Psalms 135

1 Praise ye the LORD. Praise ye the name of the LORD; praise him, O ye servants of the LORD.

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

2 Ye that stand in the house of the LORD, in the courts of the house of our God,

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

3 Praise the LORD; for the LORD is good: sing praises to his name; for it is pleasant.

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

4 For the LORD hath chosen Jacob to himself, and Israel for his special treasure.

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

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

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

6 Whatever the LORD pleased, that did he in heaven, and in earth, in the seas, and all deep places.

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.

7 He causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings for the rain; he bringeth the wind out of his treasuries.

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.

8 Who smote the firstborn of Egypt, both of man and beast.

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

9 Who sent signs and wonders into the midst of thee, O Egypt, upon Pharaoh, and upon all his servants.

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

10 Who smote great nations, and slew mighty kings;

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

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

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

12 And gave their land for an heritage, an heritage to Israel his people.

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

13 Thy name, O LORD, endureth for ever; and thy memorial, O LORD, throughout all generations.

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

14 For the LORD will judge his people, and he will repent concerning his servants.

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

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

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

16 They have mouths, but they speak not; eyes have they, but they see not;

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

17 They have ears, but they hear not; neither is there any breath in their mouths.

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

18 They that make them are like them: so is every one that trusteth in them.

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!

19 Bless the LORD, O house of Israel: bless the LORD, O house of Aaron:

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

20 Bless the LORD, O house of Levi: ye that fear the LORD, bless the LORD.

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

21 Blessed be the LORD out of Zion, who dwelleth at Jerusalem. Praise ye the LORD.

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