Psalms 147
1 Praise the Lord, for it's good to sing praises to our God! Praise is wonderful and beautiful!
Hallelujah. It is good to sing praise to our God, for praise is sweet and seemly.
2 The Lord is rebuilding Jerusalem, gathering together the people of Israel who have been scattered.
The Lord builds up Jerusalem, the outcasts of Israel he gathers.
3 He heals the broken-hearted, and bandages the wounded.
He heals the broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
4 He knows how many stars he made, and commands all of them by name.
He counts the numberless stars, he gives names to them all.
5 Our Lord is great! His power is immense! There's no limit to what he understands!
Great is our Lord, rich in power, and measureless is his wisdom.
6 The Lord helps those who are bowed down to get up; but he grinds the wicked into the ground.
The Lord lifts up the down-trodden, the wicked he brings to the ground.
7 Sing thanks to the Lord! Sing praises to our God with a harp!
Sing songs of thanks to the Lord, and play on the lyre to our God.
8 He covers the sky with clouds to bring rain to the earth, and makes the grass grow on the hills.
For he covers the sky with clouds, he prepares rain for the earth, makes grass to grow on the mountains.
9 He gives food to the animals, and to the baby ravens when they call.
He gives the cattle their food the young ravens when they cry.
10 The Lord doesn't appreciate the strength of war-horses or value human power.
His pleasure is not in the strength of the horse, his joy is not in the speed of a runner;
11 What the Lord values are those who follow him, those who put their confidence in his trustworthy love.
but the Lord has his pleasure in those who fear him, in those who wait for his kindness.
12 Jerusalem, praise the Lord! Zion, praise your God!
Praise the Lord, then, O Jerusalem: sing praise to your God, O Zion.
13 He makes the bars on your city gates strong, and blesses your children around you.
For he strengthens the bars of your gates, and blesses your children within you.
14 He keeps the borders of your land safe from attack; he provides you with plenty of the finest wheat.
He brings peace to your borders, and choicest of wheat in abundance.
15 He sends his commands around the world—they're quickly implemented.
He sends his command to the earth: his word runs very swiftly.
16 He sends snow as white as wool, and scatters frost like ashes.
Snow he gives like wool, frost he scatters like ashes.
17 He throws hail like stones. Who can stand the cold he sends?
He casts forth his ice like morsels: who can stand before his cold?
18 Then he sends out his command and it melts; he blows on it and the water flows.
He sends forth his word, and melts them: his wind blows the waters flow.
19 He proclaims his word to Jacob; his rules and laws to Israel.
He declares his word to Jacob, his statutes and judgments to Israel.
20 He has not done this for any other nation—they don't know his laws. Praise the Lord!
No other nation did he do this for, they know nothing of his judgments. Hallelujah.
