Psalms for Praise & Thanksgiving

For the Chief Musician. A Psalm by David. The heavens declare the glory of God. The expanse shows his handiwork.

Day after day they pour out speech, and night after night they display knowledge.

There is no speech nor language where their voice is not heard.

Their voice has gone out through all the earth, their words to the end of the world. In them he has set a tent for the sun,

which is as a bridegroom coming out of his room, like a strong man rejoicing to run his course.

His going out is from the end of the heavens, his circuit to its ends. There is nothing hidden from its heat.

The LORD’s law is perfect, restoring the soul. The LORD’s covenant is sure, making wise the simple.

The LORD’s precepts are right, rejoicing the heart. The LORD’s commandment is pure, enlightening the eyes.

The fear of the LORD is clean, enduring forever. The LORD’s ordinances are true, and righteous altogether.

They are more to be desired than gold, yes, than much fine gold, sweeter also than honey and the extract of the honeycomb.

Moreover your servant is warned by them. In keeping them there is great reward.

Who can discern his errors? Forgive me from hidden errors.

Keep back your servant also from presumptuous sins. Let them not have dominion over me. Then I will be upright. I will be blameless and innocent of great transgression.

Let the words of my mouth and the meditation of my heart be acceptable in your sight, LORD, my rock, and my redeemer.

A Psalm. A song for the Sabbath day. It is a good thing to give thanks to the LORD, to sing praises to your name, Most High,

to proclaim your loving kindness in the morning, and your faithfulness every night,

with the ten-stringed lute, with the harp, and with the melody of the lyre.

For you, LORD, have made me glad through your work. I will triumph in the works of your hands.

How great are your works, LORD! Your thoughts are very deep.

A senseless man doesn’t know, neither does a fool understand this:

though the wicked spring up as the grass, and all the evildoers flourish, they will be destroyed forever.

But you, LORD, are on high forever more.

For behold, your enemies, LORD, for behold, your enemies shall perish. All the evildoers will be scattered.

But you have exalted my horn like that of the wild ox. I am anointed with fresh oil.

My eye has also seen my enemies. My ears have heard of the wicked enemies who rise up against me.

The righteous shall flourish like the palm tree. He will grow like a cedar in Lebanon.

They are planted in the LORD’s house. They will flourish in our God’s courts.

They will still produce fruit in old age. They will be full of sap and green,

to show that the LORD is upright. He is my rock, and there is no unrighteousness in him.

The LORD reigns! He is clothed with majesty! The LORD is armed with strength. The world also is established. It can’t be moved.

Your throne is established from long ago. You are from everlasting.

The floods have lifted up, LORD, the floods have lifted up their voice. The floods lift up their waves.

Above the voices of many waters, the mighty breakers of the sea, the LORD on high is mighty.

Your statutes stand firm. Holiness adorns your house, LORD, forever more.

A Psalm of thanksgiving. Shout for joy to the LORD, all you lands!

Serve the LORD with gladness. Come before his presence with singing.

Know that the LORD, he is God. It is he who has made us, and we are his. We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture.

Enter into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise. Give thanks to him, and bless his name.

For the LORD is good. His loving kindness endures forever, his faithfulness to all generations.

Praise the LORD! Praise, you servants of the LORD, praise the LORD’s name.

Blessed be the LORD’s name, from this time forward and forever more.

From the rising of the sun to its going down, the LORD’s name is to be praised.

The LORD is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens.

Who is like the LORD, our God, who has his seat on high,

who stoops down to see in heaven and in the earth?

He raises up the poor out of the dust, and lifts up the needy from the ash heap,

that he may set him with princes, even with the princes of his people.

He settles the barren woman in her home as a joyful mother of children. Praise the LORD!

When Israel went out of Egypt, the house of Jacob from a people of foreign language,

Judah became his sanctuary, Israel his dominion.

The sea saw it, and fled. The Jordan was driven back.

The mountains skipped like rams, the little hills like lambs.

What was it, you sea, that you fled? You Jordan, that you turned back?

You mountains, that you skipped like rams? You little hills, like lambs?

Tremble, you earth, at the presence of the Lord, at the presence of the God of Jacob,

who turned the rock into a pool of water, the flint into a spring of waters.

Not to us, LORD, not to us, but to your name give glory, for your loving kindness, and for your truth’s sake.

Why should the nations say, “Where is their God, now?”

But our God is in the heavens. He does whatever he pleases.

Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

They have mouths, but they don’t speak. They have eyes, but they don’t see.

They have ears, but they don’t hear. They have noses, but they don’t smell.

They have hands, but they don’t feel. They have feet, but they don’t walk, neither do they speak through their throat.

Those who make them will be like them; yes, everyone who trusts in them.

Israel, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

House of Aaron, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

You who fear the LORD, trust in the LORD! He is their help and their shield.

The LORD remembers us. He will bless us. He will bless the house of Israel. He will bless the house of Aaron.

He will bless those who fear the LORD, both small and great.

May the LORD increase you more and more, you and your children.

Blessed are you by the LORD, who made heaven and earth.

The heavens are the LORD’s heavens, but he has given the earth to the children of men.

The dead don’t praise the LORD, nor any who go down into silence,

but we will bless the LORD, from this time forward and forever more. Praise the LORD!

I love the LORD, because he listens to my voice, and my cries for mercy.

Because he has turned his ear to me, therefore I will call on him as long as I live.

The cords of death surrounded me, the pains of Sheol got a hold of me. I found trouble and sorrow.

Then I called on the LORD’s name: “LORD, I beg you, deliver my soul.”

The LORD is gracious and righteous. Yes, our God is merciful.

The LORD preserves the simple. I was brought low, and he saved me.

Return to your rest, my soul, for the LORD has dealt bountifully with you.

For you have delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

I will walk before the LORD in the land of the living.

I believed, therefore I said, “I was greatly afflicted.”

I said in my haste, “All people are liars.”

What will I give to the LORD for all his benefits toward me?

I will take the cup of salvation, and call on the LORD’s name.

I will pay my vows to the LORD, yes, in the presence of all his people.

Precious in the LORD’s sight is the death of his saints.

LORD, truly I am your servant. I am your servant, the son of your servant girl. You have freed me from my chains.

I will offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving, and will call on the LORD’s name.

I will pay my vows to the LORD, yes, in the presence of all his people,

in the courts of the LORD’s house, in the middle of you, Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

Praise the LORD, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!

For his loving kindness is great toward us. The LORD’s faithfulness endures forever. Praise the LORD!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

Let Israel now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

Let the house of Aaron now say that his loving kindness endures forever.

Now let those who fear the LORD say that his loving kindness endures forever.

Out of my distress, I called on the LORD. The LORD answered me with freedom.

The LORD is on my side. I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?

The LORD is on my side among those who help me. Therefore I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in man.

It is better to take refuge in the LORD, than to put confidence in princes.

All the nations surrounded me, but in the LORD’s name I cut them off.

They surrounded me, yes, they surrounded me. In the LORD’s name I indeed cut them off.

They surrounded me like bees. They are quenched like the burning thorns. In the LORD’s name I cut them off.

You pushed me back hard, to make me fall, but the LORD helped me.

The LORD is my strength and song. He has become my salvation.

The voice of rejoicing and salvation is in the tents of the righteous. “The right hand of the LORD does valiantly.

The right hand of the LORD is exalted! The right hand of the LORD does valiantly!”

I will not die, but live, and declare the LORD’s works.

The LORD has punished me severely, but he has not given me over to death.

Open to me the gates of righteousness. I will enter into them. I will give thanks to the LORD.

This is the gate of the LORD; the righteous will enter into it.

I will give thanks to you, for you have answered me, and have become my salvation.

The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.

This is the LORD’s doing. It is marvelous in our eyes.

This is the day that the LORD has made. We will rejoice and be glad in it!

Save us now, we beg you, LORD! LORD, we beg you, send prosperity now.

Blessed is he who comes in the LORD’s name! We have blessed you out of the LORD’s house.

The LORD is God, and he has given us light. Bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar.

You are my God, and I will give thanks to you. You are my God, I will exalt you.

Oh give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

Praise the LORD! Praise the LORD’s name! Praise him, you servants of the LORD,

you who stand in the LORD’s house, in the courts of our God’s house.

Praise the LORD, for the LORD is good. Sing praises to his name, for that is pleasant.

For the LORD has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel for his own possession.

For I know that the LORD is great, that our Lord is above all gods.

Whatever the LORD pleased, that he has done, in heaven and in earth, in the seas and in all deeps.

He causes the clouds to rise from the ends of the earth. He makes lightnings with the rain. He brings the wind out of his treasuries.

He struck the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and animal.

He sent signs and wonders into the middle of you, Egypt, on Pharaoh, and on all his servants.

He struck many nations, and killed mighty kings—

Sihon king of the Amorites, Og king of Bashan, and all the kingdoms of Canaan—

and gave their land for a heritage, a heritage to Israel, his people.

Your name, LORD, endures forever; your renown, LORD, throughout all generations.

For the LORD will judge his people and have compassion on his servants.

The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of men’s hands.

They have mouths, but they can’t speak. They have eyes, but they can’t see.

They have ears, but they can’t hear, neither is there any breath in their mouths.

Those who make them will be like them, yes, everyone who trusts in them.

House of Israel, praise the LORD! House of Aaron, praise the LORD!

House of Levi, praise the LORD! You who fear the LORD, praise the LORD!

Blessed be the LORD from Zion, who dwells in Jerusalem. Praise the LORD!

Give thanks to the LORD, for he is good, for his loving kindness endures forever.

Give thanks to the God of gods, for his loving kindness endures forever.

Give thanks to the Lord of lords, for his loving kindness endures forever;

to him who alone does great wonders, for his loving kindness endures forever;

to him who by understanding made the heavens, for his loving kindness endures forever;

to him who spread out the earth above the waters, for his loving kindness endures forever;

to him who made the great lights, for his loving kindness endures forever;

the sun to rule by day, for his loving kindness endures forever;

the moon and stars to rule by night, for his loving kindness endures forever;

to him who struck down the Egyptian firstborn, for his loving kindness endures forever;

and brought out Israel from among them, for his loving kindness endures forever;

with a strong hand, and with an outstretched arm, for his loving kindness endures forever;

to him who divided the Red Sea apart, for his loving kindness endures forever;

and made Israel to pass through the middle of it, for his loving kindness endures forever;

but overthrew Pharaoh and his army in the Red Sea, for his loving kindness endures forever;

to him who led his people through the wilderness, for his loving kindness endures forever;

to him who struck great kings, for his loving kindness endures forever;

and killed mighty kings, for his loving kindness endures forever;

Sihon king of the Amorites, for his loving kindness endures forever;

Og king of Bashan, for his loving kindness endures forever;

and gave their land as an inheritance, for his loving kindness endures forever;

even a heritage to Israel his servant, for his loving kindness endures forever;

who remembered us in our low estate, for his loving kindness endures forever;

and has delivered us from our adversaries, for his loving kindness endures forever;

who gives food to every creature, for his loving kindness endures forever.

Oh give thanks to the God of heaven, for his loving kindness endures forever.

By the rivers of Babylon, there we sat down. Yes, we wept, when we remembered Zion.

On the willows in that land, we hung up our harps.

For there, those who led us captive asked us for songs. Those who tormented us demanded songs of joy: “Sing us one of the songs of Zion!”

How can we sing the LORD’s song in a foreign land?

If I forget you, Jerusalem, let my right hand forget its skill.

Let my tongue stick to the roof of my mouth if I don’t remember you, if I don’t prefer Jerusalem above my chief joy.

Remember, LORD, against the children of Edom in the day of Jerusalem, who said, “Raze it! Raze it even to its foundation!”

Daughter of Babylon, doomed to destruction, he will be happy who repays you, as you have done to us.

Happy shall he be, who takes and dashes your little ones against the rock.

Praise the LORD! Praise God in his sanctuary! Praise him in his heavens for his acts of power!

Praise him for his mighty acts! Praise him according to his excellent greatness!

Praise him with the sounding of the trumpet! Praise him with harp and lyre!

Praise him with tambourine and dancing! Praise him with stringed instruments and flute!

Praise him with loud cymbals! Praise him with resounding cymbals!

Let everything that has breath praise the LORD! Praise the LORD!