PRAISE THE LORD, ALL YOU NATIONS

Passage: Psalms 116:1-117:2

Key verse: 117:1

NIV

Psalm 116

1 I love the Lord,(A) for he heard my voice;
    he heard my cry(B) for mercy.(C)
2 Because he turned his ear(D) to me,
    I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The cords of death(E) entangled me,
    the anguish of the grave came over me;
    I was overcome by distress and sorrow.
4 Then I called on the name(F) of the Lord:
    “Lord, save me!(G)”

5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;(H)
    our God is full of compassion.(I)
6 The Lord protects the unwary;
    when I was brought low,(J) he saved me.(K)

7 Return to your rest,(L) my soul,
    for the Lord has been good(M) to you.

8 For you, Lord, have delivered me(N) from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling,
9 that I may walk before the Lord(O)
    in the land of the living.(P)

10 I trusted(Q) in the Lord when I said,
    “I am greatly afflicted”;(R)
11 in my alarm I said,
    “Everyone is a liar.”(S)

12 What shall I return to the Lord
    for all his goodness(T) to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and call on the name(U) of the Lord.
14 I will fulfill my vows(V) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sight(W) of the Lord
    is the death of his faithful servants.(X)
16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;(Y)
    I serve you just as my mother did;(Z)
    you have freed me from my chains.(AA)

17 I will sacrifice a thank offering(AB) to you
    and call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will fulfill my vows(AC) to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in the courts(AD) of the house of the Lord—
    in your midst, Jerusalem.(AE)

Praise the Lord.[a]

Psalm 117

1 Praise the Lord,(AF) all you nations;(AG)
    extol him, all you peoples.
2 For great is his love(AH) toward us,
    and the faithfulness of the Lord(AI) endures forever.

Praise the Lord.[b]

Footnotes
  1. Psalm 116:19 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
  2. Psalm 117:2 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Source: BibleGateway

ESV

I Love the Lord

116 I (A)love the Lord, because he has (B)heard
    my voice and my pleas for mercy.
2 Because he (C)inclined his ear to me,
    therefore I will call on him as long as I live.
3 (D)The snares of death encompassed me;
    the pangs of Sheol laid hold on me;
    I suffered distress and anguish.
4 Then (E)I called on the name of the Lord:
    “O Lord, I pray, deliver my soul!”

5 (F)Gracious is the Lord, and (G)righteous;
    our God is (H)merciful.
6 The Lord preserves (I)the simple;
    when (J)I was brought low, he saved me.
7 Return, O my soul, to your (K)rest;
    for the Lord has (L)dealt bountifully with you.

8 For (M)you have delivered my soul from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling;
9 I will walk before the Lord
    (N)in the land of the living.

10 (O)I believed, (P)even when[a] I spoke:
    “I am greatly afflicted”;
11 (Q)I said in my alarm,
    (R)“All mankind are liars.”

12 What shall I (S)render to the Lord
    for all his benefits to me?
13 I will lift up (T)the cup of salvation
    and (U)call on the name of the Lord,
14 I will (V)pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

15 (W)Precious in the sight of the Lord
    is the death of his (X)saints.
16 O Lord, I am your (Y)servant;
    I am your servant, (Z)the son of your maidservant.
    You have (AA)loosed my bonds.
17 I will (AB)offer to you the sacrifice of thanksgiving
    and (AC)call on the name of the Lord.
18 I will (AD)pay my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people,
19 in (AE)the courts of the house of the Lord,
    in your midst, O Jerusalem.
(AF)Praise the Lord!

The Lord's Faithfulness Endures Forever

117 (AG)Praise the Lord, all nations!
    Extol him, all peoples!
2 For (AH)great is his steadfast love toward us,
    and (AI)the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever.
(AJ)Praise the Lord!

Footnotes
  1. Psalm 116:10 Or believed, indeed; Septuagint believed, therefore
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway

First, truly I am your servant (116:1-19). These are Psalms of praise. The Psalmist was in great distress, even life threatening. There he was brought to call on the Lord for deliverance. That is the place where God revealed his compassion and unfailing love The desperate time was used by God to reveal his salvation and glory. In the light of such glory the Psalmist himself is revealed as the servant of this God, a testimony to his eternal deliverance and love, struggling not with life and death, but to love God and fulfill his calling as God's own. Second, all you nations, all you peoples(117:1-2). While the Psalmist met the Lord in his personal anguish, God had something grander in mind. He would use the Psalmist to proclaim his love and faithfulness to all nations. The Lord wants all nations to praise him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for revealing yourself to me in my desperate situation. Help me to live up to your calling and serve your purpose. Use me to proclaim your love to all nations.

One Word: Praise the Lord, all you nations