Psalms 145
Old Testament · Brenton Septuagint with Greek parallel
Psalms chapter 145 is given here in full, verse by verse, in Sir Lancelot Brenton's classic English translation of the Septuagint (LXX), with the Greek text of the Septuagint set beneath each verse. The text follows the Septuagint tradition received throughout the Orthodox Church.
7 patristic excerpts are attached to this chapter, from Saint Augustine of Hippo.
Psalms 145
1(146) Alleluia, a Psalm of Aggaeus and Zacharias. My soul, praise the Lord.Ἀλληλούϊα· Ἀγγαίου καὶ Ζαχαρίου. Αἰνεῖ ἡ ψυχή μου τὸν Κύριον.
2While I live will I praise the Lord: I will sing praises to my God as long as I exist.Αἰνέσω Κύριον ἐν ζωῇ μοῦ, ψαλῶ τῷ Θεῷ μου ἕως ὑπάρχω.
3Trust not in princes, nor in the children of men, in whom there is no safety.Μὴ πεποίθατε ἐπʼ ἄρχοντας, καὶ ἐφʼ υἱοὺς ἀνθρώπων, οἷς οὐκ ἔστι σωτηρία.
4His breath shall go forth, and he shall return to his earth; in that day all his thoughts shall perish.Ἐξελεύσεται τὸ πνεῦμα αὐτοῦ καὶ ἐπιστρέψει εἰς τὴν γῆν αὐτοῦ, ἐν ἐκείνῃ τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ἀπολοῦνται πάντες οἱ διαλογισμοὶ αὐτῶν.
5Blessed is he whose helper is the God of Jacob, whose hope is in the Lord his God:Μακάριος οὗ ὁ Θεὸς Ἰακὼβ βοηθός αὐτοῦ, ἡ ἐλπὶς αὐτοῦ ἐπὶ Κύριον τὸν Θεὸν αὐτοῦ·
6who made heaven, and earth, the sea, and all things in them: who keeps truth for ever:Τὸν ποιήσαντα τὸν οὐρανὸν καὶ τὴν γῆν, τὴν θάλασσαν καὶ πάντα τὰ ἐν αὐτοῖς· τὸν φυλάσσοντα ἀλήθειαν εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα,
7who executes judgment for the wronged: who gives food to the hungry. The Lord looses the fettered ones:ποιοῦντα κρίμα τοῖς ἀδικουμένοις, διδόντα τροφὴν τοῖς πεινῶσι. Κύριος λύει πεπεδημένους,
8the Lord gives wisdom to the blind: The Lord sets up the broken down: the Lord loves the righteous: the Lord preserves the strangers;Κύριος σοφοῖ τυφλοὺς, Κύριος ἀνορθοῖ κατεῤῥαγμένους, Κύριος ἀγαπᾷ δικαίους,
9he will relieve the orphan and widow: but will utterly remove the way of sinners.Κύριος φυλάσσει τοὺς προσηλύτους· ὀρφανὸν καὶ χήραν ἀναλήμψεται, καὶ ὁδὸν ἁμαρτωλῶν ἀφανιεῖ.
10The Lord shall reign for ever, even your God, O Sion, to all generations.Βασιλεύσει Κύριος εἰς τὸν αἰῶνα, ὁ Θεός σου, Σιὼν, εἰς γενεὰν καὶ γενεάν.
The Fathers on Psalms 145
Saint Augustine of Hippo comments on this chapter. Each excerpt below is drawn from the full text held in the Fathers Library; follow the link on any entry to read the whole work.
On Psalms 145:1Saint Augustine of Hippo1. …Behold the Psalm soundeth; it is the voice of some one (and that some one are ye, if ye will), of some one encouraging his soul to praise God, and saying to himself, “Praise the Lord, O my soul” (ver. 1). For sometimes in the tribulations and temptations of this present life, whether we will or no, our soul is troubled; of which troubling he speaketh in another Psalm. But to remove this troubling, he…
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On Psalms 145:2Saint Augustine of Hippo2. But who saith it, and to whom saith he it? What shall we say, brethren? Is it the flesh that saith, “Praise thou the Lord, O my soul”? And can the flesh suggest good counsel to the soul? However much the flesh be conquered, and subjected as a servant to us through strength which the Lord imparteth, that it serve us entirely as a bond slave, enough for us that it hinder us not.…For the body, inasmuch as it is…
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On Psalms 145:3Saint Augustine of Hippo4. “Put not your trust in princes” (ver. 3). Brethren, here we receive a mighty task; it is a voice from heaven, from above it soundeth to us. For now through some kind of weakness the soul of man, whensoever it is in tribulation here, despaireth of God, and chooseth to rely on man. Let it be said to one when set in some affliction, “There is a great man, by whom thou mayest be set free;” he smileth, he…
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On Psalms 145:4–6Saint Augustine of Hippo5. …“His breath shall go forth, and he shall return to his earth: in that day shall all his thoughts perish” (ver. 4). Where is swelling? where is pride? where is boasting? But perhaps he will have passed to a good place, if indeed he have passed. For I know not whither he who spake thus hath passed. For he spake in pride; and I know not whither such men pass, save that I look into another Psalm, and see that…
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On Psalms 145:7Saint Augustine of Hippo6. “Who keepeth truth for ever.” What “truth for ever”? what “truth” doth He “keep,” and wherein doth “He keep it for ever”? “Who executeth judgment for them that suffer wrong” (ver. 7). He avengeth them that suffer wrong. There cometh at once to thee the voice of the Apostle: “now therefore there is altogether a fault among you, that ye go to law one with another: why do ye not rather suffer wrong?” He urged…
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On Psalms 145:8, 10Saint Augustine of Hippo7. “Who giveth food to the hungry.” Behold, from thee I look for nothing: “God giveth food to the hungry.” Who are “the hungry”? All. What is, all? To all things that have life, to all men He giveth food: doth He not reserve some food for His beloved? If they have another kind of hunger, they have also another kind of food. Let us first enquire what their hunger is, and then we shall find their food. “Blessed are…
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On Psalms 145:10Open Psalms 145 in the interactive reader Switch translations, hear the chapter read aloud, tap any verse for its patristic commentary, and study the Greek word by word.Saint Augustine of Hippo8. “And the way of sinners He shall root out.” What is, “the way of sinners”? To mock at these things which we say. “Who is an orphan, who a widow? What kingdom of heaven, what punishment of hell is there? These are fables of the Christians. To what I see, to that will I live: “let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Beware lest such men persuade you of aught: let them not enter through your ears into your…
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