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A Prayer for the Nation

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

85 Lord, you have been kind to your land.
    You gave the people of Jacob back their riches.
You forgave the guilt of the people.
    You covered all their sins. Selah
You stopped all your anger.
    You stopped your strong anger.

God our Savior, bring us back again.
    Stop being angry with us.
Will you be angry with us forever?
    Will you stay angry from now on?
Won’t you give us life again?
    Your people would rejoice in you.
Lord, show us your love.
    Save us.

I will listen to God the Lord.
    He has ordered peace for his people who worship him.
    Don’t let them go back to foolishness.
God will soon save those who respect him.
    And his greatness will be seen in our land.
10 Love and truth will belong to God’s people.
    Goodness and peace will be theirs.
11 On earth people will be loyal to God.
    And God’s goodness will shine down from heaven.
12 The Lord will give his goodness.
    And the land will give its crops.
13 Goodness will go before God
    and prepare the way for him.

The sons of Korah wrote this psalm for the music leader.

A prayer for peace[a]

85 Lord, you have blessed your land.
You have made Jacob's descendants strong again.[b]
You forgave your people's sins.
    You took away their guilt.
Selah
You stopped being so angry with them.
    You did not punish them any more.
But now turn back to us,
    and make us strong again, God.
You are the one who rescues us.
    Please stop being angry with us.
Will you continue to be angry with us for ever?
    Will you be angry with our children too?
Please turn back to us
    and give us new life!
Then your people will be happy
    and they will praise you.
Lord, show us again your faithful love!
    Please rescue us!

Now I will listen to what the Lord God says.
He will give peace to his people,
    to those who serve him.
But they must not turn back
    to do foolish things again.
Yes, God will soon rescue his people who serve him.
Then we will see his glory again in our land.
10 God will be faithful to us
    and he will love us with his faithful love.
His justice and his peace will join together,
    like dear friends.
11 Faithful truth will grow like a plant in the ground.
    Justice will look down from the sky above.[c]
12 Yes! The Lord will bless us with many good things.
    Plenty of food will grow in our land.
13 Justice will go before our God,
    and it will make a way for him to walk on.

Footnotes

  1. 85:1 In this psalm, God's people remember how he has been kind to them and helped them in past times. They pray that he will return to bless them and give them peace.
  2. 85:1 Jacob's descendants are God's people, the Israelites.
  3. 85:11 The writer uses pictures to show what happens when God blesses his people. He helps his people to live in a good way, so that there is peace and justice and truth among them.

Psalm 85[a]

For the director of music. Of the Sons of Korah. A psalm.

You, Lord, showed favor to your land;
    you restored the fortunes(A) of Jacob.
You forgave(B) the iniquity(C) of your people
    and covered all their sins.[b]
You set aside all your wrath(D)
    and turned from your fierce anger.(E)

Restore(F) us again, God our Savior,(G)
    and put away your displeasure toward us.
Will you be angry with us forever?(H)
    Will you prolong your anger through all generations?
Will you not revive(I) us again,
    that your people may rejoice(J) in you?
Show us your unfailing love,(K) Lord,
    and grant us your salvation.(L)

I will listen to what God the Lord says;
    he promises peace(M) to his people, his faithful servants—
    but let them not turn to folly.(N)
Surely his salvation(O) is near those who fear him,
    that his glory(P) may dwell in our land.

10 Love and faithfulness(Q) meet together;
    righteousness(R) and peace kiss each other.
11 Faithfulness springs forth from the earth,
    and righteousness(S) looks down from heaven.
12 The Lord will indeed give what is good,(T)
    and our land will yield(U) its harvest.
13 Righteousness goes before him
    and prepares the way for his steps.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 85:1 In Hebrew texts 85:1-13 is numbered 85:2-14.
  2. Psalm 85:2 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here.