Prayer for God’s Mercy upon the Nation.

For the music director. A Psalm of the sons of Korah.

85 Lord, You showed (A)favor to Your land;
You (B)restored the fortunes of Jacob.
You (C)forgave the guilt of Your people;
You (D)covered all their sin. Selah
You (E)withdrew all Your fury;
You (F)turned away from Your burning anger.

(G)Restore us, God of our salvation,
And (H)cause Your indignation toward us to cease.
Will (I)You be angry with us forever?
Will You prolong Your anger to [a]all generations?
Will You not [b](J)revive us again,
So that Your people may (K)rejoice in You?
Show us Your mercy, Lord,
And (L)grant us Your salvation.

[c]I will hear what God the Lord will say;
For He will (M)speak peace to His people, to His godly ones;
And may they not (N)turn back to [d]foolishness.
Certainly (O)His salvation is near to those who [e]fear Him,
That (P)glory may dwell in our land.
10 (Q)Graciousness and [f]truth have met together;
(R)Righteousness and peace have kissed each other.
11 [g]Truth (S)sprouts from the earth,
And righteousness looks down from heaven.
12 Indeed, (T)the Lord will give what is good,
And our (U)land will yield its produce.
13 (V)Righteousness will go before Him
And will make His footsteps into a way.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 85:5 Lit generation and generation
  2. Psalm 85:6 Or bring to life
  3. Psalm 85:8 Or Let me hear
  4. Psalm 85:8 I.e., foolish self-confidence
  5. Psalm 85:9 Or revere
  6. Psalm 85:10 Or faithfulness
  7. Psalm 85:11 Or Faithfulness

Psalm 85

Prayer for the Restoration of God’s Favor

To the leader. Of the Korahites. A Psalm.

Lord, you were favorable to your land;
    you restored the fortunes of Jacob.(A)
You forgave the iniquity of your people;
    you pardoned all their sin. Selah(B)
You withdrew all your wrath;
    you turned from your hot anger.

Restore us again, O God of our salvation,
    and put away your indignation toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you prolong your anger to all generations?(C)
Will you not revive us again,
    so that your people may rejoice in you?(D)
Show us your steadfast love, O Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.

Let me hear what God the Lord will speak,
    for he will speak peace to his people,
    to his faithful, to those who turn to him in their hearts.[a](E)
Surely his salvation is at hand for those who fear him,
    that his glory may dwell in our land.(F)

10 Steadfast love and faithfulness will meet;
    righteousness and peace will kiss each other.(G)
11 Faithfulness will spring up from the ground,
    and righteousness will look down from the sky.
12 The Lord will give what is good,
    and our land will yield its increase.(H)
13 Righteousness will go before him
    and will make a path for his steps.(I)

Footnotes

  1. 85.8 Gk: Heb but let them not turn back to folly

85 A prayer for David himself. Incline thy ear, O Lord, and hear me: for I am needy and poor.

Preserve my soul, for I am holy: save thy servant, O my God, that trusteth in thee.

Have mercy on me, O Lord, for I have cried to thee all the day.

Give joy to the soul of thy servant, for to thee, O Lord, I have lifted up my soul.

For thou, O Lord, art sweet and mild: and plenteous in mercy to all that call upon thee.

Give ear, O Lord, to my prayer: and attend to the voice of my petition.

I have called upon thee in the day of my trouble: because thou hast heard me.

There is none among the gods like unto thee, O Lord: and there is none according to thy works.

All the nations thou hast made shall come and adore before thee, O Lord: and they shall glorify thy name.

10 For thou art great and dost wonderful things: thou art God alone.

11 Conduct me, O Lord, in thy way, and I will walk in thy truth: let my heart rejoice that it may fear thy name.

12 I will praise thee, O Lord my God: with my whole heart, and I will glorify thy name for ever:

13 For thy mercy is great towards me: and thou hast delivered my soul out of the lower hell.

14 O God, the wicked are risen up against me, and the assembly of the mighty have sought my soul: and they have not set thee before their eyes.

15 And thou, O Lord, art a God of compassion, and merciful, patient, and of much mercy, and true.

16 O look upon me, and have mercy on me: give thy command to thy servant, and save the son of thy handmaid.

17 shew me a token for good: that they who hate me may see, and be confounded, because thou, O Lord, hast helped me and hast comforted me.

85 1-3 God, you smiled on your good earth!
    You brought good times back to Jacob!
You lifted the cloud of guilt from your people,
    you put their sins far out of sight.
You took back your sin-provoked threats,
    you cooled your hot, righteous anger.

4-7 Help us again, God of our help;
    don’t hold a grudge against us forever.
You aren’t going to keep this up, are you?
    scowling and angry, year after year?
Why not help us make a fresh start—a resurrection life?
    Then your people will laugh and sing!
Show us how much you love us, God!
    Give us the salvation we need!

8-9 I can’t wait to hear what he’ll say.
    God’s about to pronounce his people well,
The holy people he loves so much,
    so they’ll never again live like fools.
See how close his salvation is to those who fear him?
    Our country is home base for Glory!

10-13 Love and Truth meet in the street,
    Right Living and Whole Living embrace and kiss!
Truth sprouts green from the ground,
    Right Living pours down from the skies!
Oh yes! God gives Goodness and Beauty;
    our land responds with Bounty and Blessing.
Right Living strides out before him,
    and clears a path for his passage.