Psalm 116

Psalm 116

MSG — The Message Bible (MSG)
NLT — New Living Translation Bible (NLT)
Verse 1
1-6 I love God because he listened to me,
    listened as I begged for mercy.
He listened so intently
    as I laid out my case before him.
Death stared me in the face,
    hell was hard on my heels.
Up against it, I didn’t know which way to turn;
    then I called out to God for help:
“Please, God!” I cried out.
    “Save my life!”
God is gracious—it is he who makes things right,
    our most compassionate God.
God takes the side of the helpless;
    when I was at the end of my rope, he saved me.

I love the Lord because he hears my voice
    and my prayer for mercy.
Verse 2
— not in MSG
Because he bends down to listen,
    I will pray as long as I have breath!
Verse 3
— not in MSG
Death wrapped its ropes around me;
    the terrors of the grave[a] overtook me.
    I saw only trouble and sorrow.
Verse 4
— not in MSG
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
    “Please, Lord, save me!”
Verse 5
— not in MSG
How kind the Lord is! How good he is!
    So merciful, this God of ours!
Verse 6
— not in MSG
The Lord protects those of childlike faith;
    I was facing death, and he saved me.
Verse 7
I said to myself, “Relax and rest.
    God has showered you with blessings.
    Soul, you’ve been rescued from death;
    Eye, you’ve been rescued from tears;
    And you, Foot, were kept from stumbling.”

Let my soul be at rest again,
    for the Lord has been good to me.
Verse 8
— not in MSG
He has saved me from death,
    my eyes from tears,
    my feet from stumbling.
Verse 9
I’m striding in the presence of God,
    alive in the land of the living!
I stayed faithful, though bedeviled,
    and despite a ton of bad luck,
Despite giving up on the human race,
    saying, “They’re all liars and cheats.”

And so I walk in the Lord’s presence
    as I live here on earth!
Verse 10
— not in MSG
I believed in you, so I said,
    “I am deeply troubled, Lord.”
Verse 11
— not in MSG
In my anxiety I cried out to you,
    “These people are all liars!”
Verse 12
What can I give back to God
    for the blessings he’s poured out on me?
I’ll lift high the cup of salvation—a toast to God!
    I’ll pray in the name of God;
I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do,
    and I’ll do it together with his people.
When they arrive at the gates of death,
    God welcomes those who love him.
Oh, God, here I am, your servant,
    your faithful servant: set me free for your service!
I’m ready to offer the thanksgiving sacrifice
    and pray in the name of God.
I’ll complete what I promised God I’d do,
    and I’ll do it in company with his people,
In the place of worship, in God’s house,
    in Jerusalem, God’s city.
Hallelujah!

What can I offer the Lord
    for all he has done for me?
Verse 13
— not in MSG
I will lift up the cup of salvation
    and praise the Lord’s name for saving me.
Verse 14
— not in MSG
I will keep my promises to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people.

Verse 15
— not in MSG
The Lord cares deeply
    when his loved ones die.
Verse 16
— not in MSG
O Lord, I am your servant;
    yes, I am your servant, born into your household;
    you have freed me from my chains.
Verse 17
— not in MSG
I will offer you a sacrifice of thanksgiving
    and call on the name of the Lord.
Verse 18
— not in MSG
I will fulfill my vows to the Lord
    in the presence of all his people—
Verse 19
— not in MSG
in the house of the Lord
    in the heart of Jerusalem.

Praise the Lord!