Psalm 116

1 I love the Lord,h for he heard my voice;

he heard my cryi for mercy.j

2 Because he turned his eark to me,

I will call on him as long as I live.

3 The cords of deathl entangled me,

the anguish of the grave came over me;

I was overcome by distress and sorrow.

4 Then I called on the namem of the Lord:

“Lord, save me!n”

5 The Lord is gracious and righteous;o

our God is full of compassion.p

6 The Lord protects the unwary;

when I was brought low,q he saved me.r

7 Return to your rest,s my soul,

for the Lord has been goodt to you.

8 For you, Lord, have delivered meu from death,

my eyes from tears,

my feet from stumbling,

9 that I may walk before the Lordv

in the land of the living.w

10 I trustedx in the Lord when I said,

“I am greatly afflicted”;y

11 in my alarm I said,

“Everyone is a liar.”z

12 What shall I return to the Lord

for all his goodnessa to me?

13 I will lift up the cup of salvation

and call on the nameb of the Lord.

14 I will fulfill my vowsc to the Lord

in the presence of all his people.

15 Precious in the sightd of the Lord

is the death of his faithful servants.e

16 Truly I am your servant, Lord;f

I serve you just as my mother did;g

you have freed me from my chains.h

17 I will sacrifice a thank offeringi to you

and call on the name of the Lord.

18 I will fulfill my vowsj to the Lord

in the presence of all his people,

19 in the courtsk of the house of the Lord—

in your midst, Jerusalem.l

Praise the Lord.a

Psalm 117

1 Praise the Lord,m all you nations;n

extol him, all you peoples.

2 For great is his loveo toward us,

and the faithfulness of the Lordp endures forever.

Praise the Lord.a

Psalm 118

1 Give thanks to the Lord,q for he is good;r

his love endures forever.s

2 Let Israel say:t

“His love endures forever.”u

3 Let the house of Aaron say:v

“His love endures forever.”

4 Let those who fear the Lordw say:

“His love endures forever.”

5 When hard pressed,x I cried to the Lord;

he brought me into a spacious place.y

6 The Lord is with me;z I will not be afraid.

What can mere mortals do to me?a

7 The Lord is with me; he is my helper.b

I look in triumph on my enemies.c

8 It is better to take refuge in the Lordd

than to trust in humans.e

9 It is better to take refuge in the Lord

than to trust in princes.f

10 All the nations surrounded me,

but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.g

11 They surrounded meh on every side,i

but in the name of the Lord I cut them down.

12 They swarmed around me like bees,j

but they were consumed as quickly as burning thorns;k

in the name of the Lord I cut them down.l

13 I was pushed back and about to fall,

but the Lord helped me.m

14 The Lord is my strengthn and my defensea;

he has become my salvation.o

15 Shouts of joyp and victory

resound in the tents of the righteous:

“The Lord’s right handq has done mighty things!r

16 The Lord’s right hand is lifted high;

the Lord’s right hand has done mighty things!”

17 I will not dies but live,

and will proclaimt what the Lord has done.

18 The Lord has chastenedu me severely,

but he has not given me over to death.v

19 Open for me the gatesw of the righteous;

I will enterx and give thanks to the Lord.

20 This is the gate of the Lordy

through which the righteous may enter.z

21 I will give you thanks, for you answered me;a

you have become my salvation.b

22 The stonec the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;d

23 the Lord has done this,

and it is marvelouse in our eyes.

24 The Lord has done it this very day;

let us rejoice today and be glad.f

25 Lord, save us!g

Lord, grant us success!

26 Blessed is he who comesh in the name of the Lord.

From the house of the Lord we bless you.b i

27 The Lord is God,j

and he has made his light shinek on us.

With boughs in hand,l join in the festal procession

upc to the horns of the altar.m

28 You are my God, and I will praise you;

you are my God,n and I will exalto you.

29 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;

his love endures forever.