Psalms 146
Psalm 146 ▼▼sn Psalm 146. The psalmist urges his audience not to trust in men, but in the Lord, the just king of the world who cares for the needy.
1 Praise the Lord.
Praise the Lord, O my soul.
2 I will praise the Lord as long as I live.
I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist.
3 Do not trust in princes,
or in human beings, who cannot deliver. ▼
▼tn Heb “in a son of man, to whom there is no deliverance.”
4 Their life’s breath departs, they return to the ground.
On that day their plans die. ▼
5 How blessed is the one whose helper is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the Lord his God.
6 The one who made heaven and earth,
the sea, and all that is in them,
who remains forever faithful, ▼
▼tn Heb “the one who guards faithfulness forever.”
7 vindicates the oppressed, ▼
▼tn Heb “executes justice for the oppressed.”
and gives food to the hungry.
The Lord releases the imprisoned.
8 The Lord gives sight to the blind.
The Lord lifts up all who are bent over. ▼
The Lord loves the godly.
9 The Lord protects the resident foreigner.
He lifts up the fatherless and the widow, ▼
▼sn God is depicted here as a just ruler. In the ancient Near Eastern world a king was responsible for promoting justice, including caring for the weak and vulnerable, epitomized by resident foreigners, the fatherless, and widows. Cf. Exod 22:21; Lev 19:33-34; Deut 10:18-19; 24:14, 17; 27:19; Jer 22:3; Zech 7:10; Mal 3:5.
but he opposes the wicked. ▼
10 The Lord rules forever,
your God, O Zion, throughout the generations to come. ▼
▼tn Heb “for a generation and a generation.”
Praise the Lord!
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