Psalms 33

1 A psalm for David. Rejoice in the Lord, O ye just: praise becometh the upright.

Shout for joy in the Lord, you righteous: praise for the upright is seemly.

2 Give praise to the Lord on the harp; sing to him with the psaltery, the instrument of ten strings.

Give thanks to the Lord on the lyre, play to him on a ten-stringed harp.

3 Sing to him a new canticle, sing well unto him with a loud noise.

Sing to him a new song, play skilfully and shout merrily.

4 For the word of the Lord is right, and all his works are done with faithfulness.

For the Lord is straight in his promise; and all that he does is in faithfulness.

5 He loveth mercy and judgment; the earth is full of the mercy of the Lord.

Justice and right he loves; the earth is full of his kindness.

6 By the word of the Lord the heavens were established; and all the power of them by the spirit of his mouth:

By his word the heavens were made, all their host by the breath of his mouth.

7 Gathering together the waters of the sea, as in a vessel; laying up the depths in storehouses.

He gathers the sea in a bottle, the ocean he puts into store-houses.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord, and let all the inhabitants of the world be in awe of him.

Let the whole world honor the Lord, let all who live on earth be in awe.

9 For he spoke and they were made: he commanded and they were created.

For at his word it came into being, at his command it stood forth.

10 The Lord bringeth to naught the counsels of nations; and he rejecteth the devices of people, and casteth away the counsels of princes.

The Lord frustrates the designs of the nations, what the peoples have purposed, he brings to nought,

11 But the counsel of the Lord standeth for ever: the thoughts of his heart to all generations.

but the Lord’s own design will stand forever, and what his heart has purposed, through all generations.

12 Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord: the people whom he hath chosen for his inheritance.

Happy the nation whose God is the Lord, the people he chose for himself as his own.

13 The Lord hath looked from heaven: he hath beheld all the sons of men.

The Lord looks down from heaven, he sees all of humanity;

14 From his habitation which he hath prepared, he hath looked upon all that dwell on the earth.

from where he rules he gazes on all who inhabit the earth.

15 He who hath made the hearts of every one of them: who understandeth all their works.

He fashions the hearts of them all, and gives heed to all that they do.

16 The king is not saved by a great army: nor shall the giant be saved by his own great strength.

It is not by great armies that kings are victorious, it is not by great strength that a warrior saves himself;

17 Vain is the horse for safety: neither shall he be saved by the abundance of his strength.

false hope is the war-horse to usher in victory, for all its great might it can provide no escape.

18 Behold the eyes of the Lord are on them that fear him: and on them that hope in his mercy.

See! The eye of the Lord is on those who fear him, on those who hope in his kindness;

19 To deliver their souls from death; and feed them in famine.

to deliver their life from death, and to keep them alive in famine.

20 Our soul waiteth for the Lord: for he is our helper and protector.

We wait for the Lord: he is our help and our shield.

21 For in him our heart shall rejoice: and in his holy name we have trusted.

For in him our heart is glad, we trust in his holy name.

22 Let thy mercy, O Lord, be upon us, as we have hoped in thee.

Let your kindness, O Lord, be upon us, as is our hope in you.