Psalm 114

The Earth Trembles at God’s Presence

1When the Israelites escaped from Egypt—

when the family of Jacob left that foreign land—

2the land of Judah became God’s sanctuary,

and Israel became his kingdom.

3The Red Sea*114:3 Hebrew the sea; also in 114:5. saw them coming and hurried out of their way!

The water of the Jordan River turned away.

4The mountains skipped like rams,

the hills like lambs!

5What’s wrong, Red Sea, that made you hurry out of their way?

What happened, Jordan River, that you turned away?

6Why, mountains, did you skip like rams?

Why, hills, like lambs?

7Tremble, O earth, at the presence of the Lord,

at the presence of the God of Jacob.

8He turned the rock into a pool of water;

yes, a spring of water flowed from solid rock.

Psalm 115

Blessings on Those Who Trust the Lord

1Not to us, O Lord, not to us,

but to your name goes all the glory

for your unfailing love and faithfulness.

2Why let the nations say,

“Where is their God?”

3Our God is in the heavens,

and he does as he wishes.

4Their idols are merely things of silver and gold,

shaped by human hands.

5They have mouths but cannot speak,

and eyes but cannot see.

6They have ears but cannot hear,

and noses but cannot smell.

7They have hands but cannot feel,

and feet but cannot walk,

and throats but cannot make a sound.

8And those who make idols are just like them,

as are all who trust in them.

9O Israel, trust the Lord!

He is your helper and your shield.

10O priests, descendants of Aaron, trust the Lord!

He is your helper and your shield.

11All you who fear the Lord, trust the Lord!

He is your helper and your shield.

12The Lord remembers us and will bless us.

He will bless the people of Israel

and bless the priests, the descendants of Aaron.

13He will bless those who fear the Lord,

both great and lowly.

14May the Lord richly bless

both you and your children.

15May you be blessed by the Lord,

who made heaven and earth.

16The heavens belong to the Lord,

but he has given the earth to all humanity.

17The dead cannot sing praises to the Lord,

for they have gone into the silence of the grave.

18But we can praise the Lord

both now and forever!

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 116

A Testimony of One Saved from Death

1I love the Lord because he hears my voice

and my prayer for mercy.

2Because he bends down to listen,

I will pray as long as I have breath!

3Death wrapped its ropes around me;

the terrors of the grave*116:3 Hebrew of Sheol. overtook me.

I saw only trouble and sorrow.

4Then I called on the name of the Lord:

“Please, Lord, save me!”

5How kind the Lord is! How good he is!

So merciful, this God of ours!

6The Lord protects those of childlike faith;

I was facing death, and he saved me.

7Let my soul be at rest again,

for the Lord has been good to me.

8He has saved me from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling.

9And so I walk in the Lord’s presence

as I live here on earth!

10I believed in you, so I said,

“I am deeply troubled, Lord.”

11In my anxiety I cried out to you,

“These people are all liars!”

12What can I offer the Lord

for all he has done for me?

13I will lift up the cup of salvation

and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.

14I will keep my promises to the Lord

in the presence of all his people.

15The Lord cares deeply

when his loved ones die.

16O Lord, I am your servant;

yes, I am your servant, born into your household;

you have freed me from my chains.

17I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving

and call on the name of the Lord.

18I will fulfill my vows to the Lord

in the presence of all his people—

19in the house of the Lord

in the heart of Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 117

Praise the Lord, All You Nations

1Praise the Lord, all you nations.

Praise him, all you people of the earth.

2For his unfailing love for us is powerful;

the Lord’s faithfulness endures forever.

Praise the Lord!

Psalm 118

A Day of Thanksgiving for Victory

1Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.

2Let all Israel repeat:

“His faithful love endures forever.”

3Let Aaron’s descendants, the priests, repeat:

“His faithful love endures forever.”

4Let all who fear the Lord repeat:

“His faithful love endures forever.”

5In my distress I prayed to the Lord,

and the Lord answered me and set me free.

6The Lord is for me, so I will have no fear.

What can mere people do to me?

7Yes, the Lord is for me; he will help me.

I will look in triumph at those who hate me.

8It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in people.

9It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.

10Though hostile nations surrounded me,

I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.

11Yes, they surrounded and attacked me,

but I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.

12They swarmed around me like bees;

they blazed against me like a crackling fire.

But I destroyed them all with the authority of the Lord.

13My enemies did their best to kill me,

but the Lord rescued me.

14The Lord is my strength and my song;

he has given me victory.

15Songs of joy and victory are sung in the camp of the godly.

The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!

16The strong right arm of the Lord is raised in triumph.

The strong right arm of the Lord has done glorious things!

17I will not die; instead, I will live

to tell what the Lord has done.

18The Lord has punished me severely,

but he did not let me die.

19Open for me the gates where the righteous enter,

and I will go in and thank the Lord.

20These gates lead to the presence of the Lord,

and the godly enter there.

21I thank you for answering my prayer

and giving me victory!

22The stone that the builders rejected

has now become the cornerstone.

23This is the Lord’s doing,

and it is wonderful to see.

24This is the day the Lord has made.

We will rejoice and be glad in it.

25Please, Lord, please save us.

Please, Lord, please give us success.

26Bless the one who comes in the name of the Lord.

We bless you from the house of the Lord.

27The Lord is God, shining upon us.

Take the sacrifice and bind it with cords on the altar.

28You are my God, and I will praise you!

You are my God, and I will exalt you!

29Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!

His faithful love endures forever.