For the music director; a psalm of David.
64:1 Listen to me, O God, as I offer my lament!
Protect my life from the enemy’s terrifying attacks.
64:2 Hide me from the plots of evil men,
from the crowd of evildoers.
64:3 They sharpen their tongues like a sword;
they aim their arrow, a slanderous charge,
64:4 in order to shoot down the innocent in secluded places.
They shoot at him suddenly and are unafraid of retaliation.
64:5 They encourage one another to carry out their evil deed.
They plan how to hide snares,
and boast, “Who will see them?”
64:6 They devise unjust schemes;
they disguise a well-conceived plot.
Man’s inner thoughts cannot be discovered.
64:7 But God will shoot at them;
suddenly they will be wounded by an arrow.
64:8 Their slander will bring about their demise.
All who see them will shudder,
64:9 and all people will fear.
They will proclaim what God has done,
and reflect on his deeds.
64:10 The godly will rejoice in the Lord
and take shelter in him.
All the morally upright will boast.
For the music director; a psalm of David, a song.
65:1 Praise awaits you, O God, in Zion.
Vows made to you are fulfilled.
65:2 You hear prayers;
all people approach you.
65:3 Our record of sins overwhelms me,
but you forgive our acts of rebellion.
65:4 How blessed is the one whom you choose,
and allow to live in your palace courts.
May we be satisfied with the good things of your house –
your holy palace.
65:5 You answer our prayers by performing awesome acts of deliverance,
O God, our savior.
All the ends of the earth trust in you,
as well as those living across the wide seas.
65:6 You created the mountains by your power,
and demonstrated your strength.
65:7 You calm the raging seas
and their roaring waves,
as well as the commotion made by the nations.
65:8 Even those living in the most remote areas are awestruck by your acts;
you cause those living in the east and west to praise you.
65:9 You visit the earth and give it rain;
you make it rich and fertile
with overflowing streams full of water.
You provide grain for them,
for you prepare the earth to yield its crops.
65:10 You saturate its furrows,
and soak its plowed ground.
With rain showers you soften its soil,
and make its crops grow.
65:11 You crown the year with your good blessings,
and you leave abundance in your wake.
65:12 The pastures in the wilderness glisten with moisture,
and the hills are clothed with joy.
65:13 The meadows are clothed with sheep,
and the valleys are covered with grain.
They shout joyfully, yes, they sing.
For the music director; a song, a psalm.
66:1 Shout out praise to God, all the earth!
66:2 Sing praises about the majesty of his reputation!
Give him the honor he deserves!
66:3 Say to God:
“How awesome are your deeds!
Because of your great power your enemies cower in fear before you.
66:4 All the earth worships you
and sings praises to you!
They sing praises to your name!” (Selah)
66:5 Come and witness God’s exploits!
His acts on behalf of people are awesome!
66:6 He turned the sea into dry land;
they passed through the river on foot.
Let us rejoice in him there!
66:7 He rules by his power forever;
he watches the nations.
Stubborn rebels should not exalt themselves. (Selah)
66:8 Praise our God, you nations!
Loudly proclaim his praise!
66:9 He preserves our lives
and does not allow our feet to slip.
66:10 For you, O God, tested us;
you purified us like refined silver.
66:11 You led us into a trap;
you caused us to suffer.
66:12 You allowed men to ride over our heads;
we passed through fire and water,
but you brought us out into a wide open place.
66:13 I will enter your temple with burnt sacrifices;
I will fulfill the vows I made to you,
66:14 which my lips uttered
and my mouth spoke when I was in trouble.
66:15 I will offer up to you fattened animals as burnt sacrifices,
along with the smell of sacrificial rams.
I will offer cattle and goats. (Selah)
66:16 Come! Listen, all you who are loyal to God!
I will declare what he has done for me.
66:17 I cried out to him for help
and praised him with my tongue.
66:18 If I had harbored sin in my heart,
the Lord would not have listened.
66:19 However, God heard;
he listened to my prayer.
66:20 God deserves praise,
for he did not reject my prayer
or abandon his love for me!