Read Psalms 146 in the King James Bible (opens in a new tab)
Psalm 146 begins with a personal vow: “Praise ye the LORD,” and a commitment to praise God as long as life remains. It warns against putting ultimate trust in princes or any human help, because man’s breath departs and his plans perish. In contrast, it blesses the one whose help is the God of Jacob—Creator of heaven and earth—who keeps truth forever. The psalm celebrates the LORD’s righteous care: He executes judgment for the oppressed, gives food to the hungry, sets prisoners free, opens the eyes of the blind, raises those bowed down, loves the righteous, preserves strangers, and upholds the fatherless and widow—yet turns the way of the wicked upside down. It ends with a kingdom proclamation: the LORD reigns forever, calling Zion to praise Him through all generations.
Psalms 146:1 - 146:10
1 Praise ye the Lord. Praise the Lord, O my soul.
2 While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises unto my God while I have any being.
3 Put not your trust in princes, [nor] in the son of man, in whom [there is] no help.
4 His breath goeth forth, he returneth to his earth; in that very day his thoughts perish.
5 Happy [is he] that [hath] the God of Jacob for his help, whose hope [is] in the Lord his God:
6 Which made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all that therein [is]: which keepeth truth for ever:
7 Which executeth judgment for the oppressed: which giveth food to the hungry. The Lord looseth the prisoners:
8 The Lord openeth [the eyes of] the blind: the Lord raiseth them that are bowed down: the Lord loveth the righteous:
9 The Lord preserveth the strangers; he relieveth the fatherless and widow: but the way of the wicked he turneth upside down.
10 The Lord shall reign for ever, [even] thy God, O Zion, unto all generations. Praise ye the Lord.