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For the director of music. A psalm of David.

64 God, hear me as I tell you my problem.
    Don’t let my enemies kill me.
Hide me from evil people who talk about how to harm me.
    Hide me from those people who are planning to do evil.

They make their tongues like sharp swords.
    They aim their mean words like deadly arrows.
They shoot from their hiding places at people who aren’t guilty.
    They shoot quickly and aren’t afraid of being caught.

They help one another make evil plans.
    They talk about hiding their traps.
    They say, “Who can see what we are doing?”
They make plans to do what is evil.
    They say, “We have thought up a perfect plan!”
    The hearts and minds of people are so clever!

But God will shoot my enemies with his arrows.
    He will suddenly strike them down.
He will turn their own words against them.
    He will destroy them.
All those who see them will shake their heads
    and look down on them.

All people will respect God.
    They will tell about his works.
    They will think about what he has done.
10 Godly people will be full of joy because of what the Lord has done.
    They will go to him for safety.
    All those whose hearts are honest will be proud of what he has done.

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

65 Our God, we look forward to praising you in Zion.
    We will keep our promises to you.
All people will come to you,
    because you hear and answer prayer.
When our sins became too much for us,
    you forgave our lawless acts.
Blessed are those you choose
    and bring near to worship you.
You bring us into the courtyards of your holy temple.
    There in your house we are filled with all kinds of good things.

God our Savior, you answer us with right and wonderful deeds.
People all over the world and beyond the farthest oceans
    put their hope in you.
You formed the mountains by your power.
    You showed how strong you are.
You calmed the oceans and their roaring waves.
    You calmed the angry words and actions of the nations.
Everyone on earth is amazed at the wonderful things you have done.
    What you do makes people from one end of the earth to the other sing for joy.

You take care of the land and water it.
    You make it able to grow many crops.
You fill your streams with water.
    You do that to provide the people with grain.
    That’s what you have decided to do for the land.
10 You water its rows.
    You smooth out its bumps.
You soften it with showers.
    And you bless its crops.
11 You bring the year to a close with huge crops.
    You provide more than enough food.
12 The grass grows thick even in the desert.
    The hills are dressed with gladness.
13 The meadows are covered with flocks and herds.
    The valleys are dressed with grain.
    They sing and shout for joy.

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

66 Shout to God for joy, everyone on earth!
    Sing about the glory of his name!
    Give him glorious praise!
Say to God, “What wonderful things you do!
    Your power is so great
    that your enemies bow down to you in fear.
Everyone on earth bows down to you.
    They sing praise to you.
    They sing the praises of your name.”

Come and see what God has done.
    See what wonderful things he has done for people!
He turned the Red Sea into dry land.
    The people of Israel passed through the waters on foot.
    Come, let us be full of joy because of what he did.
He rules by his power forever.
    His eyes watch the nations.
    Let no one who refuses to obey him rise up against him.

Praise our God, all you nations.
    Let the sound of the praise you give him be heard.
He has kept us alive.
    He has kept our feet from slipping.
10 God, you have tested us.
    You put us through fire to make us like silver.
11 You put us in prison.
    You placed heavy loads on our backs.
12 You let our enemies ride their chariots over our heads.
    We went through fire and water.
But you brought us to a place
    where we have everything we need.

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings.
    I will keep my promises to you.
14 I made them with my lips.
    My mouth spoke them when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you as burnt offerings.
    I will offer rams, bulls and goats to you.

16 Come and hear, all you who have respect for God.
    Let me tell you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth.
    I praised him with my tongue.
18 If I had enjoyed having sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened.
19 But God has surely listened.
    He has heard my prayer.
20 Give praise to God.
    He has accepted my prayer.
    He has not held back his love from me.

Psalm 64[a]

For the director of music. A psalm of David.

Hear me, my God, as I voice my complaint;(A)
    protect my life from the threat of the enemy.(B)

Hide me from the conspiracy(C) of the wicked,(D)
    from the plots of evildoers.
They sharpen their tongues like swords(E)
    and aim cruel words like deadly arrows.(F)
They shoot from ambush at the innocent;(G)
    they shoot suddenly, without fear.(H)

They encourage each other in evil plans,
    they talk about hiding their snares;(I)
    they say, “Who will see it[b]?”(J)
They plot injustice and say,
    “We have devised a perfect plan!”
    Surely the human mind and heart are cunning.

But God will shoot them with his arrows;
    they will suddenly be struck down.
He will turn their own tongues against them(K)
    and bring them to ruin;
    all who see them will shake their heads(L) in scorn.(M)
All people will fear;(N)
    they will proclaim the works of God
    and ponder what he has done.(O)

10 The righteous will rejoice in the Lord(P)
    and take refuge in him;(Q)
    all the upright in heart will glory in him!(R)

Psalm 65[c]

For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.

Praise awaits[d] you, our God, in Zion;(S)
    to you our vows will be fulfilled.(T)
You who answer prayer,
    to you all people will come.(U)
When we were overwhelmed by sins,(V)
    you forgave[e] our transgressions.(W)
Blessed are those you choose(X)
    and bring near(Y) to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,(Z)
    of your holy temple.

You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,(AA)
    God our Savior,(AB)
the hope of all the ends of the earth(AC)
    and of the farthest seas,(AD)
who formed the mountains(AE) by your power,
    having armed yourself with strength,(AF)
who stilled the roaring of the seas,(AG)
    the roaring of their waves,
    and the turmoil of the nations.(AH)
The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
    where morning dawns, where evening fades,
    you call forth songs of joy.(AI)

You care for the land and water it;(AJ)
    you enrich it abundantly.(AK)
The streams of God are filled with water
    to provide the people with grain,(AL)
    for so you have ordained it.[f]
10 You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
    you soften it with showers(AM) and bless its crops.
11 You crown the year with your bounty,(AN)
    and your carts overflow with abundance.(AO)
12 The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;(AP)
    the hills are clothed with gladness.(AQ)
13 The meadows are covered with flocks(AR)
    and the valleys are mantled with grain;(AS)
    they shout for joy and sing.(AT)

Psalm 66

For the director of music. A song. A psalm.

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!(AU)
    Sing the glory of his name;(AV)
    make his praise glorious.(AW)
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!(AX)
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe(AY) before you.
All the earth bows down(AZ) to you;
    they sing praise(BA) to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”[g]

Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds(BB) for mankind!
He turned the sea into dry land,(BC)
    they passed through(BD) the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice(BE) in him.
He rules forever(BF) by his power,
    his eyes watch(BG) the nations—
    let not the rebellious(BH) rise up against him.

Praise(BI) our God, all peoples,
    let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives(BJ)
    and kept our feet from slipping.(BK)
10 For you, God, tested(BL) us;
    you refined us like silver.(BM)
11 You brought us into prison(BN)
    and laid burdens(BO) on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;(BP)
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.(BQ)

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings(BR)
    and fulfill my vows(BS) to you—
14 vows my lips promised and my mouth spoke
    when I was in trouble.
15 I will sacrifice fat animals to you
    and an offering of rams;
    I will offer bulls and goats.(BT)

16 Come and hear,(BU) all you who fear God;
    let me tell(BV) you what he has done for me.
17 I cried out to him with my mouth;
    his praise was on my tongue.
18 If I had cherished sin in my heart,
    the Lord would not have listened;(BW)
19 but God has surely listened
    and has heard(BX) my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected(BY) my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 64:1 In Hebrew texts 64:1-10 is numbered 64:2-11.
  2. Psalm 64:5 Or us
  3. Psalm 65:1 In Hebrew texts 65:1-13 is numbered 65:2-14.
  4. Psalm 65:1 Or befits; the meaning of the Hebrew for this word is uncertain.
  5. Psalm 65:3 Or made atonement for
  6. Psalm 65:9 Or for that is how you prepare the land
  7. Psalm 66:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 15.