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Psalm 66[a]

Praise of God, Israel’s Deliverer

For the leader. A song; a psalm.

I

Shout joyfully to God, all the earth;
    sing of his glorious name;
    give him glorious praise.(A)
Say to God: “How awesome your deeds!
    Before your great strength your enemies cringe.
All the earth falls in worship before you;(B)
    they sing of you, sing of your name!”
Selah

II

[b]Come and see the works of God,
    awesome in deeds before the children of Adam.
He changed the sea to dry land;
    through the river they passed on foot.(C)
There we rejoiced in him,
    who rules by his might forever,
His eyes are fixed upon the nations.
    Let no rebel rise to challenge!
Selah
Bless our God, you peoples;
    loudly sound his praise,
Who has kept us alive
    and not allowed our feet to slip.(D)
10 You tested us, O God,
    tried us as silver tried by fire.(E)
11 You led us into a snare;
    you bound us at the waist as captives.
12 [c]You let captors set foot on our neck;
    we went through fire and water;
    then you led us out to freedom.(F)

III

13 I will bring burnt offerings[d] to your house;
    to you I will fulfill my vows,
14 Which my lips pronounced
    and my mouth spoke in my distress.
15 Burnt offerings of fatlings I will offer you
    and sacrificial smoke of rams;
    I will sacrifice oxen and goats.
Selah
16 Come and hear, all you who fear God,
    while I recount what has been done for me.
17 I called to him with my mouth;
    praise was upon my tongue.
18 Had I cherished evil in my heart,
    the Lord would not have heard.
19 But God did hear
    and listened to my voice in prayer.
20 Blessed be God, who did not reject my prayer
    and refuse his mercy.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 66 In the first part (Ps 66:1–12), the community praises God for powerful acts for Israel, both in the past (the exodus from Egypt and the entry into the land [Ps 66:6]) and in the present (deliverance from a recent but unspecified calamity [Ps 66:8–12]). In the second part (Ps 66:13–20), an individual from the rescued community fulfills a vow to offer a sacrifice of thanksgiving. As often in thanksgivings, the rescued person steps forward to teach the community what God has done (Ps 66:16–20).
  2. 66:5–6 cf. the events described in Ex 14:1–15, 21; Jos 3:11–4:24 and Ps 114.
  3. 66:12 You let captors set foot on our neck: lit., “you let men mount our heads.” Conquerors placed their feet on the neck of their enemies as a sign of complete defeat, cf. Jos 10:24. A ceremonial footstool of the Egyptian king Tutankhamen portrays bound and prostrate bodies of enemies ready for the king’s feet on their heads, and one of Tutankhamen’s ceremonial chariots depicts the king as a sphinx standing with paw atop the neck of an enemy.
  4. 66:13 Burnt offerings: cf. Lv 1:3–13; 6:1–4; 22:17–20.

Psalm 66

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

Shout for joy to God, all the earth!(A)
    Sing the glory of his name;(B)
    make his praise glorious.(C)
Say to God, “How awesome are your deeds!(D)
    So great is your power
    that your enemies cringe(E) before you.
All the earth bows down(F) to you;
    they sing praise(G) to you,
    they sing the praises of your name.”[a]

Come and see what God has done,
    his awesome deeds(H) for mankind!
He turned the sea into dry land,(I)
    they passed through(J) the waters on foot—
    come, let us rejoice(K) in him.
He rules forever(L) by his power,
    his eyes watch(M) the nations—
    let not the rebellious(N) rise up against him.

Praise(O) our God, all peoples,
    let the sound of his praise be heard;
he has preserved our lives(P)
    and kept our feet from slipping.(Q)
10 For you, God, tested(R) us;
    you refined us like silver.(S)
11 You brought us into prison(T)
    and laid burdens(U) on our backs.
12 You let people ride over our heads;(V)
    we went through fire and water,
    but you brought us to a place of abundance.(W)

13 I will come to your temple with burnt offerings(X)
    and fulfill my vows(Y) 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.(Z)

16 Come and hear,(AA) all you who fear God;
    let me tell(AB) 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;(AC)
19 but God has surely listened
    and has heard(AD) my prayer.
20 Praise be to God,
    who has not rejected(AE) my prayer
    or withheld his love from me!

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 66:4 The Hebrew has Selah (a word of uncertain meaning) here and at the end of verses 7 and 15.