Praise the Lord’s Wonderful Works. Vanity of Idols.
1 Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Praise the name of the Lord;
Praise Him, O servants of the Lord (priests, Levites),
2 You who stand in the house of the Lord,
In the courts of the house of our God,
3 Praise the Lord, for the Lord is good;
Sing praises to His name, for it is gracious and lovely.
4 For the Lord has chosen [the descendants of] Jacob for Himself,
Israel for His own special treasure and possession. [Deut 7:6]
5 For I know that the Lord is great
And that our Lord is above all gods.
6 Whatever the Lord pleases, He does,
In the heavens and on the earth, in the seas and all deeps—
7 Who causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth;
Who makes lightning for the rain,
Who brings the wind from His storehouses;
8 Who struck the firstborn of Egypt,
Both of man and animal; [Ex 12:12, 29; Ps 78:51; 136:10]
9 Who sent signs and wonders into your midst, O Egypt,
Upon Pharaoh and all his servants.
10 Who struck many nations
And killed mighty kings,
11 Sihon, king of the Amorites,
Og, king of Bashan,
And all the kingdoms of Canaan;
12 And He gave their land as a heritage,
A heritage to Israel His people.
13 Your name, O Lord, endures forever,
Your fame and remembrance, O Lord, [endures] throughout all generations.
14 For the Lord will judge His people
And He will have compassion on His servants [revealing His mercy]. [Heb 10:30]
15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
16 They have mouths, but they do not speak;
They have eyes, but they do not see;
17 They have ears, but they do not hear,
Nor is there any breath in their mouths.
18 Those who make idols are like them [absolutely worthless—spiritually blind, deaf, and powerless];
So is everyone who trusts in and relies on them. [Ps 115:4-8]
19 O house of Israel, bless and praise the Lord [with gratitude];
O house of Aaron, bless the Lord;
20 O house of Levi, bless the Lord;
You who fear the Lord [and worship Him with obedience], bless the Lord [with grateful praise]! [Deut 6:5; Ps 31:23]
21 Blessed be the Lord from Zion,
Who dwells [with us] at Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)