Psalms 65; Psalms 66; Psalms 67; Psalms 69; Psalms 70

Psalms 65

1 God of Zion, to you even silence is praise. Promises made to you are kept—

2 you listen to prayer— and all living things come to you.

3 When wrongdoings become too much for me, you forgive our sins.

4 How happy is the one you choose to bring close, the one who lives in your courtyards! We are filled full by the goodness of your house, by the holiness of your temple.

5 In righteousness you answer us, by your awesome deeds, God of our salvation— you, who are the security of all the far edges of the earth, even the distant seas.

6 You establish the mountains by your strength; you are dressed in raw power.

7 You calm the roaring seas; calm the roaring waves, calm the noise of the nations.

8 Those who dwell on the far edges stand in awe of your acts. You make the gateways of morning and evening sing for joy.

9 You visit the earth and make it abundant, enriching it greatly by God's stream, full of water. You provide people with grain because that is what you've decided.

10 Drenching the earth's furrows, leveling its ridges, you soften it with rain showers; you bless its growth.

11 You crown the year with your goodness; your paths overflow with rich food.

12 Even the desert pastures drip with it, and the hills are dressed in pure joy.

13 The meadowlands are covered with flocks, the valleys decked out in grain— they shout for joy; they break out in song!

Psalms 66

1 Shout joyfully to God, all the earth!

2 Sing praises to the glory of God's name! Make glorious his praise!

3 Say to God: "How awesome are your works! Because of your great strength, your enemies cringe before you.

4 All the earth worships you, sings praises to you, sings praises to your name!" Selah

5 Come and see God's deeds; his works for human beings are awesome:

6 He turned the sea into dry land so they could cross the river on foot. Right there we rejoiced in him!

7 God rules with power forever; keeps a good eye on the nations. So don't let the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah

8 All you nations, bless our God! Let the sound of his praise be heard!

9 God preserved us among the living; he didn't let our feet slip a bit.

10 But you, God, have tested us— you've refined us like silver,

11 trapped us in a net, laid burdens on our backs,

12 let other people run right over our heads— we've been through fire and water. But you brought us out to freedom!

13 So I'll enter your house with entirely burned offerings. I'll keep the promises I made to you,

14 the ones my lips uttered, the ones my mouth spoke when I was in deep trouble.

15 I will offer the best burned offerings to you along with the smoke of sacrificed rams. I will offer both bulls and goats. Selah

16 Come close and listen, all you who honor God; I will tell you what God has done for me:

17 My mouth cried out to him with praise on my tongue.

18 If I had cherished evil in my heart, my Lord would not have listened.

19 But God definitely listened. He heard the sound of my prayer.

20 Bless God! He didn't reject my prayer; he didn't withhold his faithful love from me.

Psalms 67

1 Let God grant us grace and bless us; let God make his face shine on us, Selah

2 so that your way becomes known on earth, so that your salvation becomes known among all the nations.

3 Let the people thank you, God! Let all the people thank you!

4 Let the people celebrate and shout with joy because you judge the nations fairly and guide all nations on the earth. Selah

5 Let the people thank you, God! Let all the people thank you!

6 The earth has yielded its harvest. God blesses us—our God blesses us!

7 Let God continue to bless us; let the far ends of the earth honor him.

Psalms 69

1 Save me, God, because the waters have reached my neck!

2 I have sunk into deep mud. My feet can't touch the bottom! I have entered deep water; the flood has swept me up.

3 I am tired of crying. My throat is hoarse. My eyes are exhausted with waiting for my God.

4 More numerous than the hairs on my head are those who hate me for no reason. My treacherous enemies, those who would destroy me, are countless. Must I now give back what I didn't steal in the first place?

5 God, you know my foolishness; my wrongdoings aren't hidden from you.

6 LORD God of heavenly forces!— don't let those who hope in you be put to shame because of me. God of Israel!— don't let those who seek you be disgraced because of me.

7 I am insulted because of you. Shame covers my face.

8 I have become a stranger to my own brothers, an immigrant to my mother's children.

9 Because passion for your house has consumed me, the insults of those who insult you have fallen on me!

10 I wept while I fasted— even for that I was insulted.

11 When I wore funeral clothes, people made fun of me.

12 Those who sit at the city gate muttered things about me; drunkards made up rude songs.

13 But me? My prayer reaches you, LORD, at just the right time. God, in your great and faithful love, answer me with your certain salvation!

14 Save me from the mud! Don't let me drown! Let me be saved from those who hate me and from these watery depths!

15 Don't let me be swept away by the floodwaters! Don't let the abyss swallow me up! Don't let the pit close its mouth over me!

16 Answer me, LORD, for your faithful love is good! Turn to me in your great compassion!

17 Don't hide your face from me, your servant, because I'm in deep trouble. Answer me quickly!

18 Come close to me! Redeem me! Save me because of my enemies!

19 You know full well the insults I've received; you know my shame and my disgrace. All my adversaries are right there in front of you.

20 Insults have broken my heart. I'm sick about it. I hoped for sympathy, but there wasn't any; I hoped for comforters, but couldn't find any.

21 They gave me poison for food. To quench my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let the table before them become a trap, their offerings a snare.

23 Let their eyes grow too dim to see; make their insides tremble constantly.

24 Pour out your anger on them— let your burning fury catch them.

25 Let their camp be devastated; let no one dwell in their tents.

26 Because they go after those you've already struck; they talk about the pain of those you've already pierced.

27 Pile guilt on top of their guilt! Don't let them come into your righteousness!

28 Let them be wiped out of the scroll of life! Let them not be recorded along with the righteous!

29 And me? I'm afflicted. I'm full of pain. Let your salvation keep me safe, God!

30 I will praise God's name with song; I will magnify him with thanks

31 because that is more pleasing to the LORD than an ox, more pleasing than a young bull with full horns and hooves.

32 Let the afflicted see it and be glad! You who seek God— let your hearts beat strong again

33 because the LORD listens to the needy and doesn't despise his captives.

34 Let heaven and earth praise God, the oceans too, and all that moves within them!

35 God will most certainly save Zion and will rebuild Judah's cities so that God's servants can live there and possess it.

36 The offspring of God's servants will inherit Zion, and those who love God's name will dwell there.

Psalms 70

1 Hurry, God, to deliver me; hurry, LORD, to help me!

2 Let those who seek my life be ashamed and humiliated! Let them fall back and be disgraced— those people who delight in my downfall!

3 Let those who say, "Aha! Aha!" stop because of their shameful behavior.

4 But let all who seek you rejoice and be glad in you, and let those who love your saving help say again and again: "God is great!"

5 But me? I'm poor and needy. Hurry to me, God! You are my helper and my deliverer. Oh, LORD, don't delay!