Psalms 147
1 Praise Yahweh! It is good to sing to praise our God. It is a delightful thing to do and the right thing to do.
Alleluia. Praise the Lord, because the psalm is good. Delightful and beautiful praise shall be for our God.
2 [Jerusalem was destroyed, but] Yahweh is [enabling us to] build Jerusalem again. He is bringing back the people who were taken [to Babylonia].
The Lord builds up Jerusalem. He will gather together the dispersed of Israel.
3 He enables those who were very discouraged to be encouraged again; [it is as though] they have wounds and he bandages them.
He heals the contrite of heart, and he binds up their sorrows.
4 He has determined how many stars there will be, and he gives names to all of them.
He numbers the multitude of the stars, and he calls them all by their names.
5 Yahweh is great and very powerful, and no one can measure how much he understands.
Great is our Lord, and great is his virtue. And of his wisdom, there is no number.
6 Yahweh lifts up those who have been oppressed, and he throws the wicked down to the ground.
The Lord lifts up the meek, but he brings down the sinner, even to the ground.
7 Thank Yahweh while you are singing to him to praise him; on the harps, play music to our God.
Sing before the Lord with confession. Play psalms to our God on a stringed instrument.
8 He covers the sky with clouds, [and then] he sends rain to the earth and causes grass to grow on the hills.
He covers heaven with clouds, and he prepares rain for the earth. He produces grass on the mountains and herbs for the service of men.
9 He gives to animals the food that they [need], and gives food to young crows/birds when they cry out [because they are hungry].
He gives their food to beasts of burden and to young ravens that call upon him.
10 He is not pleased with strong horses or with men who can run [MTY] fast.
He will not have good will for the strength of the horse, nor will he be well pleased with the legs of a man.
11 Instead, what pleases him are those who revere him, those who confidently expect him to continue to faithfully love them.
The Lord is well pleased with those who fear him and with those who hope in his mercy.
12 [You people of] [APO] Jerusalem, praise Yahweh! Praise your God!
Alleluia. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem. Praise your God, O Zion.
13 He [guards your city] by keeping its gates strong. He blesses the people who live there.
For he has reinforced the bars of your gates. He has blessed your sons within you.
14 He protects the borders [of your country, so that enemies from other countries cannot attack you]. He gives you plenty of very good wheat/grain to eat.
He has stationed peace at your borders, and he has satisfied you with the fat of the grain.
15 He commands what he wants to be done on the earth, and his words quickly come to the place to which he sends them.
He sends forth his eloquence to the earth. His word runs swiftly.
16 He sends snow which [covers the ground] like a white wool blanket [SIM], and he scatters frost [on the ground] like [wind scatters] ashes [SIM].
He provides snow like wool. He strews clouds like ashes.
17 He sends hail down like (pebbles/tiny stones); [when that happens], (it is very difficult to endure because the air becomes very cold./who can endure because the air becomes very cold?) [RHQ]
He sends his ice crystals like morsels. Who can stand firm before the face of his cold?
18 [But] he commands the wind to blow, and it blows. [Then the hail] melts and [the water] flows [into the streams].
He will send forth his word, and it will melt them. His Spirit will breathe out, and the waters will flow.
19 He sent his message to [the descendants of] Jacob; [he tells to his] Israeli people the laws and regulations that he had decreed.
He announces his word to Jacob, his justices and his judgments to Israel.
20 He has not done that for any other nation; the other nations do not know his laws. Praise Yahweh!
He has not done so much for every nation, and he has not made his judgments manifest to them. Alleluia.
