The Next Testament

Psalms: By the Rivers of Babylon, and Everything That Has Breath (Psalms 135–150)

Scripture: Berean Standard Bible

Psalm 135
Hallelujah!
Praise the name of the LORD.Give praise, O servants of the LORD,who stand in the house of the LORD,in the courts of the house of our God.Hallelujah, for the LORD is good;sing praises to his name, for it is lovely.For the LORD has chosen Jacob as his own,Israel as his treasured possession.
For I know that the LORD is great;our Lord is above all gods.The LORD does all that pleases himin the heavens and on the earth,in the seas and in all their depths.He causes the clouds to risefrom the ends of the earth.He generates the lightning with the rainand brings forth the wind from his storehouses.
He struck down the firstborn of Egypt,of both man and beast.He sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,against Pharaoh and all his servants.He struck down many nationsand slaughtered mighty kings:Sihon king of the Amorites,Og king of Bashan,and all the kings of Canaan.He gave their land as an inheritance,as a heritage to his people Israel.
Your name, O LORD, endures forever,your renown, O LORD, through all generations.For the LORD will vindicate his peopleand will have compassion on his servants.
The idols of the nations are silver and gold,made by the hands of men.They have mouths, but cannot speak;they have eyes, but cannot see;they have ears, but cannot hear;nor is there breath in their mouths.Those who make them become like them,as do all who trust in them.
O house of Israel, bless the LORD;O house of Aaron, bless the LORD;O house of Levi, bless the LORD;you who fear the LORD, bless the LORD!Blessed be the LORD from Zion—he who dwells in Jerusalem.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 136
Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good.His loving devotion endures forever.Give thanks to the God of gods.His loving devotion endures forever.Give thanks to the Lord of lords.His loving devotion endures forever.He alone does great wonders.His loving devotion endures forever.By his insight he made the heavens.His loving devotion endures forever.He spread out the earth upon the waters.His loving devotion endures forever.He made the great lights—his loving devotion endures forever.the sun to rule the day,his loving devotion endures forever.the moon and stars to govern the night.His loving devotion endures forever.He struck down the firstborn of Egypthis loving devotion endures forever.and brought Israel out from among themhis loving devotion endures forever.with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm.His loving devotion endures forever.He divided the Red Sea in twohis loving devotion endures forever.and led Israel through the midst,his loving devotion endures forever.but swept Pharaoh and his army into the Red Sea.His loving devotion endures forever.He led his people through the wilderness.His loving devotion endures forever.He struck down great kingshis loving devotion endures forever.and slaughtered mighty kings—his loving devotion endures forever.Sihon king of the Amoriteshis loving devotion endures forever.and Og king of Bashan—his loving devotion endures forever.and he gave their land as an inheritance,his loving devotion endures forever.a heritage to his servant Israel.His loving devotion endures forever.He remembered us in our low estatehis loving devotion endures forever.and freed us from our enemies.His loving devotion endures forever.He gives food to every creature.His loving devotion endures forever.Give thanks to the God of heaven!His loving devotion endures forever.
Psalm 137
By the rivers of Babylon we sat and weptwhen we remembered Zion.There on the willowswe hung our harps,for there our captors requested a song;our tormentors demanded songs of joy:
“Sing us a song of Zion.”
How can we sing a song of the LORDin a foreign land?If I forget you, O Jerusalem,may my right hand cease to function.May my tongue cling to the roof of my mouthif I do not remember you,if I do not exalt Jerusalemas my greatest joy!
Remember, O LORD,the sons of Edom on the day Jerusalem fell:“Destroy it,” they said,“tear it down to its foundations!”
O Daughter of Babylon,doomed to destruction,blessed is he who repays youas you have done to us.Blessed is he who seizes your infantsand dashes them against the rocks.
Psalm 138

Of David.

I give you thanks with all my heart;before the gods I sing your praises.I bow down toward your holy templeand give thanks to your namefor your loving devotion and your faithfulness;you have exalted your nameand your word above all else.On the day I called, you answered me;you emboldened me and strengthened my soul.
All the kings of the earth will give you thanks, O LORD,when they hear the words of your mouth.They will sing of the ways of the LORD,for the glory of the LORD is great.Though the LORD is on high,he attends to the lowly;but the proud he knows from afar.
If I walk in the midst of trouble,you preserve me from the anger of my foes;you extend your hand,and your right hand saves me.The LORD will fulfillhis purpose for me.
O LORD, your loving devotion endures forever—do not abandon the works of your hands.
Psalm 139

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

O LORD, you have searched meand known me.You know when I sit and when I rise;you understand my thoughts from afar.You search out my path and my lying down;you are aware of all my ways.Even before a word is on my tongue,you know all about it, O LORD.You hem me in behind and before;you have laid your hand upon me.Such knowledge is too wonderful for me,too lofty for me to attain.
Where can I go to escape your Spirit?Where can I flee from your presence?If I ascend to the heavens, you are there;if I make my bed in Sheol, you are there.If I rise on the wings of the dawn,if I settle by the farthest sea,even there your hand will guide me;your right hand will hold me fast.If I say, “Surely the darkness will hide me,and the light become night around me”—even the darkness is not dark to you,but the night shines like the day,for darkness is as light to you.
For you formed my inmost being;you knit me together in my mother’s womb.I praise you,for I am fearfully and wonderfully made.Marvelous are your works,and I know this very well.My frame was not hidden from youwhen I was made in secret,when I was woven togetherin the depths of the earth.Your eyes saw my unformed body;all my days were written in your bookand ordained for mebefore one of them came to be.
How precious to me are your thoughts, O God,how vast is their sum!If I were to count them,they would outnumber the grains of sand;and when I awake,I am still with you.
O God, that you would slay the wicked—away from me, you bloodthirsty men—who speak of you deceitfully;your enemies take your name in vain.Do I not hate those who hate you, O LORD,and detest those who rise against you?I hate them with perfect hatred;I count them as my enemies.
Search me, O God, and know my heart;test me and know my concerns.See if there is any offensive way in me;lead me in the way everlasting.
Psalm 140

For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David.

Rescue me, O LORD, from evil men.Protect me from men of violence,who devise evil in their heartsand stir up war all day long.They sharpen their tongues like snakes;the venom of vipers is on their lips.SelahGuard me, O LORD,from the hands of the wicked.Keep me safe from men of violencewho scheme to make me stumble.The proud hide a snare for me;the cords of their net are spread along the path,and lures are set out for me.SelahI say to the LORD, “You are my God.”Hear, O LORD, my cry for help.O GOD the Lord, the strength of my salvation,you shield my head in the day of battle.Grant not, O LORD, the desires of the wicked;do not promote their evil plans,lest they be exalted.SelahMay the heads of those who surround mebe covered in the trouble their lips have caused.May burning coals fall on them;may they be thrown into the fire,into the miry pits, never to rise again.May no slanderer be established in the land;may calamity hunt down the man of violence.
I know that the LORD upholds justice for the poorand defends the cause of the needy.Surely the righteous will praise your name;the upright will dwell in your presence.
Psalm 141

A Psalm of David.

I call upon you, O LORD; come quickly to me.Hear my voice when I call to you.May my prayer be set before you like incense,my uplifted hands like the evening offering.
Set a guard, O LORD, over my mouth;keep watch at the door of my lips.Do not let my heart be drawn to any evil thingor take part in works of wickednesswith men who do iniquity;let me not feast on their delicacies.
Let the righteous man strike me;let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion.It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it.For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.When their rulers are thrown down from the cliffs,the people will listen to my words,for they are pleasant.As when one plows and breaks up the soil,so our bones have been scattered at the mouth of Sheol.
But my eyes are fixed on you,O GOD the Lord.In you I seek refuge;do not leave my soul defenseless.Keep me from the snares they have laid for me,and from the lures of evildoers.Let the wicked fall into their own nets,while I pass by in safety.
Psalm 142

A Maskil of David, when he was in the cave. A prayer.

I cry aloud to the LORD;I lift my voice to the LORD for mercy.I pour out my complaint before him;I reveal my trouble to him.
Although my spirit grows faint within me,you know my way.Along the path I travelthey have hidden a snare for me.Look to my right and see;no one attends to me.There is no refuge for me;no one cares for my soul.
I cry to you, O LORD: “You are my refuge,my portion in the land of the living.”
Listen to my cry,for I am brought quite low.Rescue me from my pursuers,for they are too strong for me.Free my soul from prison,that I may praise your name.The righteous will gather around mebecause of your goodness to me.
Psalm 143

A Psalm of David.

O LORD, hear my prayer.In your faithfulness, give ear to my plea;in your righteousness, answer me.Do not bring your servant into judgment,for no one alive is righteous before you.
For the enemy has pursued my soul,crushing my life to the ground,making me dwell in darknesslike those long since dead.My spirit grows faint within me;my heart is dismayed inside me.
I remember the days of old;I meditate on all your works;I consider the work of your hands.I stretch out my hands to you;my soul thirsts for you like a parched land.SelahAnswer me quickly, O LORD;my spirit fails.Do not hide your face from me,or I will be like those who descend to the Pit.Let me hear your loving devotion in the morning,for I have put my trust in you.Teach me the way I should walk,for to you I lift up my soul.Deliver me from my enemies, O LORD;I flee to you for refuge.Teach me to do your will,for you are my God.May your good Spirit lead meon level ground.
For the sake of your name, O LORD,revive me.In your righteousness,bring my soul out of trouble.And in your loving devotion,cut off my enemies.Destroy all who afflict me,for I am your servant.
Psalm 144

Of David.

Blessed be the LORD, my Rock,who trains my hands for war,my fingers for battle.He is my steadfast love and my fortress,my stronghold and my deliverer.He is my shield, in whom I take refuge,who subdues peoples under me.
O LORD, what is man, that you regard him,the son of man that you think of him?Man is like a breath;his days are like a passing shadow.
Part your heavens, O LORD, and come down;touch the mountains, that they may smoke.Flash forth your lightning and scatter them;shoot your arrows and rout them.Reach down from on high;set me free and rescue mefrom the deep waters,from the grasp of foreigners,whose mouths speak falsehood,whose right hands are deceitful.
I will sing to you a new song, O God;on a harp of ten strings I will make music to you—to him who gives victory to kings,who frees his servant David from the deadly sword.Set me free and rescue mefrom the grasp of foreigners,whose mouths speak falsehood,whose right hands are deceitful.
Then our sons will be like plantsnurtured in their youth,our daughters like corner pillarscarved to adorn a palace.Our storehouses will be full,supplying all manner of produce;our flocks will bring forth thousands,tens of thousands in our fields.Our oxen will bear great loads.There will be no breach in the walls,no going into captivity,and no cry of lament in our streets.
Blessed are the people of whom this is so;blessed are the people whose God is the LORD.
Psalm 145

A Psalm of praise. Of David.

I will exalt you, my God and King;I will bless your name forever and ever.Every day I will bless you,and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and greatly to be praised;his greatness is unsearchable.One generation will commend your works to the next,and will proclaim your mighty acts—the glorious splendor of your majesty.And I will meditate on your wondrous works.They will proclaim the power of your awesome deeds,and I will declare your greatness.They will extol the fame of your abundant goodnessand sing joyfully of your righteousness.
The LORD is gracious and compassionate,slow to anger and abounding in loving devotion.The LORD is good to all;his compassion rests on all he has made.All you have made will give you thanks, O LORD,and your saints will bless you.They will tell of the glory of your kingdomand speak of your might,to make known to men your mighty actsand the glorious splendor of your kingdom.Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,and your dominion endures through all generations.The LORD is faithful in all his wordsand kind in all his actions.
The LORD upholds all who falland lifts up all who are bowed down.The eyes of all look to you,and you give them their food in season.You open your handand satisfy the desire of every living thing.
The LORD is righteous in all his waysand kind in all his deeds.The LORD is near to all who call on him,to all who call out to him in truth.He fulfills the desires of those who fear him;he hears their cry and saves them.The LORD preserves all who love him,but all the wicked he will destroy.My mouth will declare the praise of the LORD;let every creature bless his holy nameforever and ever.
Psalm 146
Hallelujah!
Praise the LORD, O my soul.
I will praise the LORD all my life;I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.
Put not your trust in princes,in mortal man, who cannot save.When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground;on that very day his plans perish.
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,whose hope is in the LORD his God,the Maker of heaven and earth,the sea, and everything in them.He remains faithful forever.He executes justice for the oppressedand gives food to the hungry.The LORD sets the prisoners free,the LORD opens the eyes of the blind,the LORD lifts those who are weighed down,the LORD loves the righteous.The LORD protects foreigners;he sustains the fatherless and the widow,but the ways of the wicked he frustrates.
The LORD reigns forever,your God, O Zion, for all generations.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 147
Hallelujah!
How good it is to sing praises to our God,how pleasant and lovely to praise him!
The LORD builds up Jerusalem;he gathers the exiles of Israel.He heals the brokenheartedand binds up their wounds.He determines the number of the stars;he calls them each by name.Great is our Lord, and mighty in power;his understanding has no limit.The LORD sustains the humble,but casts the wicked to the ground.
Sing to the LORD with thanksgiving;make music on the harp to our God,who covers the sky with clouds,who prepares rain for the earth,who makes grass to grow on the hills.He provides food for the animals,and for the young ravens when they call.
He does not delight in the strength of the horse;he takes no pleasure in the legpower of the man.The LORD is pleased with those who fear him,who hope in his loving devotion.
Exalt the LORD, O Jerusalem;praise your God, O Zion!For he strengthens the bars of your gatesand blesses the children within you.He makes peace at your borders;he fills you with the finest wheat.
He sends forth his command to the earth;his word runs swiftly.He spreads the snow like wool;he scatters the frost like ashes;he casts forth his hail like pebbles.Who can withstand his icy blast?He sends forth his word and melts them;he unleashes his winds, and the waters flow.
He declares his word to Jacob,his statutes and judgments to Israel.He has done this for no other nation;they do not know his judgments.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 148
Hallelujah!
Praise the LORD from the heavens;praise him in the highest places.Praise him, all his angels;praise him, all his heavenly hosts.Praise him, O sun and moon;praise him, all you shining stars.Praise him, O highest heavens,and you waters above the skies.Let them praise the name of the LORD,for he gave the command and they were created.He established them forever and ever;he issued a decree that will never pass away.
Praise the LORD from the earth,all great sea creatures and ocean depths,lightning and hail, snow and clouds,powerful wind fulfilling his word,mountains and all hills,fruit trees and all cedars,wild animals and all cattle,crawling creatures and flying birds,kings of the earth and all peoples,princes and all rulers of the earth,young men and maidens,old and young together.
Let them praise the name of the LORD,for his name alone is exalted;his splendor is above the earth and the heavens.He has raised up a horn for his people,the praise of all his saints,of Israel, a people near to him.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 149
Hallelujah!
Sing to the LORD a new song—his praise in the assembly of the godly.Let Israel rejoice in their Maker;let the children of Zion rejoice in their King.Let them praise his name with dancing,and make music to him with tambourine and harp.For the LORD takes pleasure in his people;he adorns the afflicted with salvation.Let the saints exult in glory;let them shout for joy upon their beds.
May the high praises of God be in their mouths,and a double-edged sword in their hands,to inflict vengeance on the nationsand punishment on the peoples,to bind their kings with chainsand their nobles with shackles of iron,to execute the judgment written against them.This honor is for all his saints.
Hallelujah!
Psalm 150
Hallelujah!
Praise God in his sanctuary.Praise him in his mighty heavens.Praise him for his mighty acts;praise him for his excellent greatness.
Praise him with the sound of the horn;praise him with the harp and lyre.Praise him with tambourine and dancing;praise him with strings and flute.Praise him with clashing cymbals;praise him with resounding cymbals.
Let everything that has breath praise the LORD!
Hallelujah!