Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!(A)
    Sing the glory of his name;(B)
    make his praise glorious.(C)
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!(D)
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe(E) before you.
All the earth bows down(F) to you;
    they sing praise(G) to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”[a]

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Footnotes

  1. Psalm 66:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 15.

66 Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:

Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.

Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

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The Lord, Not Idols

“This is what the Lord says—
    Israel’s King(A) and Redeemer,(B) the Lord Almighty:
I am the first and I am the last;(C)
    apart from me there is no God.(D)

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Thus saith the Lord the King of Israel, and his redeemer the Lord of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God.

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Israel Freed

12 “Listen(A) to me, Jacob,
    Israel, whom I have called:(B)
I am he;(C)
    I am the first and I am the last.(D)
13 My own hand laid the foundations of the earth,(E)
    and my right hand spread out the heavens;(F)
when I summon them,
    they all stand up together.(G)

14 “Come together,(H) all of you, and listen:
    Which of the idols has foretold(I) these things?
The Lord’s chosen ally(J)
    will carry out his purpose(K) against Babylon;(L)
    his arm will be against the Babylonians.[a]
15 I, even I, have spoken;
    yes, I have called(M) him.
I will bring him,
    and he will succeed(N) in his mission.

16 “Come near(O) me and listen(P) to this:

“From the first announcement I have not spoken in secret;(Q)
    at the time it happens, I am there.”

And now the Sovereign Lord(R) has sent(S) me,
    endowed with his Spirit.(T)

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 48:14 Or Chaldeans; also in verse 20

12 Hearken unto me, O Jacob and Israel, my called; I am he; I am the first, I also am the last.

13 Mine hand also hath laid the foundation of the earth, and my right hand hath spanned the heavens: when I call unto them, they stand up together.

14 All ye, assemble yourselves, and hear; which among them hath declared these things? The Lord hath loved him: he will do his pleasure on Babylon, and his arm shall be on the Chaldeans.

15 I, even I, have spoken; yea, I have called him: I have brought him, and he shall make his way prosperous.

16 Come ye near unto me, hear ye this; I have not spoken in secret from the beginning; from the time that it was, there am I: and now the Lord God, and his Spirit, hath sent me.

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In that day(A) you will say:

“Give praise to the Lord, proclaim his name;(B)
    make known among the nations(C) what he has done,
    and proclaim that his name is exalted.(D)

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And in that day shall ye say, Praise the Lord, call upon his name, declare his doings among the people, make mention that his name is exalted.

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13 So will it be on the earth
    and among the nations,
as when an olive tree is beaten,(A)
    or as when gleanings are left after the grape harvest.(B)

14 They raise their voices, they shout for joy;(C)
    from the west(D) they acclaim the Lord’s majesty.
15 Therefore in the east(E) give glory(F) to the Lord;
    exalt(G) the name(H) of the Lord, the God of Israel,
    in the islands(I) of the sea.

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13 When thus it shall be in the midst of the land among the people, there shall be as the shaking of an olive tree, and as the gleaning grapes when the vintage is done.

14 They shall lift up their voice, they shall sing for the majesty of the Lord, they shall cry aloud from the sea.

15 Wherefore glorify ye the Lord in the fires, even the name of the Lord God of Israel in the isles of the sea.

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Praise to the Lord

25 Lord, you are my God;(A)
    I will exalt you and praise your name,(B)
for in perfect faithfulness(C)
    you have done wonderful things,(D)
    things planned(E) long ago.
You have made the city a heap of rubble,(F)
    the fortified(G) town a ruin,(H)
the foreigners’ stronghold(I) a city no more;
    it will never be rebuilt.(J)
Therefore strong peoples will honor you;(K)
    cities of ruthless(L) nations will revere you.
You have been a refuge(M) for the poor,(N)
    a refuge for the needy(O) in their distress,
a shelter from the storm(P)
    and a shade from the heat.
For the breath of the ruthless(Q)
    is like a storm driving against a wall
    and like the heat of the desert.
You silence(R) the uproar of foreigners;(S)
    as heat is reduced by the shadow of a cloud,
    so the song of the ruthless(T) is stilled.

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25 O Lord, thou art my God; I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name; for thou hast done wonderful things; thy counsels of old are faithfulness and truth.

For thou hast made of a city an heap; of a defenced city a ruin: a palace of strangers to be no city; it shall never be built.

Therefore shall the strong people glorify thee, the city of the terrible nations shall fear thee.

For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall.

Thou shalt bring down the noise of strangers, as the heat in a dry place; even the heat with the shadow of a cloud: the branch of the terrible ones shall be brought low.

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12 Lord, you establish peace(A) for us;
    all that we have accomplished you have done(B) for us.
13 Lord our God, other lords(C) besides you have ruled over us,
    but your name(D) alone do we honor.(E)

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12 Lord, thou wilt ordain peace for us: for thou also hast wrought all our works in us.

13 O Lord our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name.

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17 In a very short time,(A) will not Lebanon(B) be turned into a fertile field(C)
    and the fertile field seem like a forest?(D)
18 In that day(E) the deaf(F) will hear the words of the scroll,
    and out of gloom and darkness(G)
    the eyes of the blind will see.(H)
19 Once more the humble(I) will rejoice in the Lord;
    the needy(J) will rejoice in the Holy One(K) of Israel.
20 The ruthless(L) will vanish,(M)
    the mockers(N) will disappear,
    and all who have an eye for evil(O) will be cut down—
21 those who with a word make someone out to be guilty,
    who ensnare the defender in court(P)
    and with false testimony(Q) deprive the innocent of justice.(R)

22 Therefore this is what the Lord, who redeemed(S) Abraham,(T) says to the descendants of Jacob:

“No longer will Jacob be ashamed;(U)
    no longer will their faces grow pale.(V)
23 When they see among them their children,(W)
    the work of my hands,(X)
they will keep my name holy;(Y)
    they will acknowledge the holiness of the Holy One(Z) of Jacob,
    and will stand in awe of the God of Israel.
24 Those who are wayward(AA) in spirit will gain understanding;(AB)
    those who complain will accept instruction.”(AC)

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17 Is it not yet a very little while, and Lebanon shall be turned into a fruitful field, and the fruitful field shall be esteemed as a forest?

18 And in that day shall the deaf hear the words of the book, and the eyes of the blind shall see out of obscurity, and out of darkness.

19 The meek also shall increase their joy in the Lord, and the poor among men shall rejoice in the Holy One of Israel.

20 For the terrible one is brought to nought, and the scorner is consumed, and all that watch for iniquity are cut off:

21 That make a man an offender for a word, and lay a snare for him that reproveth in the gate, and turn aside the just for a thing of nought.

22 Therefore thus saith the Lord, who redeemed Abraham, concerning the house of Jacob, Jacob shall not now be ashamed, neither shall his face now wax pale.

23 But when he seeth his children, the work of mine hands, in the midst of him, they shall sanctify my name, and sanctify the Holy One of Jacob, and shall fear the God of Israel.

24 They also that erred in spirit shall come to understanding, and they that murmured shall learn doctrine.

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“I am the Lord;(A) that is my name!(B)
    I will not yield my glory to another(C)
    or my praise to idols.(D)

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I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

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16 He saw that there was no one,(A)
    he was appalled that there was no one to intervene;(B)
so his own arm achieved salvation(C) for him,
    and his own righteousness(D) sustained him.
17 He put on righteousness as his breastplate,(E)
    and the helmet(F) of salvation on his head;
he put on the garments(G) of vengeance(H)
    and wrapped himself in zeal(I) as in a cloak.
18 According to what they have done,
    so will he repay(J)
wrath to his enemies
    and retribution to his foes;
    he will repay the islands(K) their due.
19 From the west,(L) people will fear the name of the Lord,
    and from the rising of the sun,(M) they will revere his glory.(N)
For he will come like a pent-up flood
    that the breath(O) of the Lord drives along.[a]

20 “The Redeemer(P) will come to Zion,(Q)
    to those in Jacob who repent of their sins,”(R)
declares the Lord.

21 “As for me, this is my covenant(S) with them,” says the Lord. “My Spirit,(T) who is on you, will not depart from you,(U) and my words that I have put in your mouth(V) will always be on your lips, on the lips of your children and on the lips of their descendants—from this time on and forever,” says the Lord.

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 59:19 Or When enemies come in like a flood, / the Spirit of the Lord will put them to flight

16 And he saw that there was no man, and wondered that there was no intercessor: therefore his arm brought salvation unto him; and his righteousness, it sustained him.

17 For he put on righteousness as a breastplate, and an helmet of salvation upon his head; and he put on the garments of vengeance for clothing, and was clad with zeal as a cloak.

18 According to their deeds, accordingly he will repay, fury to his adversaries, recompence to his enemies; to the islands he will repay recompence.

19 So shall they fear the name of the Lord from the west, and his glory from the rising of the sun. When the enemy shall come in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord shall lift up a standard against him.

20 And the Redeemer shall come to Zion, and unto them that turn from transgression in Jacob, saith the Lord.

21 As for me, this is my covenant with them, saith the Lord; My spirit that is upon thee, and my words which I have put in thy mouth, shall not depart out of thy mouth, nor out of the mouth of thy seed, nor out of the mouth of thy seed's seed, saith the Lord, from henceforth and for ever.

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64 [a]Oh, that you would rend the heavens(A) and come down,(B)
    that the mountains(C) would tremble before you!
As when fire sets twigs ablaze
    and causes water to boil,
come down to make your name(D) known to your enemies
    and cause the nations to quake(E) before you!
For when you did awesome(F) things that we did not expect,
    you came down, and the mountains trembled(G) before you.
Since ancient times no one has heard,
    no ear has perceived,
no eye has seen any God besides you,(H)
    who acts on behalf of those who wait for him.(I)
You come to the help of those who gladly do right,(J)
    who remember your ways.
But when we continued to sin against them,
    you were angry.(K)
    How then can we be saved?

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Footnotes

  1. Isaiah 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1 is numbered 63:19b, and 64:2-12 is numbered 64:1-11.

64 Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence,

As when the melting fire burneth, the fire causeth the waters to boil, to make thy name known to thine adversaries, that the nations may tremble at thy presence!

When thou didst terrible things which we looked not for, thou camest down, the mountains flowed down at thy presence.

For since the beginning of the world men have not heard, nor perceived by the ear, neither hath the eye seen, O God, beside thee, what he hath prepared for him that waiteth for him.

Thou meetest him that rejoiceth and worketh righteousness, those that remember thee in thy ways: behold, thou art wroth; for we have sinned: in those is continuance, and we shall be saved.

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God and Idols(A)

10 Hear what the Lord says to you, people of Israel. This is what the Lord says:

“Do not learn the ways of the nations(B)
    or be terrified by signs(C) in the heavens,
    though the nations are terrified by them.
For the practices of the peoples are worthless;
    they cut a tree out of the forest,
    and a craftsman(D) shapes it with his chisel.(E)
They adorn it with silver(F) and gold;
    they fasten it with hammer and nails
    so it will not totter.(G)
Like a scarecrow in a cucumber field,
    their idols cannot speak;(H)
they must be carried
    because they cannot walk.(I)
Do not fear them;
    they can do no harm(J)
    nor can they do any good.”(K)

No one is like you,(L) Lord;
    you are great,(M)
    and your name is mighty in power.
Who should not fear(N) you,
    King of the nations?(O)
    This is your due.
Among all the wise leaders of the nations
    and in all their kingdoms,
    there is no one like you.

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10 Hear ye the word which the Lord speaketh unto you, O house of Israel:

Thus saith the Lord, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them.

For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe.

They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not.

They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good.

Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might.

Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee.

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14 “However, the days are coming,”(A) declares the Lord, “when it will no longer be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of Egypt,’(B) 15 but it will be said, ‘As surely as the Lord lives, who brought the Israelites up out of the land of the north(C) and out of all the countries where he had banished them.’(D) For I will restore(E) them to the land I gave their ancestors.(F)

16 “But now I will send for many fishermen,” declares the Lord, “and they will catch them.(G) After that I will send for many hunters, and they will hunt(H) them down on every mountain and hill and from the crevices of the rocks.(I) 17 My eyes are on all their ways; they are not hidden(J) from me, nor is their sin concealed from my eyes.(K) 18 I will repay(L) them double(M) for their wickedness and their sin, because they have defiled my land(N) with the lifeless forms of their vile images(O) and have filled my inheritance with their detestable idols.(P)(Q)

19 Lord, my strength and my fortress,
    my refuge(R) in time of distress,
to you the nations will come(S)
    from the ends of the earth and say,
“Our ancestors possessed nothing but false gods,(T)
    worthless idols(U) that did them no good.(V)
20 Do people make their own gods?
    Yes, but they are not gods!”(W)

21 “Therefore I will teach them—
    this time I will teach them
    my power and might.
Then they will know
    that my name(X) is the Lord.

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14 Therefore, behold, the days come, saith the Lord, that it shall no more be said, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel out of the land of Egypt;

15 But, The Lord liveth, that brought up the children of Israel from the land of the north, and from all the lands whither he had driven them: and I will bring them again into their land that I gave unto their fathers.

16 Behold, I will send for many fishers, saith the Lord, and they shall fish them; and after will I send for many hunters, and they shall hunt them from every mountain, and from every hill, and out of the holes of the rocks.

17 For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.

18 And first I will recompense their iniquity and their sin double; because they have defiled my land, they have filled mine inheritance with the carcases of their detestable and abominable things.

19 O Lord, my strength, and my fortress, and my refuge in the day of affliction, the Gentiles shall come unto thee from the ends of the earth, and shall say, Surely our fathers have inherited lies, vanity, and things wherein there is no profit.

20 Shall a man make gods unto himself, and they are no gods?

21 Therefore, behold, I will this once cause them to know, I will cause them to know mine hand and my might; and they shall know that my name is The Lord.

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