Psalms 65
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Praise waiteth for thee, O God, in Sion: and unto thee shall the vow be performed.
2 O thou that hearest prayer, unto thee shall all flesh come.
3 Iniquities prevail against me: as for our transgressions, thou shalt purge them away.
4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and causest to approach unto thee, that he may dwell in thy courts: we shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
5 By terrible things in righteousness wilt thou answer us, O God of our salvation; who art the confidence of all the ends of the earth, and of them that are afar off upon the sea:
6 Which by his strength setteth fast the mountains; being girded with power:
7 Which stilleth the noise of the seas, the noise of their waves, and the tumult of the people.
8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts are afraid at thy tokens: thou makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to rejoice.
9 Thou visitest the earth, and waterest it: thou greatly enrichest it with the river of God, which is full of water: thou preparest them corn, when thou hast so provided for it.
10 Thou waterest the ridges thereof abundantly: thou settlest the furrows thereof: thou makest it soft with showers: thou blessest the springing thereof.
11 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; and thy paths drop fatness.
12 They drop upon the pastures of the wilderness: and the little hills rejoice on every side.
13 The pastures are clothed with flocks; the valleys also are covered over with corn; they shout for joy, they also sing.
Public Domain KJV text from Wordproject.org
Psalm 65:1-13
O God of Our Salvation
To the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. A Song.
1Praise is due to you, O God, in Zion,
and to you shall vows be performed.
2O you who hear prayer,
to you shall all flesh come.
3When iniquities prevail against me,
you atone for our transgressions.
4Blessed is the one you choose and bring near,
to dwell in your courts!
We shall be satisfied with the goodness of your house,
the holiness of your temple!
5By awesome deeds you answer us with righteousness,
O God of our salvation,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas;
6the one who by his strength established the mountains,
being girded with might;
7who stills the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
the tumult of the peoples,
8so that those who dwell at the ends of the earth are in awe at your signs.
You make the going out of the morning and the evening to shout for joy.
9You visit the earth and water it;
you greatly enrich it;
the river of God is full of water;
you provide their grain,
for so you have prepared it.
10You water its furrows abundantly,
settling its ridges,
softening it with showers,
and blessing its growth.
11You crown the year with your bounty;
your wagon tracks overflow with abundance.
12The pastures of the wilderness overflow,
the hills gird themselves with joy,
13the meadows clothe themselves with flocks,
the valleys deck themselves with grain,
they shout and sing together for joy.
ESV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Psalm 65:1-13
Psalm 65
For the director of music. A psalm of David. A song.
1Praise awaits you, our God, in Zion;
to you our vows will be fulfilled.
2You who answer prayer,
to you all people will come.
3When we were overwhelmed by sins,
you forgave our transgressions.
4Blessed are those you choose
and bring near to live in your courts!
We are filled with the good things of your house,
of your holy temple.
5You answer us with awesome and righteous deeds,
God our Savior,
the hope of all the ends of the earth
and of the farthest seas,
6who formed the mountains by your power,
having armed yourself with strength,
7who stilled the roaring of the seas,
the roaring of their waves,
and the turmoil of the nations.
8The whole earth is filled with awe at your wonders;
where morning dawns, where evening fades,
you call forth songs of joy.
9You care for the land and water it;
you enrich it abundantly.
The streams of God are filled with water
to provide the people with grain,
for so you have ordained it.
10You drench its furrows and level its ridges;
you soften it with showers and bless its crops.
11You crown the year with your bounty,
and your carts overflow with abundance.
12The grasslands of the wilderness overflow;
the hills are clothed with gladness.
13The meadows are covered with flocks
and the valleys are mantled with grain;
they shout for joy and sing.
NIV Bible text displayed through the American Bible Society's Global Bible Widget
Commentary
Psalm 64 focuses on the human tendency toward unfair sharp-tongued attacks. Psalm 65 begins with a silence that becomes an experience of praise, prayer, forgiveness, and communion.
In Psalm 65, David describes a God who demonstrates His power in the mountains, seas, sky, and fields as He creates, controls, provides, and produces. David reminds us that God’s answers to our prayers are often in actions that speak louder than any words.
I am sometimes tempted to think that God is silent when I pray. The truth is that God constantly communicates to me through His activity in the natural world around me before, during, and after my prayers. If I pay attention to His creative power and His sustaining care in the world around me, how could I have any uncertainty regarding His ability to create new things in my life or His willingness to take care of me?
Help me take time to stop my work, look at the world around me, and listen to what creation tells me about my Creator.
Brent Hamstra
Professor and Chair, Chemistry Department, Southern Adventist University, Tennessee USA (as of this writing)
