His Steadfast Love Endures Forever

118 (A)Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

(B)Let Israel say,
    “His steadfast love endures forever.”
(C)Let the house of Aaron say,
    “His steadfast love endures forever.”
(D)Let those who fear the Lord say,
    “His steadfast love endures forever.”

(E)Out of my distress I (F)called on the Lord;
    the Lord answered me and set me (G)free.
(H)The Lord is on my side; (I)I will not fear.
    What can man do to me?
(J)The Lord is on my side as my helper;
    I shall (K)look in triumph on those who hate me.

(L)It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    (M)than to trust in man.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    (N)than to trust in princes.

10 (O)All nations surrounded me;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
11 They surrounded me, surrounded me on every side;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
12 (P)They surrounded me like bees;
    they went out like (Q)a fire among thorns;
    in the name of the Lord I cut them off!
13 I was (R)pushed hard,[a] so that I was falling,
    but the Lord helped me.

14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
    (S)he has become my salvation.
15 Glad songs of salvation
    are in the tents of the righteous:
(T)“The right hand of the Lord (U)does valiantly,
16     the right hand of the Lord exalts,
    the right hand of the Lord (V)does valiantly!”

17 (W)I shall not die, but I shall live,
    and (X)recount the deeds of the Lord.
18 The Lord has (Y)disciplined me severely,
    but he has not given me over to death.

19 (Z)Open to me the gates of righteousness,
    that I may enter through them
    and give thanks to the Lord.
20 This is the gate of the Lord;
    (AA)the righteous shall enter through it.
21 I thank you that (AB)you have answered me
    (AC)and have become my salvation.
22 (AD)The stone that the builders rejected
    has become the cornerstone.[b]
23 This is the Lord's doing;
    it is marvelous in our eyes.
24 This is the day that the Lord has made;
    let us rejoice and be glad in it.

25 Save us, we pray, O Lord!
    O Lord, we pray, give us success!

26 (AE)Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord!
    We (AF)bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God,
    and he has made (AG)his light to shine upon us.
Bind the festal sacrifice with cords,
    up to (AH)the horns of the altar!

28 You are my God, and I will give thanks to you;
    you are my God; I will (AI)extol you.
29 (AJ)Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
    for his steadfast love endures forever!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 118:13 Hebrew You (that is, the enemy) pushed me hard
  2. Psalm 118:22 Hebrew the head of the corner

Psalm 118

Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.

Let all Israel repeat:
    “His faithful love endures forever.”
Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat:
    “His faithful love endures forever.”
Let all who fear the Lord repeat:
    “His faithful love endures forever.”

In my distress I prayed to the Lord,
    and the Lord answered me and set me free.
The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.
    What can mere people do to me?
Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.
    I will look in triumph at those who hate me.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in people.
It is better to take refuge in the Lord
    than to trust in princes.

10 Though hostile nations surrounded me,
    I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
11 Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,
    but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
12 They swarmed around me like bees;
    they blazed against me like a crackling fire.
    But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.
13 My enemies did their best to kill me,
    but the Lord rescued me.
14 The Lord is my strength and my song;
    he has given me victory.
15 Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.
    The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
16 The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.
    The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!
17 I will not die; instead, I will live
    to tell what the Lord has done.
18 The Lord has punished me severely,
    but he did not let me die.

19 Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,
    and I will go in and thank the Lord.
20 These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,
    and the godly enter there.
21 I thank you for answering my prayer
    and giving me victory!

22 The stone that the builders rejected
    has now become the cornerstone.
23 This is the Lord’s doing,
    and it is wonderful to see.
24 This is the day the Lord has made.
    We will rejoice and be glad in it.
25 Please, Lord, please save us.
    Please, Lord, please give us success.
26 Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.
    We bless you from the house of the Lord.
27 The Lord is God, shining upon us.
    Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.
28 You are my God, and I will praise you!
    You are my God, and I will exalt you!

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.