Psalms

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PSALM 145^*

The Greatness and Goodness of God

1Praise. Of David.

I will extol you, my God and king;

I will bless your name forever and ever.

2Every day I will bless you;

I will praise your name forever and ever.^a

3Great is the LORD and worthy of much praise,^b

whose grandeur is beyond understanding.

4One generation praises your deeds to the next

and proclaims your mighty works.^c

5They speak of the splendor of your majestic glory,

tell of your wonderful deeds.^d

6They speak of the power of your awesome acts

and recount your great deeds.^e

7They celebrate your abounding goodness

and joyfully sing of your justice.

8The LORD is gracious and merciful,

slow to anger and abounding in mercy.^f

9The LORD is good to all,

compassionate toward all your works.^g

10All your works give you thanks, LORD

and your faithful bless you.^h

11They speak of the glory of your reign

and tell of your mighty works,

12Making known to the sons of men your mighty acts,

the majestic glory of your rule.

13Your reign is a reign for all ages,

your dominion for all generations.ⁱ

The LORD is trustworthy in all his words,

and loving in all his works.

14The LORD supports all who are falling

and raises up all who are bowed down.^j

15The eyes of all look hopefully to you;

you give them their food in due season.^k

16You open wide your hand

and satisfy the desire of every living thing.

17The LORD is just in all his ways,

merciful in all his works.^l

18The LORD is near to all who call upon him,

to all who call upon him in truth.^m

19He fulfills the desire of those who fear him;

he hears their cry and saves them.ⁿ

20The LORD watches over all who love him,

but all the wicked he destroys.^o

21My mouth will speak the praises of the LORD;

all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.

* [Psalm 145] A hymn in acrostic form; every verse begins with a successive letter of the Hebrew alphabet. Acrostic poems usually do not develop ideas but consist rather of loosely connected statements. The singer invites all to praise God (Ps 145:1–3, 21). The “works of God” make God present and invite human praise (Ps 145:4–7); they climax in a confession (Ps 145:8–9). God’s mighty acts show forth divine kingship (Ps 145:10–20), a major theme in the literature of early Judaism and in Christianity.

a. [145:2] Ps 34:2.

b. [145:3] Ps 48:2; 95:3; 96:4; Jb 36:26.

c. [145:4] Ps 22:31–32; 48:14–15; 71:18; 78:4; Ex 10:2; Dt 4:9.

d. [145:5] Ps 96:3; 105:2.

e. [145:6] Ps 66:3.

f. [145:8] Ps 86:5, 15; 103:8; Ex 34:6; Sir 2:11.

g. [145:9] Ps 103:13; Wis 11:24.

h. [145:10] Dn 3:57.

i. [145:13] Ps 10:16; 102:13; 146:10; Lam 5:19; Dn 3:33; Rev 11:15.

j. [145:14] Ps 94:18; 146:8.

k. [145:15] Ps 136:25; 104:27–28; Mt 6:25–26.

l. [145:17] Dt 32:4.