Psalm 113, Laudate pueri, “Praise the Lord, ye children: praise ye the name of the Lord,” praises the God who is high above the heavens yet stoops down to lift up the poor. It opens the Hallel, the psalms sung at the Passover meal, and it echoes in Mary’s Magnificat. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 112. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 113 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
Praise the Lord, ye children: praise ye the name of the Lord.
Blessed be the name of the Lord, from henceforth now and for ever.
From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.
The Lord is high above all nations; and his glory above the heavens.
Who is as the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high:
And looketh down on the low things in heaven and in earth?
Raising up the needy from the earth, and lifting up the poor out of the dunghill:
That he may place him with princes, with the princes of his people.
Who maketh a barren woman to dwell in a house, the joyful mother of children.
Psalm 113 or Psalm 112?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 112 is Psalm 113 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Laudate, pueri, Dominum. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- Praise at every hour: “From the rising of the sun unto the going down of the same, the name of the Lord is worthy of praise.”
- The God who stoops down: he “dwelleth on high: And looketh down on the low things.”
- Lifting up the poor: “Raising up the needy from the earth, and lifting up the poor out of the dunghill: That he may place him with princes.” Mary sings the same: “He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble.” See the Magnificat.
- The gift of children: “Who maketh a barren woman to dwell in a house, the joyful mother of children,” as God did for Sara, Anna, and Elizabeth.
How the Church uses Psalm 113
- At Evening Prayer (Vespers) on Sundays and feasts. See Vespers.
- On the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year C): “Praise the Lord, who lifts up the poor.”
- At the Passover and the Last Supper, as the first of the Hallel psalms (113–118).
- In the traditional Vespers of Our Lady, as the second psalm.
A prayer with Psalm 113
Written for this page:
Blessed be your name, O Lord, from the rising of the sun to its setting.
You are high above the heavens, yet you stoop down to the lowly.
Lift up the poor and the forgotten, and give joy to those who long for children.
Make me humble, that you may lift me up. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Hallel?
Psalms 113 to 118, sung by the Jewish people at Passover and other feasts. Jesus and the Apostles likely sang them at the Last Supper (Mark 14:26).
What does Laudate pueri mean?
“Praise, you servants” (or “children”), the first words of Psalm 113 in Latin.
More psalms and prayers
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 112 (113), Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.