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Psalms 146

Psalms 146 Summary, Context, and Full Chapter

Psalm 146 begins and ends with praise. It contrasts the limits of human leaders with the lasting help of the Lord, who made heaven and earth and acts on behalf of the vulnerable. The psalm invites steady trust in God, not in people who cannot save.

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What happens in Psalms 146?

The psalm opens with a personal call to praise the Lord throughout life. It then warns against placing confidence in princes or any mortal leader, since human plans end with death. In contrast, the one who hopes in the God of Jacob is blessed. The passage highlights God's care for the oppressed, hungry, prisoners, blind, foreigners, widows, and the fatherless. It closes by affirming that the Lord reigns forever and is worthy of Hallelujah praise.

Psalm 146 is the first of the final five psalms, each beginning and ending with praise. It shifts from looking to human power toward wholehearted trust in the Lord. Within the book of Psalms, it stands as a strong call to worship, hope, and confidence in God's enduring rule and care.

Themes to notice

  • Trust in GodTrue security comes from hoping in the Lord rather than in human strength or authority.
  • God's justiceThe Lord acts for the oppressed and those who need help, showing faithful concern for what is right.
  • Everlasting praiseBecause God reigns forever, his people are called to praise him with their whole lives.

Questions for Psalms 146

  • Why does the psalm warn against trusting in princes and other human leaders?
  • What kinds of people does the Lord help in this chapter, and what does that show about his character?
  • How does the ending of the psalm shape the way you think about praise and hope?

Read the full text of Psalms 146 below, then open it in the reader to highlight, take notes, or ask follow-up Bible questions. No account is required to read.

Psalms 146

Praise the LORD, O My Soul

1Hallelujah!

Praise the LORD, O my soul.

2I will praise the LORD all my life;

I will sing praises to my God while I have my being.

3Put not your trust in princes,

in mortal man, who cannot save.

4When his spirit departs, he returns to the ground;

on that very day his plans perish.

5Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,

whose hope is in the LORD his God,

6the Maker of heaven and earth,

the sea, and everything in them.

He remains faithful forever.

7He executes justice for the oppressed

and gives food to the hungry.

The LORD sets the prisoners free,

8the LORD opens the eyes of the blind,

the LORD lifts those who are weighed down,

the LORD loves the righteous.

9The LORD protects foreigners;

He sustains the fatherless and the widow,

but the ways of the wicked He frustrates.

10The LORD reigns forever,

your God, O Zion, for all generations.

Hallelujah!

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