Psalms 66

1 For the music director. A song. A psalm. Everyone on earth, shout for joy to God!

To the chief music-maker. A Song. A Psalm. Send up a glad cry to God, all the earth:

2 Sing about his marvelous reputation; praise him for his goodness!

Make a song in honour of his name: give praise and glory to him.

3 Tell God, “What you do is awesome! Your enemies are forced to bow before you because of your power.

Say to God, How greatly to be feared are your works! because of your great power your haters are forced to put themselves under your feet.

4 Everyone on earth worships you, singing your praises—singing praises because of who you are.” (Selah)

Let all the earth give you worship, and make songs to you; let them make songs to your name. (Selah)

5 Come and see what God has done! What he does for people is truly awesome!

Come and see the works of God: he is to be feared in all he does to the children of men.

6 He turned the Red Sea into dry land, and his people walked across through the waters. We celebrated there because of what he did.

The sea was turned into dry land: they went through the river on foot: there did we have joy in him.

7 He rules forever through his power. He keeps an eye on the nations, watching to make sure no rebels rise up in opposition. (Selah)

He is ruling in power for ever; his eyes are watching the nations: may his haters have no strength against him. (Selah)

8 Let all people everywhere bless our God, and loudly sing praises to him.

Give blessings to our God, O you peoples, let the voice of his praise be loud;

9 He has kept us alive, and he has not let us fall.

Because he gives us life, and has not let our feet be moved.

10 God, you have tested us, refining us like silver.

For you, O God, have put us to the test: testing us by fire like silver.

11 You caught us in your net; you placed heavy burdens on our backs.

You let us be put in prison; chains were put on our legs.

12 You let people ride roughshod over us; we suffered through fire and flooding, but you brought us to a safe place.

You let men go driving over our heads; we went through fire and through water; but you took us out into a wide place.

13 I will come to your Temple with burnt offerings; I will fulfill my promises to you,

I will come into your house with burned offerings, I will make payment of my debt to you,

14 the promises I made when I was in trouble.

Keeping the word which came from my lips, and which my mouth said, when I was in trouble.

15 I will sacrifice burnt offerings to you of fattened livestock—the smoke of the sacrifice of rams, offerings of bulls and goats. (Selah)

I will give you burned offerings of fat beasts, and the smoke of sheep; I will make offerings of oxen and goats. (Selah)

16 Come and listen, everyone who honors God, and I will tell you all he has done for me.

Come, give ear to me, all you God-fearing men, so that I may make clear to you what he has done for my soul.

17 I called out to him, and praised him with my voice.

My voice went up to him, and I was lifted up from the underworld.

18 If my thinking had been sinful, the Lord would not have listened to me.

I said in my heart, The Lord will not give ear to me:

19 But God did hear me! He listened to what I had to say in my prayer!

But truly God's ear has been open; he has give attention to the voice of my prayer.

20 Praise God, who did not disregard my prayer or take his trustworthy love from me.

Praise be to God who has not taken away his good faith and his mercy from me.