THE LORD HAS BEEN GOOD TO ME
Key verse: 116:7
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)
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
- Psalm 116:19 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
- Psalm 117:2 Hebrew Hallelu Yah
Cross references
- Psalm 116:1 : Ps 18:1
- Psalm 116:1 : S Ps 31:22; S 40:1
- Psalm 116:1 : S Ps 6:9; S 28:2
- Psalm 116:2 : S Ps 5:1
- Psalm 116:3 : S 2Sa 22:6; Ps 18:4-5
- Psalm 116:4 : Ps 80:18; 118:5
- Psalm 116:4 : S Ps 80:2
- Psalm 116:5 : S Ex 9:27; S 2Ch 12:6; S Ezr 9:15
- Psalm 116:5 : S Ex 22:27; S Ps 86:15
- Psalm 116:6 : S Ps 79:8
- Psalm 116:6 : Ps 18:3; 22:5; 107:13
- Psalm 116:7 : Ps 46:10; 62:1; 131:2; Mt 11:29
- Psalm 116:7 : Ps 13:6; 106:1; 142:7
- Psalm 116:8 : S Ps 86:13
- Psalm 116:9 : S Ge 5:22; Ps 56:13; 89:15
- Psalm 116:9 : S Job 28:13; Ps 27:13; Isa 38:11; Jer 11:19
- Psalm 116:10 : 2Co 4:13*
- Psalm 116:10 : Ps 9:18; 72:2; S 107:17; 119:67, 71, 75
- Psalm 116:11 : Jer 9:3-5; Hos 7:13; Mic 6:12; Ro 3:4
- Psalm 116:12 : Ps 103:2; 106:1
- Psalm 116:13 : S Ps 105:1
- Psalm 116:14 : S Nu 30:2; S Ps 66:13
- Psalm 116:15 : Ps 72:14
- Psalm 116:15 : S Nu 23:10
- Psalm 116:16 : Ps 119:125; 143:12
- Psalm 116:16 : S Ps 86:16
- Psalm 116:16 : S Job 12:18
- Psalm 116:17 : S Lev 7:12; S Ezr 1:4
- Psalm 116:18 : ver 14; S Lev 22:18
- Psalm 116:19 : Ps 92:13; 96:8; 100:4; 135:2
- Psalm 116:19 : Ps 102:21
- Psalm 117:1 : S Ps 22:23; S 103:2
- Psalm 117:1 : Ro 15:11*
- Psalm 117:2 : S Ps 17:7; S 103:11
- Psalm 117:2 : Ps 119:90; 146:6
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
- Psalm 116:10 Or believed, indeed; Septuagint believed, therefore
Cross references
- Psalm 116:1 : Ps. 18:1
- Psalm 116:1 : Ps. 66:19; 118:21
- Psalm 116:2 : [Ps. 31:2]
- Psalm 116:3 : See Ps. 18:4
- Psalm 116:4 : Ps. 118:5; See Ps. 18:6
- Psalm 116:5 : See Ps. 86:15
- Psalm 116:5 : Ps. 7:9; 119:137; 145:17; Ezra 9:15; Neh. 9:8; Jer. 12:1; Dan. 9:7
- Psalm 116:5 : See Ps. 62:12
- Psalm 116:6 : See Ps. 19:7
- Psalm 116:6 : Ps. 79:8; 142:6
- Psalm 116:7 : Jer. 6:16; [Matt. 11:28]
- Psalm 116:7 : See Ps. 13:6
- Psalm 116:8 : Ps. 49:15; 56:13; [Ps. 86:13]
- Psalm 116:9 : See Ps. 27:13
- Psalm 116:10 : Cited 2 Cor. 4:13
- Psalm 116:10 : [Ps. 39:3]
- Psalm 116:11 : Ps. 31:22
- Psalm 116:11 : [Ps. 62:9]
- Psalm 116:12 : 2 Chr. 32:25
- Psalm 116:13 : [Ps. 16:5]
- Psalm 116:13 : See Ps. 99:6; 105:1
- Psalm 116:14 : See Ps. 50:14
- Psalm 116:15 : See Ps. 72:14
- Psalm 116:15 : See Ps. 50:5
- Psalm 116:16 : Ps. 119:125; 143:12; [Ps. 113:1]
- Psalm 116:16 : Ps. 86:16
- Psalm 116:16 : [Job 12:18]
- Psalm 116:17 : See Ps. 50:14
- Psalm 116:17 : [See ver. 13 above]; See Ps. 99:6; 105:1
- Psalm 116:18 : [See ver. 14 above]; See Ps. 50:14
- Psalm 116:19 : See Ps. 92:13
- Psalm 116:19 : See Ps. 104:35
- Psalm 117:1 : Cited Rom. 15:11
- Psalm 117:2 : Ps. 103:11; [Ps. 116:5]
- Psalm 117:2 : [Ps. 100:5]
- Psalm 117:2 : [See Ps. 116:19 above]; See Ps. 104:35
The Holy Bible, English Standard Version. ESV® Text Edition: 2016. Copyright © 2001 by Crossway Bibles, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers.
Source: BibleGateway
The Psalmist here expresses great relief and joy after being rescued from a severe trial and pours out thankfulness to the Lord. The trial was so severe that they were overcome with distress and sorrow (3) and saw other human beings as no help at all (11). As severe as the suffering was, the realization of God’s goodness in delivering them was equally great. Their soul returns to a peaceful state of resting in God (7). It’s good for us to remember times in our lives when God brought us out of a crisis. We can testify, “When I was brought low, he saved me” (6).
When we are thankful, we naturally start to think about what we can do for God (12). It is an appropriate time to recommit ourselves to serve faithfully (14). When our service has the nature of a thanksgiving offering, serving becomes our joy (17). The purest and best gift we can offer God is praise, and so the ending of both Psalm 116 and the short Psalm 117 is “Praise the Lord.”
Prayer: Father, thank you for the times you rescued me and restored peace in my soul after much trouble. I want to serve you faithfully as my thanksgiving offering. I will praise you continually!
One Word: Praise the Lord for his goodness