1 David exhorteth to praise God, 5 to observe his great works, 8 to bless him for his gracious benefits: 13 he voweth for himself religious service to God: 16 he declareth God's special goodness to himself.
To the chief Musician, aA Song or Psalm.
1. Make ba joyful noise unto God, 1all ye lands:
2. cSing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.
3. Say dunto God, How eterrible art thou in thy works! fthrough the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies 2submit themselves unto thee.
4. All gthe earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.
5. Come hand see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.
6. He iturned the sea into dry land: jthey went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.
7. He kruleth by his power for ever; lhis eyes behold the nations: mlet not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.
8. O nbless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:
9. Which 3holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.
10. 4For thou, O God, ohast *proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.
11. Thou pbroughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.
12. Thou hast caused men qto ride over our heads; we went rthrough fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a 5wealthy place.
13. I swill go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,
14. Which my lips have 6uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, twhen I was in trouble.
15. I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of 7*fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.
16. uCome and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.
17. I vcried unto him with my mouth, and he wwas extolled with my tongue.
18. If I xregard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will ynot hear me:
19. But z*verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.
20. aBlessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
To the chief Musician, A Song or Psalm. Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands: Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious. Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee. All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah. Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men. He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him. He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah. O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard: Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved. For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins. Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows, Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble. I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah. Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul. I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue. If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me: But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer. Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.
Metrical version
Psalm 66
C.M. Stockton, Crimond
All lands to God, in joyful sounds, aloft your voices raise. Sing forth the honour of his name, and glorious make his praise. Say unto God, How terrible in all thy works art thou! Through thy great pow'r thy foes to thee shall be constrained to bow. All on the earth shall worship thee, they shall thy praise proclaim In songs: they shall sing cheerfully unto thy holy name. Come, and the works that God hath wrought with admiration see: In's working to the sons of men most terrible is he. Into dry land the sea he turned, and they a passage had; Ev'n marching through the flood on foot, there we in him were glad. He ruleth ever by his pow'r; his eyes the nations see: O let not the rebellious ones lift up themselves on high. Ye people, bless our God; aloud the voice speak of his praise: Our soul in life who safe preserves, our foot from sliding stays. For thou didst prove and try us, Lord, as men do silver try; Brought'st us into the net, and mad'st bands on our loins to lie. Thou hast caus'd men ride o'er our heads; and though that we did pass Through fire and water, yet thou brought'st us to a wealthy place. I'll bring burnt-off'rings to thy house; to thee my vows I'll pay, Which my lips uttered, my mouth spake, when trouble on me lay. Burnt-sacrifices of fat rams with incense I will bring; Of bullocks and of goats I will present an offering. All that fear God, come, hear, I'll tell what he did for my soul. I with my mouth unto him cried, my tongue did him extol. If in my heart I sin regard, the Lord me will not hear: But surely God me heard, and to my prayer's voice gave ear. O let the Lord, our gracious God, for ever blessed be, Who turned not my pray'r from him, nor yet his grace from me.
In this psalm of thanksgiving, in which the fate of Israel is to be considered as typical of that of the gospel church and people of God, we have, (1.) David, as the messenger of God, calling all the nations of mankind to praise God for the manifestation of his sovereign dominion in his works, so wonderful in themselves, terrible to his enemies, comfortable to his people, and commanding and awful to all men, ver. 1-7; and for trying his people with afflictions, for supporting under them, protecting amidst them, and delivering from them at last, ver. 8-12. (2.) David, as the servant of God, exemplifying his own exhortations in honouring God, by costly oblations, and by thankful declarations of what God had done for his soul, particularly in answer to his prayers, ver. 13-20.