Psalm chapter 111
English Standard Version
1 Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with my whole heart, in the company of the upright, in the congregation. 2Great are the works of the Lord, studied by all who delight in them. 3 Full of splendor and majesty is his work, and his righteousness endures forever. 4He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and merciful. 5He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. 6He has shown his people the power of his works, in giving them the inheritance of the nations. 7The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy; 8they are established forever and ever, to be performed with faithfulness and uprightness. 9He sent redemption to his people; he has commanded his covenant forever. Holy and awesome is his name! 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; all those who practice it have a good understanding. His praise endures forever!
New International Version
1Praise the Lord. I will extol the Lord with all my heart in the council of the upright and in the assembly. 2Great are the works of the Lord; they are pondered by all who delight in them. 3Glorious and majestic are his deeds, and his righteousness endures forever. 4He has caused his wonders to be remembered; the Lord is gracious and compassionate.
5He provides food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. 6He has shown his people the power of his works, giving them the lands of other nations. 7The works of his hands are faithful and just; all his precepts are trustworthy. 8They are established for ever and ever, enacted in faithfulness and uprightness.
New American Standard Bible
1 Praise the Lord! I will give thanks to the Lord with all my heart, In the company of the upright and in the assembly. 2Great are the works of the Lord; They are studied by all who delight in them. 3 Splendid and majestic is His work, And His righteousness endures forever. 4He has caused His wonders to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and compassionate. 5He has given food to those who fear Him; He will remember His covenant forever. 6He has made known to His people the power of His works, In giving them the inheritance of the nations. 7The works of His hands are truth and justice; All His precepts are trustworthy. 8They are upheld forever and ever; They are performed in truth and uprightness. 9He has sent redemption to His people; He has ordained His covenant forever; Holy and awesome is His name. 10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; All those who follow His commandments have a good understanding; His praise endures forever.
Christian Standard Bible
1Hallelujah! I will praise the Lord with all my heart in the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. 2The Lord’s works are great, studied by all who delight in them. 3All that he does is splendid and majestic; his righteousness endures forever. 4He has caused his wondrous works to be remembered. The Lord is gracious and compassionate. 5He has provided food for those who fear him; he remembers his covenant forever. 6He has shown his people the power of his works by giving them the inheritance of the nations. 7The works of his hands are truth and justice; all his instructions are trustworthy. 8They are established forever and ever, enacted in truth and in uprightness.
New Living Translation
1 Praise the Lord! I will thank the Lord with all my heart as I meet with his godly people. 2How amazing are the deeds of the Lord! All who delight in him should ponder them. 3Everything he does reveals his glory and majesty. His righteousness never fails. 4He causes us to remember his wonderful works. How gracious and merciful is our Lord! 5He gives food to those who fear him; he always remembers his covenant. 6He has shown his great power to his people by giving them the lands of other nations. 7All he does is just and good, and all his commandments are trustworthy. 8They are forever true, to be obeyed faithfully and with integrity. 9He has paid a full ransom for his people. He has guaranteed his covenant with them forever. What a holy, awe-inspiring name he has!
King James Version
New King James Version
1Praise the Lord! I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, In the assembly of the upright and in the congregation. 2 The works of the Lord are great, Studied by all who have pleasure in them. 3His work is honorable and glorious, And His righteousness endures forever. 4He has made His wonderful works to be remembered; The Lord is gracious and full of compassion. 5He has given food to those who fear Him; He will ever be mindful of His covenant. 6He has declared to His people the power of His works, In giving them the heritage of the nations. 7The works of His hands are verity and justice; All His precepts are sure. 8 They stand fast forever and ever, And are done in truth and uprightness. 9 He has sent redemption to His people; He has commanded His covenant forever: Holy and awesome is His name. 10 The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom; A good understanding have all those who do His commandments. His praise endures forever.
What does Psalm chapter 111 mean?
This song is composed of twenty-three lines, most of which are three Hebrew words long. The entire psalm is written in an "acrostic" pattern, meaning the first letters of the first word in each line have some type of significance when taken together. In this case, the first letter in each line follows Hebrew alphabetical order. Psalm 112 features very similar styling and a closely related theme.The psalmist begins with a promise to praise God, publicly, because of the amazing things the Lord has done. Creation demonstrates His power (Psalm 19:1). So do the miracles which He has performed on behalf of His people. He exhibits mercy (Psalm 136:2). When the Lord makes a promise, He keeps it (Hebrews 6:17), caring for those with whom He has a covenant (Malachi 3:6; Deuteronomy 4:31). That included physical needs such as food (Deuteronomy 8:16). But it also extends to God providing (1 John 2:25) a means of salvation (Psalm 111:1–9).
Only those who start with a proper respect for God as our Lord and Creator can grow in truthful wisdom. The final statement of this psalm echoes this principle, seen several times in the book of Proverbs (Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33). This "fear" is not terror or panic, but is not merely respect. Rather, it implies a humble, reverent submission to His role as the Sovereign God (Psalm 111:10).
