Praise for God's Bounty in Nature

651 To the chief Musician. A Psalm of David: a Song. Praise waiteth for thee in silence, O God, in Zion; and unto thee shall the vow be performed. 2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come. 3 Iniquities have prevailed against me: our transgressions, thou wilt forgive them. 4 Blessed is he whom thou choosest and causest to approach: he shall dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, of thy holy temple. 5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation, thou confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of the distant regions of the sea. ...

6 Who by his strength established the mountains, being girded with power; 7 Who stilleth the raging of the seas, the raging of their waves, and the tumult of the peoples. 8 And they that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens; thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice. 9 Thou hast visited the earth, thou hast watered it; thou greatly enrichest it: the river of God is full of water; thou providest their corn, when thou hast so prepared it: 10 Thou dost satiate its furrows, thou smoothest its clods, thou makest it soft with showers; thou blessest the springing thereof. 11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness, and thy paths drop fatness: 12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness, and the hills are girded with gladness. 13 The meadows are clothed with flocks, and the valleys are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, yea, they sing.

Praise for God's Mighty Deeds

661 Shout aloud unto God, all the earth: 2 Sing forth the glory of his name, make his praise glorious; 3 Say unto God, How terrible are thy works! because of the greatness of thy strength, thine enemies come cringing unto thee. 4 All the earth shall worship thee, and sing psalms unto thee: they shall sing forth thy name. Selah. 5 Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in [his] doings toward the children of men. 6 He turned the sea into dry [land]; they went through the river on foot: there did we rejoice in him. 7 He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes observe the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

8 Bless our God, ye peoples, and make the voice of his praise to be heard; 9 Who hath set our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. 10 For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. 11 Thou broughtest us into a net, thou didst lay a heavy burden upon our loins; 12 Thou didst cause men to ride over our head; we went through fire and through water: but thou hast brought us out into abundance.

13 I will go into thy house with burnt-offerings; I will perform my vows to thee, 14 Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. 15 I will offer up unto thee burnt-offerings of fatted beasts, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah. 16 Come, hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. 17 I called unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. 18 Had I regarded iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not hear. 19 But God hath heard; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. 20 Blessed be God, who hath not turned away my prayer, nor his loving-kindness from me!

The Nations Exhorted to Praise God

671 To the chief Musician. On stringed instruments. A Psalm: a Song. God be gracious unto us, and bless us, [and] cause his face to shine upon us; Selah, 2 That thy way may be known upon earth, thy salvation among all nations. 3 Let the peoples praise thee, O God, let all the peoples praise thee. 4 Let the nations rejoice and sing for joy: for thou wilt judge the peoples equitably; and the nations upon earth, thou wilt guide them. Selah. 5 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; let all the peoples praise thee. 6 The earth will yield her increase; God, our God, will bless us: 7 God will bless us; and all the ends of the earth shall fear him.

A Cry of Distress

691 To the chief Musician. Upon Shoshannim. [A Psalm] of David. Save me, O God; for the waters are come in unto [my] soul. 2 I sink in deep mire, where there is no standing; I am come into the depths of waters, and the flood overfloweth me. 3 I am weary with my crying, my throat is parched; mine eyes fail while I wait for my God. 4 They that hate me without a cause are more than the hairs of my head; they that would destroy me, being mine enemies wrongfully, are mighty: then I restored that which I took not away. 5 Thou, O God, knowest my foolishness, and my trespasses are not hidden from thee. 6 Let not them that wait on thee, Lord, Jehovah of hosts, be ashamed through me; let not those that seek thee be confounded through me, O God of Israel. 7 Because for thy sake I have borne reproach; confusion hath covered my face. 8 I am become a stranger unto my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's sons; 9 For the zeal of thy house hath devoured me, and the reproaches of them that reproach thee have fallen upon me. 10 And I wept, my soul was fasting: that also was to my reproach;— 11 And I made sackcloth my garment: then I became a proverb to them. 12 They that sit in the gate talk of me, and [I am] the song of the drunkards.

13 But as for me, my prayer is unto thee, Jehovah, in an acceptable time: O God, in the abundance of thy loving-kindness answer me, according to the truth of thy salvation: 14 Deliver me out of the mire, let me not sink; let me be delivered from them that hate me, and out of the depths of waters. 15 Let not the flood of waters overflow me, neither let the deep swallow me up; and let not the pit shut its mouth upon me. 16 Answer me, O Jehovah; for thy loving-kindness is good: according to the abundance of thy tender mercies, turn toward me; 17 And hide not thy face from thy servant, for I am in trouble: answer me speedily. 18 Draw nigh unto my soul, be its redeemer; ransom me because of mine enemies. 19 Thou knowest my reproach, and my shame, and my dishonour: mine adversaries are all before thee. 20 Reproach hath broken my heart, and I am overwhelmed: and I looked for sympathy, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none. 21 Yea, they gave me gall for my food, and in my thirst they gave me vinegar to drink.

22 Let their table become a snare before them, and their very welfare a trap; 23 Let their eyes be darkened, that they see not, and make their loins continually to shake. 24 Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let the fierceness of thine anger take hold of them. 25 Let their habitation be desolate; let there be no dweller in their tents. 26 For they persecute him whom thou hast smitten, and they talk for the sorrow of those whom thou hast wounded. 27 Add iniquity unto their iniquity, and let them not come into thy righteousness. 28 Let them be blotted out of the book of life, and not be written with the righteous. 29 But I am afflicted and sorrowful: let thy salvation, O God, set me secure on high.

30 I will praise the name of God with a song, and will magnify him with thanksgiving; 31 And it shall please Jehovah more than an ox,—a bullock with horns and cloven hoofs. 32 The meek shall see it, they shall be glad; ye that seek God, your heart shall live. 33 For Jehovah heareth the needy, and despiseth not his prisoners. 34 Let heavens and earth praise him; the seas, and everything that moveth therein. 35 For God will save Zion, and will build the cities of Judah; and they shall dwell there, and possess it: 36 And the seed of his servants shall inherit it, and they that love his name shall dwell therein.

A Prayer for Deliverance

701 To the chief Musician. [A Psalm] of David: to bring to remembrance. Make haste, O God, to deliver me; Jehovah, [hasten] to my help. 2 Let them be ashamed and brought to confusion that seek after my soul; let them be turned backward and confounded that take pleasure in mine adversity; 3 Let them turn back because of their shame that say, Aha! Aha! 4 Let all those that seek thee be glad and rejoice in thee, and let such as love thy salvation say continually, Let God be magnified! 5 But I am afflicted and needy: make haste unto me, O God. Thou art my help and my deliverer: O Jehovah, make no delay.