THE BOOK OF PSALMS

 

Psalms 66-68

To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm.

1 ¶ Raise a joyful sound to God, all you lands:

2 Sing forth the honor of his name: make his praise glorious.

3 Say to God, How terrifying are the things you do! Because of your great strength your enemies will cringe before to you.

4 All the earth will worship you, and will sing to you; they will sing to your name. Selah.

5 Come and see the works of God: what he does is terrifying to the children of men.

6 He turned the sea into dry land: and they went through the river on foot: so let us delight in him.

7 He rules by his power forever; his eyes watch the nations: do not let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

8 ¶ O bless our God, you people, and cause the sound of his praise to be heard:

9 For he kept us alive, and did not allow our feet to slip.

10 For you, O God, have tested us: you have tried us, as silver is tried.

11 You brought us into the net; you laid affliction upon our backs.

12 You allowed men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but you brought us out into a place of plenty.

13 ¶ I will enter your house with burnt offerings: I will pay my vows to you,

14 Those my lips spoke, and my mouth promised, when I was in trouble.

15 I will offer to you fattened sheep as burnt sacrifices, with the fragrant smoke of rams; I will offer bulls and goats. Selah.

16 Come listen, all you who fear God, and I will tell you what he has done for my soul.

17 When I called to him with my mouth, high praise was on my tongue.

18 If I make excuses for sin in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

19 But God has certainly heard me; and has listened to what I said in prayer.

20 Praise God, who has not rejected my prayer, or withdrawn his mercy from me.

 

Psalm 67

To the chief Musician on stringed instruments, A Psalm or Song.

1 ¶ May God be merciful to us, and bless us; and cause his face to shine upon us; Selah.

2 That your way may be known on earth, your salvation among all nations.

3 Let the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you.

4 O let the nations be glad and sing for joy: for you will judge the people righteously, and govern the nations of the earth. Selah.

5 Let the people praise you, O God; let all the people praise you.

6 Then the earth will yield her increase; and God, even our own God, will bless us.

7 God will bless us; and all the ends of the earth will fear him.

 

Psalm 68

To the chief Musician, A Psalm or Song of David.

1 ¶ Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered: let those who hate him flee from him.

2 As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melts before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

3 But let the righteous be glad; let them rejoice before God: yea, let them overflow with joy.

4 Sing to God, sing praises to his name: exalt him who rides upon the clouds by his name JAH, and rejoice before him.

5 God, in his holy habitation, is a father of the fatherless, and a defender of widows.

6 God provides homes for those who are deserted: he frees those who are bound with chains: but the rebellious live in a dry land.

7 ¶ O God, when you went out in front of your people, when you marched through the desert; Selah:

8 The earth quaked, the heavens also poured down rain at the presence of God: even Sinai itself shook at the presence of God, the God of Israel.

9 You, O God, sent a plentiful rain, by which you refreshed your land, when it was weary.

10 Your congregation found a dwelling place in it: you, O God, have provided of your goodness for the poor.

11 The Lord gave the word: that made a mighty army rejoice.

12 The kings and their armies fled; and the woman who remained at home got her share of the spoil.

13 Though you may lie among the pots, you will be as the wings of a dove covered with silver, and its feathers with yellow gold.

14 When the Almighty was scattering kings in the land, it was like when it snows on mount Salmon.

15 ¶ The hill of God is like the hill of Bashan; a high hill like the hill of Bashan.

16 Why do you high hills gaze with envy? at the mountain that God desired for his dwelling; yea, the LORD will live there forever.

17 God’s chariots are twice ten thousand, even thousands upon thousands: the Lord is among them, as he was in Sinai, in the holy place.

18 You have ascended on high, you have led prisoners captive: you have received gifts for men; yea, for the rebellious also, that the LORD God might dwell among them.

19 Blessed is the Lord, who daily carries our burdens, even the God who saves us. Selah.

20 He who is our God is the God who saves us; and the Lord GOD rescues us from death.

21 But God will crush the head of his enemies, and the hairy scalp of one who continues in sin.

22 ¶ The Lord said, I will bring them back from Bashan, I will bring them back from the depths of the sea:

23 So that you may wash your feet in the blood of your enemies, and the tongue of your dogs may share in the same.

24 They have seen your procession, O God; even the procession for my God, my King, into the holy place.

25 The singers went first, those who played on instruments followed; among them were the girls playing on tambourines.

26 Praise God in the congregation, even the Lord, you who are from the fountain of Israel.

27 There is little Benjamin in the lead, the leaders of Judah and their company, the leaders of Zebulun, and the leaders of Naphtali.

28 Summon your power: exert your strength, O God, in what you do for us.

29 Because of your temple at Jerusalem kings will bring presents to you.

30 Rebuke the company of spearmen, the herd of the bulls, with the calves of the people, trample under foot those who lust for tribute: scatter the people who delight in war.

31 Princes will come from Egypt; Ethiopia will soon stretch out her hands to God.

32 ¶ Sing to God, you kingdoms of the earth; O sing praises to the Lord; Selah:

33 To him who rides through the highest heavens, the heavens that were of old; listen, he sends out his voice, and it thunders mightily.

34 Acknowledge God’s power: his majesty is over Israel, and his power is in the clouds.

35 O God, you are terrifying when you come from your holy place: but the God of Israel is the one who gives strength and power to his people. Blessed be God.