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This is a song that David wrote to praise God.

An alphabet of praise[a]

145 Always I will praise you, my God and my king,
    and I will say how great you are!
Because you are good, I will praise you every day.
    Yes, I will always praise your name.
Clearly the Lord is great!
    He is so great that we cannot understand it.
Down from father to son, people will praise you.
    They will tell each other about the powerful things that you have done.
Everyone will speak about your glory and authority.
    I also will think carefully about your great miracles.
Famous are the powerful things that you have done.
    People will talk about them.
    I also will speak about the great things that you do.
Good things are what everybody will remember about you.
    They will sing about your justice.
How very kind the Lord is!
    He is very patient and his faithful love continues.
It is the Lord who takes care of everybody.
    He is kind to everything that he has made.
10 Join together to thank the Lord!
    Everything that he has made will praise him.
    Your own people will praise you, Lord!
11 King is who you are and your kingdom is great!
    People will speak about your royal authority.
12 Let everyone agree that you do great things!
    Let them say that you rule with great authority.
13 Many years your kingdom will remain, even for ever.
    You will always rule your people and their descendants.
Nothing that the Lord promises is false.
    He is kind in everything that he does.[b]
14 Often people fall, but the Lord lifts them up.
    He helps everyone who has trouble.
15 People look to you for help.
    You give them food when they need it.
16 Ready to help, you open your hand.
    You give to every living thing the good things that they want.
17 So the Lord is fair in all that he does.
    He always shows how much he loves us.
18 The Lord is ready to help everyone who asks him.
    He is near to everyone who prays honestly.
19 Very kindly he gives his own people the things that they need.
    He saves them when they call to him for help.
20 Whoever loves the Lord, he keeps safe.
    But he destroys wicked people.
21 Yes, I will praise the Lord!
Everyone who lives should praise his holy name for ever!

Footnotes

  1. 145:1 This psalm is an alphabet poem. In the Hebrew language, each verse started with a letter of the Hebrew alphabet. We have used English letters here. There are 22 letters in the Hebrew alphabet, so we have left out 4 English letters.
  2. 145:13 The second part of the verse with the letter N is not in all Hebrew Bibles.

Psalm 145[a]

A psalm of praise. Of David.

I will exalt you,(A) my God the King;(B)
    I will praise your name(C) for ever and ever.
Every day I will praise(D) you
    and extol your name(E) for ever and ever.

Great(F) is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(G)
    his greatness no one can fathom.(H)
One generation(I) commends your works to another;
    they tell(J) of your mighty acts.(K)
They speak of the glorious splendor(L) of your majesty—
    and I will meditate on your wonderful works.[b](M)
They tell(N) of the power of your awesome works—(O)
    and I will proclaim(P) your great deeds.(Q)
They celebrate your abundant goodness(R)
    and joyfully sing(S) of your righteousness.(T)

The Lord is gracious and compassionate,(U)
    slow to anger and rich in love.(V)

The Lord is good(W) to all;
    he has compassion(X) on all he has made.
10 All your works praise you,(Y) Lord;
    your faithful people extol(Z) you.(AA)
11 They tell of the glory of your kingdom(AB)
    and speak of your might,(AC)
12 so that all people may know of your mighty acts(AD)
    and the glorious splendor of your kingdom.(AE)
13 Your kingdom is an everlasting kingdom,(AF)
    and your dominion endures through all generations.

The Lord is trustworthy(AG) in all he promises(AH)
    and faithful in all he does.[c]
14 The Lord upholds(AI) all who fall
    and lifts up all(AJ) who are bowed down.(AK)
15 The eyes of all look to you,
    and you give them their food(AL) at the proper time.
16 You open your hand
    and satisfy the desires(AM) of every living thing.

17 The Lord is righteous(AN) in all his ways
    and faithful in all he does.(AO)
18 The Lord is near(AP) to all who call on him,(AQ)
    to all who call on him in truth.
19 He fulfills the desires(AR) of those who fear him;(AS)
    he hears their cry(AT) and saves them.(AU)
20 The Lord watches over(AV) all who love him,(AW)
    but all the wicked he will destroy.(AX)

21 My mouth will speak(AY) in praise of the Lord.
    Let every creature(AZ) praise his holy name(BA)
    for ever and ever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 145:1 This psalm is an acrostic poem, the verses of which (including verse 13b) begin with the successive letters of the Hebrew alphabet.
  2. Psalm 145:5 Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); Masoretic Text On the glorious splendor of your majesty / and on your wonderful works I will meditate
  3. Psalm 145:13 One manuscript of the Masoretic Text, Dead Sea Scrolls and Syriac (see also Septuagint); most manuscripts of the Masoretic Text do not have the last two lines of verse 13.