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, [a Psalm] of Aggaeus and Zacharias. Praise you the Lord: for psalmody is a good thing; let praise be sweetly sung to 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; and 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 broken in heart, and binds up their wounds.
4 He has determined how many stars there will be, and he gives names to all of them.
He numbers the multitudes of stars; and calls them all by 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 strength; and his understanding is infinite.
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 brings sinners down to the ground.
7 Thank Yahweh while you are singing to him to praise him; on the harps, play music to our God.
Begin [the song] with thanksgiving to the Lord; sing praises on the harp to our God:
8 He covers the sky with clouds, [and then] he sends rain to the earth and causes grass to grow on the hills.
who covers the heaven with clouds, who prepares rain for the earth, who causes grass to spring up on the mountains, [[and green herb 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].
and gives cattle their food, and to the 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 take pleasure in the strength of a horse; neither is he 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 takes pleasure in them that fear him, and in all that hope in his mercy.
12 [You people of] [APO] Jerusalem, praise Yahweh! Praise your God!
Alleluia, a Psalm of Aggaeus and Zacharias. Praise the Lord, O Jerusalem; praise your God, O Sion.
13 He [guards your city] by keeping its gates strong. He blesses the people who live there.
For he has strengthened the bars of your gates; he has blessed your children 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 makes your borders peaceful, and fills you with the flour of wheat.
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 his oracle to the earth: his word will run 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 gives snow like wool: he scatters the mist 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]
Casting [forth] his ice like morsels: who shall stand before 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 shall send out his word, and melt them: he shall blow [with] his wind, and the waters shall 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 sends his word to Jacob, his ordinances and 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 to any [other] nation; and he has not shown them his judgments.
