Psalms 135

1 Praise Yahweh! You who (do work for/serve) Yahweh, praise him!

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

2 You who stand in the temple of Yahweh our God and in the surrounding courtyard, praise him [MTY]!

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

3 Praise Yahweh, because he does good things [for us]; sing to him [MTY], because he is kind [to us].

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

4 He has chosen [us, the descendants of] Jacob; he has chosen [us] Israelis to belong to him [DOU].

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

5 I know that Yahweh is great; he is greater than all the gods.

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

6 Yahweh does whatever he desires to do, in heaven and on the earth and in the seas/oceans, [down] to the bottom of the seas.

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

7 He is the one who causes clouds to appear from very distant places on the earth; he sends lightning with the rain, and he brings the winds from the places where he stores them.

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.

8 He is the one who killed [all] the firstborn [males] in Egypt, the firstborn of people and of animals.

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

9 There he performed many kinds of miracles [DOU] to punish the king and all his officials.

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

10 He destroyed many nations and the powerful kings [who ruled them]:

He struck many nations, and killed mighty kings—

11 Sihon, the king of the Amor people-group, and Og, the king of Bashan [region], and all the other kings in Canaan [land].

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

12 Then he gave their land to [us] Israeli people to belong to us [forever].

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

13 Yahweh your name will endure forever, and people who are not yet born will remember the great things [that you have done].

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

14 Yahweh, [you] declare that we your people (are innocent/have not done things that are wrong), and you are merciful to us.

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

15 But the idols that the [other] people-groups [worship] are only [statues made of] silver and gold, things that humans have made.

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

16 Their idols have mouths, but they cannot say [anything]; they have eyes, but they cannot see [anything].

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

17 They have ears, but they cannot hear [anything], and they are not [even able to] breathe.

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

18 The people who make those idols are as [powerless as] those idols, and those who trust in those idols [can accomplish no more than] their idols can!

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

19 [My fellow] Israelis, praise Yahweh! You [priests] who are descended from Aaron, praise Yahweh!

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

20 You [men] who are descended from Levi, [you who assist the priests], praise Yahweh! [All] you who revere Yahweh, praise him!

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

21 Praise Yahweh in [the temple on] Zion [Hill] in Jerusalem, where he lives! Praise Yahweh!

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