To The Word – Day 226

₁Praise the LORD!

Praise his name, you servants of the LORD,

₂who stand in the LORD's house,

in the Temple of our God.

₃Praise the LORD, because he is good;

sing praises to his name, because he is kind.

₄He chose Jacob for himself,

the people of Israel for his own.

₅I know that our LORD is great,

greater than all the gods.

₆He does whatever he wishes

in heaven and on earth,

in the seas and in the depths below.

₇He brings storm clouds from the ends of the earth;

he makes lightning for the storms,

and he brings out the wind from his storeroom.

₈In Egypt he killed all the firstborn

of people and animals alike.

₉There he performed miracles and wonders

to punish the king and all his officials.

₁₀He destroyed many nations

and killed powerful kings:

₁₁Sihon, king of the Amorites,

Og, king of Bashan,

and all the kings in Canaan.

₁₂He gave their lands to his people;

he gave them to Israel.

₁₃LORD, you will always be proclaimed as God;

all generations will remember you.

₁₄The LORD will defend his people;

he will take pity on his servants.

₁₅The gods of the nations are made of silver and gold;

they are formed by human hands.

₁₆They have mouths, but cannot speak,

and eyes, but cannot see.

₁₇They have ears, but cannot hear;

they are not even able to breathe.

₁₈May all who made them and who trust in them

become like the idols they have made!

₁₉Praise the LORD, people of Israel;

praise him, you priests of God!

₂₀Praise the LORD, you Levites;

praise him, all you that worship him!

₂₁Praise the LORD in Zion,

in Jerusalem, his home.

Praise the LORD!

₁Give thanks to the LORD, because he is good;

his love is eternal.

₂Give thanks to the greatest of all gods;

his love is eternal.

₃Give thanks to the mightiest of all lords;

his love is eternal.

₄He alone performs great miracles;

his love is eternal.

₅By his wisdom he made the heavens;

his love is eternal;

₆he built the earth on the deep waters;

his love is eternal.

₇He made the sun and the moon;

his love is eternal;

₈the sun to rule over the day;

his love is eternal;

₉the moon and the stars to rule over the night;

his love is eternal.

₁₀He killed the firstborn sons of the Egyptians;

his love is eternal.

₁₁He led the people of Israel out of Egypt;

his love is eternal;

₁₂with his strong hand, his powerful arm;

his love is eternal.

₁₃He divided the Red Sea;

his love is eternal;

₁₄he led his people through it;

his love is eternal;

₁₅but he drowned the king of Egypt and his army;

his love is eternal.

₁₆He led his people through the desert;

his love is eternal.

₁₇He killed powerful kings;

his love is eternal;

₁₈he killed famous kings;

his love is eternal;

₁₉Sihon, king of the Amorites;

his love is eternal;

₂₀and Og, king of Bashan;

his love is eternal.

₂₁He gave their lands to his people;

his love is eternal;

₂₂he gave them to Israel, his servant;

his love is eternal.

₂₃He did not forget us when we were defeated;

his love is eternal;

₂₄he freed us from our enemies;

his love is eternal.

₂₅He gives food to every living creature;

his love is eternal.

₂₆Give thanks to the God of heaven;

his love is eternal.

₁By the rivers of Babylon we sat down;

there we wept when we remembered Zion.

₂On the willows near by

we hung up our harps.

₃Those who captured us told us to sing;

they told us to entertain them:

“Sing us a song about Zion.”

₄How can we sing a song to the LORD

in a foreign land?

₅May I never be able to play the harp again

if I forget you, Jerusalem!

₆May I never be able to sing again

if I do not remember you,

if I do not think of you as my greatest joy!

₇Remember, LORD, what the Edomites did

the day Jerusalem was captured.

Remember how they kept saying,

“Tear it down to the ground!”

₈Babylon, you will be destroyed.

Happy are those who pay you back

for what you have done to us —

₉who take your babies

and smash them against a rock.