Psalm 116

I love the Lord,(A) for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry(B) for mercy.(C)
Because he turned his ear(D) to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.

The cords of death(E) entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
Then I called on the name(F) of the Lord:
    Lord, save me!(G)

The Lord is gracious and righteous;(H)
    our God is full of compassion.(I)
The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low,(J) he saved me.(K)

Return to your rest,(L) my soul,
    for the Lord has been good(M) to you.

For you, Lord, have delivered me(N) from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
that I may walk before the Lord(O)
    in the land of the living.(P)

10 I trusted(Q) in the Lord when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;(R)
11 in my alarm I said,
    “Everyone is a liar.”(S)

12 What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness(T) to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name(U) of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows(V) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight(W) of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.(X)
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;(Y)
    I serve you just as my mother did;(Z)
    you have freed me from my chains.(AA)

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering(AB) to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows(AC) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts(AD) of the house of the Lord
    in your midst, Jerusalem.(AE)

Praise the Lord.[a]

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord,(AF) all you nations;(AG)
    extol him, all you peoples.
For great is his love(AH) toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord(AI) endures forever.

Praise the Lord.[b]

Psalm 118

Give thanks to the Lord,(AJ) for he is good;(AK)
    his love endures forever.(AL)

Let Israel say:(AM)
    “His love endures forever.”(AN)
Let the house of Aaron say:(AO)
    “His love endures forever.”
Let those who fear the Lord(AP) say:
    “His love endures forever.”

When hard pressed,(AQ) I cried to the Lord;
    he brought me into a spacious place.(AR)
The Lord is with me;(AS) I will not be afraid.
    What can mere mortals do to me?(AT)
The Lord is with me; he is my helper.(AU)
    I look in triumph on my enemies.(AV)

It is better to take refuge in the Lord(AW)
    than to trust in humans.(AX)
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.(AY)
10 All the nations surrounded me,
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.(AZ)
11 They surrounded me(BA) on every side,(BB)
    but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.
12 They swarmed around me like bees,(BC)
    but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;(BD)
    in the name of the Lord I cut them down.(BE)
13 I was pushed back and about to fall,
    but the Lord helped me.(BF)
14 The Lord is my strength(BG) and my defense[c];
    he has become my salvation.(BH)

15 Shouts of joy(BI) and victory
    resound in the tents of the righteous:
“The Lord’s right hand(BJ) has done mighty things!(BK)
16     The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;
    the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”
17 I will not die(BL) but live,
    and will proclaim(BM) what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has chastened(BN) me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.(BO)
19 Open for me the gates(BP) of the righteous;
    I will enter(BQ) and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord(BR)
    through which the righteous may enter.(BS)
21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;(BT)
    you have become my salvation.(BU)

22 The stone(BV) the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone;(BW)
23 the Lord has done this,
    and it is marvelous(BX) in our eyes.
24 The Lord has done it this very day;
    let us rejoice today and be glad.(BY)

25 Lord, save us!(BZ)
    Lord, grant us success!

26 Blessed is he who comes(CA) in the name of the Lord.
    From the house of the Lord we bless you.[d](CB)
27 The Lord is God,(CC)
    and he has made his light shine(CD) on us.
With boughs in hand,(CE) join in the festal procession
    up[e] to the horns of the altar.(CF)

28 You are my God, and I will praise you;
    you are my God,(CG) and I will exalt(CH) you.

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    his love endures forever.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 116:19 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  2. Psalm 117:2 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  3. Psalm 118:14 Or song
  4. Psalm 118:26 The Hebrew is plural.
  5. Psalm 118:27 Or Bind the festal sacrifice with ropes / and take it

Are we beginning to commend ourselves(A) again? Or do we need, like some people, letters of recommendation(B) to you or from you? You yourselves are our letter, written on our hearts, known and read by everyone.(C) You show that you are a letter from Christ, the result of our ministry, written not with ink but with the Spirit of the living God,(D) not on tablets of stone(E) but on tablets of human hearts.(F)

Such confidence(G) we have through Christ before God. Not that we are competent in ourselves(H) to claim anything for ourselves, but our competence comes from God.(I) He has made us competent as ministers of a new covenant(J)—not of the letter(K) but of the Spirit; for the letter kills, but the Spirit gives life.(L)

The Greater Glory of the New Covenant

Now if the ministry that brought death,(M) which was engraved in letters on stone, came with glory, so that the Israelites could not look steadily at the face of Moses because of its glory,(N) transitory though it was, will not the ministry of the Spirit be even more glorious? If the ministry that brought condemnation(O) was glorious, how much more glorious is the ministry that brings righteousness!(P) 10 For what was glorious has no glory now in comparison with the surpassing glory. 11 And if what was transitory came with glory, how much greater is the glory of that which lasts!

12 Therefore, since we have such a hope,(Q) we are very bold.(R) 13 We are not like Moses, who would put a veil over his face(S) to prevent the Israelites from seeing the end of what was passing away. 14 But their minds were made dull,(T) for to this day the same veil remains when the old covenant(U) is read.(V) It has not been removed, because only in Christ is it taken away. 15 Even to this day when Moses is read, a veil covers their hearts. 16 But whenever anyone turns to the Lord,(W) the veil is taken away.(X) 17 Now the Lord is the Spirit,(Y) and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom.(Z) 18 And we all, who with unveiled faces contemplate[a](AA) the Lord’s glory,(AB) are being transformed into his image(AC) with ever-increasing glory, which comes from the Lord, who is the Spirit.

Footnotes

  1. 2 Corinthians 3:18 Or reflect

Bible Gateway Recommends