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God’s Glory, Human Dignity

For the choir director: on the Gittith.(A) A psalm of David.

Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!(B)

You have covered the heavens with your majesty.[a](C)
From the mouths of infants and nursing babies,(D)
you have established a stronghold[b]
on account of your adversaries
in order to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I observe your heavens,
the work of your fingers,
the moon and the stars,
which you set in place,(E)
what is a human being that you remember him,
a son of man[c] that you look after him?(F)
You made him a little less than God[d][e]
and crowned him with glory and honour.
You made him ruler over the works of your hands;
you put everything under his feet:(G)
all the sheep and oxen,
as well as the animals in the wild,
the birds of the sky,
and the fish of the sea
that pass through the currents of the seas.(H)

Lord, our Lord,
how magnificent is your name throughout the earth!

Footnotes

  1. 8:1 Lit earth, which has set your splendour upon the heavens
  2. 8:2 LXX reads established praise
  3. 8:4 Or a mere mortal
  4. 8:5 LXX reads angels
  5. 8:5 Or heavenly beings; Hb Elohim

For the choir director; on the gittith; [a] a psalm by David.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!

Your glory is sung above the heavens.
From the mouths of little children and infants,
you have built a fortress against your opponents
to silence the enemy and the avenger.

When I look at your heavens,
the creation of your fingers,
the moon and the stars that you have set in place—
what is a mortal that you remember him
or the Son of Man that you take care of him?
You have made him a little lower than yourself.
You have crowned him with glory and honor.
You have made him rule what your hands created.
You have put everything under his control:
all the sheep and cattle, the wild animals,
the birds, the fish,
whatever swims in the currents of the seas.

O Lord, our Lord, how majestic is your name throughout the earth!

Footnotes

  1. 8:0 Unknown musical term.

Psalm 8[a]

For the director of music. According to gittith.[b] A psalm of David.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name(A) in all the earth!

You have set your glory(B)
    in the heavens.(C)
Through the praise of children and infants
    you have established a stronghold(D) against your enemies,
    to silence the foe(E) and the avenger.
When I consider your heavens,(F)
    the work of your fingers,(G)
the moon and the stars,(H)
    which you have set in place,
what is mankind that you are mindful of them,
    human beings that you care for them?[c](I)

You have made them[d] a little lower than the angels[e](J)
    and crowned them[f] with glory and honor.(K)
You made them rulers(L) over the works of your hands;(M)
    you put everything under their[g] feet:(N)
all flocks and herds,(O)
    and the animals of the wild,(P)
the birds in the sky,
    and the fish in the sea,(Q)
    all that swim the paths of the seas.

Lord, our Lord,
    how majestic is your name in all the earth!(R)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 8:1 In Hebrew texts 8:1-9 is numbered 8:2-10.
  2. Psalm 8:1 Title: Probably a musical term
  3. Psalm 8:4 Or what is a human being that you are mindful of him, / a son of man that you care for him?
  4. Psalm 8:5 Or him
  5. Psalm 8:5 Or than God
  6. Psalm 8:5 Or him
  7. Psalm 8:6 Or made him ruler . . . ; / . . . his