Let the trees of the forest sing with joy
Before the Lord, for he has come,
For he has come to rule the earth;
He will rule the world with justice,

He will rule the nations with faithfulness.

251. GOD'S CARE FOR HIS PEOPLE

The Lord reigns; let the earth rejoice,
Let the many distant lands be glad.
Clouds and darkness are round about him,
Right and justice support his throne.
A fire goes before him,

And blazes around his steps.
His lightning illumines the world,
Earth trembles at the sight.
The mountains melt like wax
Before the Lord of the earth.
The heavens declare his righteousness,
And all peoples behold his glory.

Put to shame are the image-worshippers,
All who boast of their idols;

All the gods bow down before him.
Zion heard and was glad,

And the daughters of Judah rejoiced,
Because of thy judgments, O Lord.
For thou art supreme on the earth,
Exalted above all gods.

The Lord loves those who hate evil,

He guards the lives of the faithful;

From the hand of the wicked he saves them.

Light shines forth for the righteous,
And joy for the upright in heart.
Rejoice in the Lord, you upright,
Give thanks in praise of his holiness.

252. GOD'S BENIGN DIRECTION OF HUMAN

HISTORY

It is good to give thanks to the Lord,
And to praise thy name, O Most High;
To proclaim thy love in the morning,
And thy faithfulness every night,
With a ten-stringed psaltery and harp,
With music that throbs on the lyre.
For thou makest me glad by thy deeds,
I exult in the work of thy hands.

How great are thy works, O Lord!
Thy thoughts are exceedingly deep.
A stupid man cannot discern them,
Nor can a fool understand this:
When the wicked shoot up like the grass,
And all who do wrong flourish,'

It is but to perish forever.

But thou art supreme forever;
For lo, thine enemies, Lord,
Behold-thine enemies perish,
And all evil-doers are scattered.
Thou hast made my strength invincible,
And anointed me afresh with oil.

My eyes shall gloat over my foes,
My ears hear the doom of the wicked.

The righteous shall shoot up like palms,
They shall grow like cedars in Lebanon.
Planted in the house of the Lord,

They shall flourish in the courts of our God.
In old age they shall still bear fruit,
They shall be full of sap and flourishing,
To show that the Lord is upright,
My rock in whom is no wrong.

253. GOD'S POWER TO DELIVER FROM ALL PERILS

Give thanks to the Lord, for his goodness,

For his love endures forever.

Let those he has ransomed say so,

Whom he has set free from the hand of the foe,

And gathered together from many lands,

From the east, from the west,

From the north and the south.

Some strayed in the barren wilderness,

Finding no inhabited city,

Hungry, indeed, and thirsty,

Their very life ebbing away.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
And he saved them from their distresses.
He led them along the right way,

Till they reached an inhabited city.
Let them praise the Lord for his love,
And his wonderful works unto men!
For he satisfies the longing soul,

And the hungry he fills with good things.

Some dwelt in darkness and gloom,

Being bound in affliction and iron,
Because they had rebelled against God,
And despised the counsel of the Most High.
He humbled their heart with sorrow;

When they fell, there was none to help them.
Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
And he saved them from their distresses.
Out of darkness and gloom he brought them,
And broke their bonds in pieces.

Let them praise the Lord for his love,
And his wonderful works unto men!
For he shattered the gates of brass,
And hewed bars of iron asunder.

Fools because of their wrong-doing,

And because of their sins were afflicted;

They loathed all kinds of food,

And drew near to the gates of death.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble,
And he saved them from all their distresses.
He sent his command to heal them,
And saved their life from destruction.
Let them praise the Lord for his love,
And his wonderful works unto men!
Let them sacrifice to him a thank-offering,
And with joy rehearse his deeds.

Those who go to the sea in ships,
Who do business in great waters,
They see the works of the Lord,
And his wonders in the great deep.
When he speaks the tempest rises,
And tosses the waves on high.
Up to heaven, then down they go,
Their courage melts at the danger,
They stagger and reel like drunkards,
And their skill is all exhausted.

Then they cry to the Lord in their trouble,
And he saves them from their distresses.
He makes the tempest a calm,

And the waves of the sea are still.

They are glad when the waves subside;

To the haven they long for he brings them.
Let them praise the Lord for his love,
For his wonderful works unto men;
In the popular assembly extol him,
In the council of elders praise him.

254. GOD'S REGARD FOR THE POOR AND NEEDY

Praise the Lord, O you his servants, praise his name, May the Lord's name now and evermore be blessed,

From sunrise to sunset let his name be praised!

He is high above all nations, his glory above the heavens.
Who is like the Lord our God, enthroned on high,
Who condescends to see the things in heaven and earth?

He who raises the poor out of the dust, and the needy from the refuse heap,

That he may seat him with nobles, with the nobles of his people,

Who gives the childless woman a home, and makes her the joyful mother of children.

255. GOD'S CARE FOR THE LOWLY

I will give thee thanks, O Lord, with my whole heart, In thy presence, O God, I will sing thy praises,

I will worship toward thy holy temple,

And praise thy name for thy goodness and faithfulness, For thou hast made thy word even greater than thy

name,

In the day that I called thou didst answer me,

Thou didst greatly strengthen my soul.

All the kings of the earth give thee thanks, O Lord,

For they have heard the words of thy mouth.

They shall sing of the ways of the Lord,

For great is the glory of the Lord.

Though the Lord is on high, he sees the lowly,
And the haughty he knows from afar.

Though I walk in the midst of trouble,

Thou dost preserve my life,

Thou stretchest thy hand against my foes,

And thy right hand delivers me;

The Lord will accomplish it for my sake.

Thy love, O Lord, is eternal;

Forsake not the works of thy hands.