
He helps their wounds to get better.
4 He decided how many stars there should be in the sky.
He has given a name to each of them.
5 Our Lord is great and very powerful.
He understands everything!
6 The Lord gives help to poor people,
but he knocks down wicked people to the ground.
7 Offer a song to the Lord ,
to thank him for what he has done.
Make music with a harp
to praise our God.
8 He fills the sky with clouds.
He sends rain to make the earth wet.
He causes grass to grow on the hills.
9 He gives food for the animals to eat.
He feeds the young ravens when they cry. [ b ]
10 If a horse is very strong,
that does not please him.
If a soldier is brave,
that does not make him happy.
11 Who does make the Lord happy?
People who respect him and serve him well.
People who trust him because they know he loves them.
12 Jerusalem's people, praise the Lord !
Yes, Zion's people, praise your God! [ c ]
13 Praise him because he makes your city's gates strong.
He blesses the people who live there.
14 He causes your borders to be safe from your enemies.
He gives you lots of the best wheat to eat.
15 He sends his commands to reach all the earth.
Very soon the whole world knows what he wants.
16 He covers the earth with snow,
like a white blanket.
He puts white frost everywhere,
like ashes that the wind blows.
17 He throws hail from the sky,
like small stones.
When he sends a cold wind,
nobody can continue to stand.
18 Then he commands it all to melt.
He makes the warm wind blow,
and the ice becomes streams of water.
19 He sends his message to Jacob's descendants.
He gives his rules and laws to Israel's people. [ d ]
20 He has not done that for any other nation.
They do not know his laws. [ e ]
Hallelujah! Praise the Lord !
147 Praise the Lord because he is good.
Sing praises to our God.
It is good and pleasant to praise him.
2 The Lord rebuilds Jerusalem.
He brings back the Israelites who were taken as prisoners.
3 He heals their broken hearts
and bandages their wounds.
4 He counts the stars
and knows each of them by name.
5 Our Lord is great and powerful.
There is no limit to what he knows.
6 The Lord supports the humble,
but he shames the wicked.
7 Give thanks to the Lord .
Praise our God with harps.
8 He fills the sky with clouds.
He sends rain to the earth.
He makes the grass grow on the mountains.
9 He gives food to the animals.
He feeds the young birds that cry out.
10 War horses and powerful soldiers
are not what he cares about.
11 The Lord enjoys people who worship him
and trust in his faithful love.
12 Jerusalem, praise the Lord !
Zion, praise your God!
13 He makes your gates strong,
and he blesses the people in your city.
14 He brought peace to your country,
so you have plenty of grain for food.
15 He gives a command to the earth,
and it quickly obeys.
16 He makes the snow fall until the ground is as white as wool.
He makes sleet blow through the air like dust.
17 He makes hail fall like rocks from the sky.
No one can stand the cold he sends.
18 Then he gives another command, and warm air begins to blow.
The ice melts, and water begins to flow.
19 He gave his commands to Jacob.
He gave his laws and rules to Israel.
20 He did not do this for any other nation.
He did not teach his laws to other people.
Praise the Lord !
147 Praise ye the Lord : for it is good to sing praises unto our God; for it is pleasant; and praise is comely.
2 The Lord doth build up Jerusalem: he gathereth together the outcasts of Israel.
3 He healeth the broken in heart, and bindeth up their wounds.
4 He telleth the number of the stars; he calleth them all by their names.
5 Great is our Lord, and of great power: his understanding is infinite.
6 The Lord lifteth up the meek: he casteth the wicked down to the ground.
7 Sing unto the Lord with thanksgiving; sing praise upon the harp unto our God:
8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, who prepareth rain for the earth, who maketh grass to grow upon the mountains.
9 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 .
147 [ a ] Praise [ b ] the Lord !
For ( A ) it is good to sing praises to our God;
For [ c ] it is pleasant and praise is [ d ] ( B ) beautiful.
2 The Lord ( C ) builds up Jerusalem;
He ( D ) gathers the outcasts of Israel.
3 He heals the ( E ) brokenhearted
And ( F ) binds up their [ e ] wounds.
4 He ( G ) counts the number of the stars;
He [ f ] ( H ) gives names to all of them.
5 ( I ) Great is our Lord and abundant in strength;
His ( J ) understanding is [ g ] infinite.
6 The Lord [ h ] ( K ) supports the afflicted;
He brings the wicked down to the ground.
7 ( L ) Sing to the Lord with thanksgiving;
Sing praises to our God on the lyre;
8 It is He who ( M ) covers the heavens with clouds,
Who ( N ) provides rain for the earth,
Who ( O ) makes grass sprout on the mountains.
9 It is He who ( P ) gives an animal its food,
And feeds ( Q ) young ravens that cry.
10 He does not delight in [ i ] the strength of the ( R ) horse;
He ( S ) does not take pleasure in the [ j ] legs of a man.
11 The Lord ( T ) favors those who fear Him,
( U ) Those who wait for His [ k ] faithfulness.
12 Praise the Lord , Jerusalem!
Praise your God, Zion!
13 For He has strengthened the ( V ) bars of your gates;
He has ( W ) blessed your sons among you.
14 He ( X ) makes [ l ] peace in your borders;
He ( Y ) satisfies you with ( Z ) the [ m ] finest of the wheat.
15 He sends His ( AA ) command to the earth;
His ( AB ) word runs very swiftly.
16 He [ n ] showers ( AC ) snow like wool;
He scatters the ( AD ) frost like ashes.
17 He hurls His ( AE ) ice as fragments;
Who can stand before His ( AF ) cold?
18 He ( AG ) sends His word and makes them melt;
He ( AH ) makes His wind blow, and the waters flow.
19 He ( AI ) declares His words to Jacob,
His ( AJ ) statutes and His judgments to Israel.
20 He ( AK ) has not dealt this way with any other nation;
And as for His judgments, [ o ] they have ( AL ) not known them.
[ p ] Praise [ q ] the Lord !
1 Praise the Lord . [ a ]
2 The Lord builds up Jerusalem; ( C )
he gathers the exiles ( D ) of Israel.
3 He heals the brokenhearted ( E )
and binds up their wounds. ( F )
4 He determines the number of the stars ( G )
and calls them each by name.
5 Great is our Lord ( H ) and mighty in power; ( I )
his understanding has no limit. ( J )
6 The Lord sustains the humble ( K )
but casts the wicked ( L ) to the ground.
8 He covers the sky with clouds; ( Q )
he supplies the earth with rain ( R )
and makes grass grow ( S ) on the hills.
9 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 )
