Psalms 66

Make a joyful noise unto God, all ye lands:

1Shout with joy to God, everyone on earth!

2Sing forth the honour of his name: make his praise glorious.

2Sing about how great his name is. Make your praise beautiful.

3Say unto God, How terrible art thou in thy works! through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies submit themselves unto thee.

3Say to God, "The things you do are amazing! Your power is so great that your enemies bow down to you."

NoteThe KJV says God is "terrible." In 1611 that word meant awe-inspiring, not horrible. The same word is used in verse 5.

4All the earth shall worship thee, and shall sing unto thee; they shall sing to thy name. Selah.

4Everyone on earth bows to you. They sing to you. They sing about your name. Selah.

Note"Selah" is a Hebrew word nobody translated. It probably marked a pause or a music cue when the psalm was sung.

5Come and see the works of God: he is terrible in his doing toward the children of men.

5Come and see what God has done. What he does for people fills them with wonder.

6He turned the sea into dry land: they went through the flood on foot: there did we rejoice in him.

6He turned the sea into dry ground. People walked through the water on foot. There we were glad because of him.

7He ruleth by his power for ever; his eyes behold the nations: let not the rebellious exalt themselves. Selah.

7He rules forever by his power. His eyes watch all the nations. People who fight against him should not act proud. Selah.

8O bless our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard:

8Praise our God, all you people. Let everyone hear the sound of his praise.

9Which holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to be moved.

9He is the one who keeps us alive. He keeps our feet from slipping.

10For thou, O God, hast proved us: thou hast tried us, as silver is tried.

10God, you have tested us. You made us pure, the way silver is made pure by fire.

11Thou broughtest us into the net; thou laidst affliction upon our loins.

11You let us be caught in a net. You put heavy loads on our backs.

12Thou hast caused men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and through water: but thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place.

12You let men ride over our heads. We went through fire and water. But you brought us out to a place of plenty.

NoteThe KJV calls it a "wealthy place." That means a place with plenty and safety, not a place full of money.

13I will go into thy house with burnt offerings: I will pay thee my vows,

13I will come into your house with gifts that are burned on the altar. I will keep my promises to you.

14Which my lips have uttered, and my mouth hath spoken, when I was in trouble.

14These are the promises I spoke out loud when I was in trouble.

15I will offer unto thee burnt sacrifices of fatlings, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks with goats. Selah.

15I will burn my best animals for you, and the smoke of rams will rise. I will bring bulls and goats too. Selah.

16Come and hear, all ye that fear God, and I will declare what he hath done for my soul.

16Come and listen, all you who honor God. I will tell you what he did for me.

17I cried unto him with my mouth, and he was extolled with my tongue.

17I called out to him with my mouth. I praised him with my tongue.

18If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me:

18If I had held on to sin in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.

19But verily God hath heard me; he hath attended to the voice of my prayer.

19But God really did hear me. He listened to my prayer.

20Blessed be God, which hath not turned away my prayer, nor his mercy from me.

20Praise God! He did not turn my prayer away. He did not take his love from me.