A rendering of Psalm 146, the first of the five Hallelujah songs that close the Psalms with a shout.
Praise Yahweh!
Soul, shout hallelujah!
I’ll keep singing my Yahweh song
All day, everyday.
I’ll make God my theme song.
Don’t put your hope in politicians
Or anyone posing as a hero.
Hoping in humans is a recipe
For a letdown.
They die and are put in the ground.
Their last breath is
The last gasp of their plans
Which get buried with them.
Real help comes from Jacob’s God.
Yahweh is the source of real hope,
Bringing real happiness.
Here’s his resumé:
He is the Maker —
The universe exists
And keeps on existing
Because of him.
He sees oppression
And sticks up for the victim.
He sees hunger
And serves up a meal.
Yahweh unlocks prison doors.
Yahweh gives vision to the blind.
Yahweh straightens bent backs
Burdened by life.
Yahweh loves those who join him
In his life-repairing work.
Yahweh takes care of immigrants.
He is the healer of broken homes.
But he puts a restraining hand
On those whose mischief causes misery.
Yahweh is king forever.
No generation gets skipped by your God,
Dear Zion.
Sing hallelujah!