God’s Abundant Favor to Earth and Mankind.

For the music director. A Psalm of David. A Song.

65 There will be silence [a]before You, and praise in Zion, God,
And the (A)vow will be fulfilled for You.
You who hear prayer,
To You (B)all [b]mankind comes.
[c](C)Wrongdoings prevail against me;
As for our offenses, You [d](D)forgive them.
(E)Blessed is the one You (F)choose and allow to approach You;
He will dwell in Your courtyards.
We will be (G)satisfied with the goodness of Your house,
Your holy temple.

By (H)awesome deeds You answer us in righteousness, (I)God of our salvation,
You who are the trust of all the (J)ends of the earth and the farthest [e](K)sea;
Who (L)establishes the mountains by His strength,
Who is (M)encircled with might;
Who (N)stills the roaring of the seas,
The roaring of their waves,
And the (O)turmoil of the nations.
They who dwell at the (P)ends of the earth stand in awe of Your signs;
You make the [f]sunrise and the sunset shout for joy.

You visit the earth and (Q)cause it to overflow;
You greatly (R)enrich it;
The [g](S)stream of God is full of water;
You prepare their (T)grain, for so You prepare [h]the earth.
10 You water its furrows abundantly,
You [i]settle its ridges,
You soften it (U)with showers,
You bless its growth.
11 You have crowned the year [j]with Your (V)goodness,
And Your [k]paths (W)drip with fatness.
12 (X)The pastures of the wilderness drip,
And the (Y)hills encircle themselves with rejoicing.
13 The meadows are (Z)clothed with flocks
And the valleys are (AA)covered with grain;
They (AB)shout for joy, yes, they sing.

Praise for God’s Mighty Deeds and for His Answer to Prayer.

For the music director. A Song. A Psalm.

66 (AC)Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;
Sing the (AD)glory of His name;
Make His (AE)praise glorious.
Say to God, “How (AF)awesome are Your works!
Because of the greatness of Your power Your enemies will (AG)pretend to obey You.
(AH)All the earth will worship You,
And will (AI)sing praises to You;
They will sing praises to Your name.” Selah

(AJ)Come and see the works of God,
Who is (AK)awesome in His deeds toward the sons of mankind.
He (AL)turned the sea into dry land;
They passed through (AM)the river on foot;
Let’s (AN)rejoice there, in Him!
He (AO)rules by His might forever;
His (AP)eyes keep watch on the nations;
The rebellious shall not (AQ)exalt themselves! Selah

Bless our God, you peoples,
And [l](AR)sound His praise abroad,
Who [m](AS)keeps us in life,
And (AT)does not allow our feet to [n]slip.
10 For You have (AU)put us to the test, God;
You have (AV)refined us as silver is refined.
11 You (AW)brought us into the net;
You laid an oppressive burden upon [o]us.
12 You made men (AX)ride over our heads;
We went through (AY)fire and through water.
Yet You (AZ)brought us out into a place of abundance.
13 I shall (BA)come into Your house with burnt offerings;
I shall (BB)pay You my vows,
14 Which my lips uttered
And my mouth spoke when I was (BC)in distress.
15 I shall (BD)offer to You burnt offerings of fat animals,
With the smoke of (BE)rams;
I shall make an offering of [p]bulls with male goats. Selah

16 (BF)Come and hear, all who [q]fear God,
And I will (BG)tell of what He has done for my soul.
17 I cried to Him with my mouth,
And [r]He was (BH)exalted with my tongue.
18 If I [s](BI)regard wickedness in my heart,
The (BJ)Lord will not hear;
19 But (BK)God has heard;
He has given attention to the sound of my prayer.
20 (BL)Blessed be God,
Who (BM)has not turned away my prayer
Nor His favor from me.

The Nations Exhorted to Praise God.

For the music director; with stringed instruments. A Psalm. A Song.

67 God be gracious to us and (BN)bless us,
And (BO)cause His face to shine [t]upon us— Selah
That (BP)Your way may be known on the earth,
(BQ)Your salvation among all nations.
May the (BR)peoples praise You, God;
May all the peoples praise You.
May the (BS)nations be glad and sing for joy;
For You will (BT)judge the peoples with fairness
And (BU)guide the nations on the earth. Selah
May the (BV)peoples praise You, God;
May all the peoples praise You.
The (BW)earth has yielded its produce;
God, our God, (BX)blesses us.
God blesses us,
[u]So that (BY)all the ends of the earth may fear Him.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 65:1 Lit to
  2. Psalm 65:2 Lit flesh comes
  3. Psalm 65:3 Or Confessions of wrongdoings
  4. Psalm 65:3 Lit cover, atone for
  5. Psalm 65:5 Or seas
  6. Psalm 65:8 Lit outgoings of the morning and evening
  7. Psalm 65:9 Or channel
  8. Psalm 65:9 Lit it
  9. Psalm 65:10 Or smooth
  10. Psalm 65:11 Lit of
  11. Psalm 65:11 I.e., wagon tracks
  12. Psalm 66:8 Lit cause to hear the sound of His praise
  13. Psalm 66:9 Lit puts our soul in life
  14. Psalm 66:9 Or dodder, stumble
  15. Psalm 66:11 Lit our loins
  16. Psalm 66:15 Or cattle
  17. Psalm 66:16 Or revere
  18. Psalm 66:17 Or praise was under my tongue
  19. Psalm 66:18 Or had regarded
  20. Psalm 67:1 Lit with
  21. Psalm 67:7 Or And let all...earth fear Him

Psalm 65

For the choir director: A song. A psalm of David.

What mighty praise, O God,
    belongs to you in Zion.
We will fulfill our vows to you,
    for you answer our prayers.
    All of us must come to you.
Though we are overwhelmed by our sins,
    you forgive them all.
What joy for those you choose to bring near,
    those who live in your holy courts.
What festivities await us
    inside your holy Temple.

You faithfully answer our prayers with awesome deeds,
    O God our savior.
You are the hope of everyone on earth,
    even those who sail on distant seas.
You formed the mountains by your power
    and armed yourself with mighty strength.
You quieted the raging oceans
    with their pounding waves
    and silenced the shouting of the nations.
Those who live at the ends of the earth
    stand in awe of your wonders.
From where the sun rises to where it sets,
    you inspire shouts of joy.

You take care of the earth and water it,
    making it rich and fertile.
The river of God has plenty of water;
    it provides a bountiful harvest of grain,
    for you have ordered it so.
10 You drench the plowed ground with rain,
    melting the clods and leveling the ridges.
You soften the earth with showers
    and bless its abundant crops.
11 You crown the year with a bountiful harvest;
    even the hard pathways overflow with abundance.
12 The grasslands of the wilderness become a lush pasture,
    and the hillsides blossom with joy.
13 The meadows are clothed with flocks of sheep,
    and the valleys are carpeted with grain.
    They all shout and sing for joy!

Psalm 66

For the choir director: A song. A psalm.

Shout joyful praises to God, all the earth!
    Sing about the glory of his name!
    Tell the world how glorious he is.
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!
    Your enemies cringe before your mighty power.
Everything on earth will worship you;
    they will sing your praises,
    shouting your name in glorious songs.” Interlude

Come and see what our God has done,
    what awesome miracles he performs for people!
He made a dry path through the Red Sea,[a]
    and his people went across on foot.
    There we rejoiced in him.
For by his great power he rules forever.
    He watches every movement of the nations;
    let no rebel rise in defiance. Interlude

Let the whole world bless our God
    and loudly sing his praises.
Our lives are in his hands,
    and he keeps our feet from stumbling.
10 You have tested us, O God;
    you have purified us like silver.
11 You captured us in your net
    and laid the burden of slavery on our backs.
12 Then you put a leader over us.[b]
    We went through fire and flood,
    but you brought us to a place of great abundance.

13 Now I come to your Temple with burnt offerings
    to fulfill the vows I made to you—
14 yes, the sacred vows that I made
    when I was in deep trouble.
15 That is why I am sacrificing burnt offerings to you—
    the best of my rams as a pleasing aroma,
    and a sacrifice of bulls and male goats. Interlude

16 Come and listen, all you who fear God,
    and I will tell you what he did for me.
17 For I cried out to him for help,
    praising him as I spoke.
18 If I had not confessed the sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
19 But God did listen!
    He paid attention to my prayer.
20 Praise God, who did not ignore my prayer
    or withdraw his unfailing love from me.

Psalm 67

For the choir director: A song. A psalm, to be accompanied by stringed instruments.

May God be merciful and bless us.
    May his face smile with favor on us. Interlude

May your ways be known throughout the earth,
    your saving power among people everywhere.
May the nations praise you, O God.
    Yes, may all the nations praise you.
Let the whole world sing for joy,
    because you govern the nations with justice
    and guide the people of the whole world. Interlude

May the nations praise you, O God.
    Yes, may all the nations praise you.
Then the earth will yield its harvests,
    and God, our God, will richly bless us.
Yes, God will bless us,
    and people all over the world will fear him.

Footnotes

  1. 66:6 Hebrew the sea.
  2. 66:12 Or You made people ride over our heads.

A Cry of Distress and a Curse on Adversaries.

For the music director; according to [a]Shoshannim. A Psalm of David.

69 Save me, God,
For the (A)waters have [b]threatened my life.
I have sunk in deep (B)mud, and there is no foothold;
I have come into deep waters, and a [c](C)flood overflows me.
I am (D)weary with my crying; my throat is parched;
My (E)eyes fail while I wait for my God.
Those (F)who hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head;
Those who would [d]destroy me (G)are powerful, those who oppose me with lies;
(H)What I did not steal, I then have to restore.

God, You know (I)my foolishness,
And (J)my guilt is not hidden from You.
May those who wait for You not (K)be ashamed because of me, Lord [e]God of armies;
May those who seek You not be dishonored because of me, God of Israel,
Because (L)for Your sake I have endured disgrace;
(M)Dishonor has covered my face.
I have become (N)estranged [f]from my brothers,
And a stranger to my mother’s sons.
For (O)zeal for Your house has consumed me,
And (P)the taunts of those who taunt You have fallen on me.
10 When I wept (Q)in my soul with fasting,
It became my (R)disgrace.
11 When I made (S)sackcloth my clothing,
I became (T)a proverb to them.
12 Those who (U)sit in the gate talk about me,
And (V)songs of mockery by those habitually drunk are about me.

13 But as for me, my prayer is to You, Lord, (W)at an acceptable time;
God, in the (X)greatness of Your mercy,
Answer me with [g]Your saving truth.
14 Rescue me from the (Y)mud and do not let me sink;
May I be (Z)rescued from those who hate me, and from the (AA)depths of water.
15 May the [h](AB)flood of water not overflow me
Nor the deep swallow me up,
Nor the (AC)pit close its mouth on me.

16 Answer me, Lord, for (AD)Your mercy is good;
(AE)According to the greatness of Your compassion, (AF)turn to me,
17 And (AG)do not hide Your face from Your servant,
For I am (AH)in distress; answer me quickly.
18 Come near to my soul and (AI)redeem it;
(AJ)Ransom me because of my enemies!
19 You know my (AK)disgrace, my shame, and my dishonor;
All my enemies are [i]known to You.

20 Disgrace has (AL)broken my heart, and I am so sick.
And (AM)I waited for sympathy, but there was none;
And for (AN)comforters, but I found none.
21 They also gave me [j](AO)a bitter herb in my food,
And for my thirst they (AP)gave me vinegar to drink.

22 May (AQ)their table before them become a snare;
And [k](AR)when they are at peace, may it become a trap.
23 May their (AS)eyes grow dim so that they cannot see,
And make their (AT)hips shake continually.
24 (AU)Pour out Your indignation on them,
And may Your burning anger overtake them.
25 May their [l](AV)camp be desolated;
May there be none living in their tents.
26 For they have (AW)persecuted him whom (AX)You Yourself struck,
And they tell of the pain of those whom (AY)You have [m]wounded.
27 Add (AZ)guilt to their guilt,
And (BA)may they not come into (BB)Your righteousness.
28 May they be (BC)wiped out of the (BD)book of life,
And may they not be [n](BE)recorded with the righteous.

29 But I am (BF)afflicted and in pain;
[o]May Your salvation, God, (BG)set me safely on high.
30 I will (BH)praise the name of God with song,
And (BI)exalt Him with (BJ)thanksgiving.
31 And it will (BK)please the Lord better than an ox
Or bull with horns and hoofs.
32 The (BL)humble [p]have seen it and are glad;
You who seek God, (BM)let your heart [q]revive.
33 For (BN)the Lord hears the needy,
And (BO)does not despise those of His who are prisoners.

34 (BP)Heaven and earth shall praise Him,
The seas and (BQ)everything that moves in them.
35 For God will (BR)save Zion and (BS)build the cities of Judah,
So that they may live there and (BT)possess it.
36 The [r](BU)descendants of His servants will inherit it,
And those who love His name (BV)will live in it.

Prayer for Help against Persecutors.

For the music director. A Psalm of David; for a memorial.

70 (BW)God, hurry to save me;
Lord, hurry to help me!
(BX)May those who seek my [s]life
Be put to shame and humiliated;
May those who delight [t]in my harm
Be turned back and dishonored.
(BY)May those who say, “Aha, aha!” be [u]turned back
Because of their shame.

May all who seek You rejoice and be glad in You;
And may those who love Your salvation say continually,
“May God be exalted!”
But (BZ)I am afflicted and needy;
(CA)Hurry to me, God!
You are my help and my savior;
Lord, do not delay.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 69 Title Or possibly Lilies
  2. Psalm 69:1 Lit come up to my soul
  3. Psalm 69:2 Lit flowing stream
  4. Psalm 69:4 Or silence
  5. Psalm 69:6 Heb YHWH, usually rendered Lord
  6. Psalm 69:8 Lit to
  7. Psalm 69:13 Or the faithfulness of Your salvation
  8. Psalm 69:15 Lit stream
  9. Psalm 69:19 Lit before You
  10. Psalm 69:21 Or poison
  11. Psalm 69:22 Lit for those who are secure
  12. Psalm 69:25 Lit encampment
  13. Psalm 69:26 Lit pierced
  14. Psalm 69:28 Lit written
  15. Psalm 69:29 Or Your salvation, O God, will set...
  16. Psalm 69:32 Some mss and ancient versions will see
  17. Psalm 69:32 Or live
  18. Psalm 69:36 Lit seed
  19. Psalm 70:2 Or soul
  20. Psalm 70:2 Or to injure me
  21. Psalm 70:3 Some mss appalled

Psalm 69

For the choir director: A psalm of David, to be sung to the tune “Lilies.”

Save me, O God,
    for the floodwaters are up to my neck.
Deeper and deeper I sink into the mire;
    I can’t find a foothold.
I am in deep water,
    and the floods overwhelm me.
I am exhausted from crying for help;
    my throat is parched.
My eyes are swollen with weeping,
    waiting for my God to help me.
Those who hate me without cause
    outnumber the hairs on my head.
Many enemies try to destroy me with lies,
    demanding that I give back what I didn’t steal.

O God, you know how foolish I am;
    my sins cannot be hidden from you.
Don’t let those who trust in you be ashamed because of me,
    O Sovereign Lord of Heaven’s Armies.
Don’t let me cause them to be humiliated,
    O God of Israel.
For I endure insults for your sake;
    humiliation is written all over my face.
Even my own brothers pretend they don’t know me;
    they treat me like a stranger.

Passion for your house has consumed me,
    and the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me.
10 When I weep and fast,
    they scoff at me.
11 When I dress in burlap to show sorrow,
    they make fun of me.
12 I am the favorite topic of town gossip,
    and all the drunks sing about me.

13 But I keep praying to you, Lord,
    hoping this time you will show me favor.
In your unfailing love, O God,
    answer my prayer with your sure salvation.
14 Rescue me from the mud;
    don’t let me sink any deeper!
Save me from those who hate me,
    and pull me from these deep waters.
15 Don’t let the floods overwhelm me,
    or the deep waters swallow me,
    or the pit of death devour me.

16 Answer my prayers, O Lord,
    for your unfailing love is wonderful.
Take care of me,
    for your mercy is so plentiful.
17 Don’t hide from your servant;
    answer me quickly, for I am in deep trouble!
18 Come and redeem me;
    free me from my enemies.

19 You know of my shame, scorn, and disgrace.
    You see all that my enemies are doing.
20 Their insults have broken my heart,
    and I am in despair.
If only one person would show some pity;
    if only one would turn and comfort me.
21 But instead, they give me poison[a] for food;
    they offer me sour wine for my thirst.

22 Let the bountiful table set before them become a snare
    and their prosperity become a trap.[b]
23 Let their eyes go blind so they cannot see,
    and make their bodies shake continually.[c]
24 Pour out your fury on them;
    consume them with your burning anger.
25 Let their homes become desolate
    and their tents be deserted.
26 To the one you have punished, they add insult to injury;
    they add to the pain of those you have hurt.
27 Pile their sins up high,
    and don’t let them go free.
28 Erase their names from the Book of Life;
    don’t let them be counted among the righteous.

29 I am suffering and in pain.
    Rescue me, O God, by your saving power.

30 Then I will praise God’s name with singing,
    and I will honor him with thanksgiving.
31 For this will please the Lord more than sacrificing cattle,
    more than presenting a bull with its horns and hooves.
32 The humble will see their God at work and be glad.
    Let all who seek God’s help be encouraged.
33 For the Lord hears the cries of the needy;
    he does not despise his imprisoned people.

34 Praise him, O heaven and earth,
    the seas and all that move in them.
35 For God will save Jerusalem[d]
    and rebuild the towns of Judah.
His people will live there
    and settle in their own land.
36 The descendants of those who obey him will inherit the land,
    and those who love him will live there in safety.

Psalm 70

For the choir director: A psalm of David, asking God to remember him.

Please, God, rescue me!
    Come quickly, Lord, and help me.
May those who try to kill me
    be humiliated and put to shame.
May those who take delight in my trouble
    be turned back in disgrace.
Let them be horrified by their shame,
    for they said, “Aha! We’ve got him now!”
But may all who search for you
    be filled with joy and gladness in you.
May those who love your salvation
    repeatedly shout, “God is great!”
But as for me, I am poor and needy;
    please hurry to my aid, O God.
You are my helper and my savior;
    O Lord, do not delay.

Footnotes

  1. 69:21 Or gall.
  2. 69:22 Greek version reads Let their bountiful table set before them become a snare, / a trap that makes them think all is well. / Let their blessings cause them to stumble, / and let them get what they deserve. Compare Rom 11:9.
  3. 69:23 Greek version reads and let their backs be bent forever. Compare Rom 11:10.
  4. 69:35 Hebrew Zion.