Thanksgiving for Rescue from Death.
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Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.
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The cords and sorrows of death encompassed me,
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
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Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, please save my life!”
I love the Lord, because He hears [and continues to hear]
My voice and my supplications (my pleas, my cries, my specific needs).
2 My voice and my supplications (my pleas, my cries, my specific needs).
Because He has inclined His ear to me,
Therefore I will call on Him as long as I live.
The cords and sorrows of death encompassed me,
And the terrors of Sheol came upon me;
I found distress and sorrow.
Then I called on the name of the Lord:
“O Lord, please save my life!”
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Gracious is the Lord, and [consistently] righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
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(a)The Lord protects the simple (childlike);
I was brought low [humbled and discouraged], and He saved me.
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For You have rescued my life from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from stumbling and falling.
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I will walk [in submissive wonder] before the Lord
In the land of the living.
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I said in my alarm,
“All men are liars.”
Gracious is the Lord, and [consistently] righteous;
Yes, our God is compassionate.
(a)The Lord protects the simple (childlike);
I was brought low [humbled and discouraged], and He saved me.
For You have rescued my life from death,
My eyes from tears,
And my feet from stumbling and falling.
I will walk [in submissive wonder] before the Lord
In the land of the living.
I said in my alarm,
“All men are liars.”
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What will I give to the Lord [in return]
For all His benefits toward me?
[How can I repay Him for His precious blessings?]
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I will lift up the cup of salvation
And call on the name of the Lord.
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I will pay my vows to the Lord,
Yes, in the presence of all His people.
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(b)Precious [and of great consequence] in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones [so He watches over them].
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O Lord, truly I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid;
You have unfastened my chains.
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I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call on the name of the Lord.
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I will pay my vows to the Lord,
Yes, in the presence of all His people,
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In the courts of the Lord’s house (temple)—
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
What will I give to the Lord [in return]
For all His benefits toward me?
[How can I repay Him for His precious blessings?]
I will lift up the cup of salvation
And call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord,
Yes, in the presence of all His people.
(b)Precious [and of great consequence] in the sight of the Lord
Is the death of His godly ones [so He watches over them].
O Lord, truly I am Your servant;
I am Your servant, the son of Your handmaid;
You have unfastened my chains.
I will offer to You the sacrifice of thanksgiving,
And will call on the name of the Lord.
I will pay my vows to the Lord,
Yes, in the presence of all His people,
In the courts of the Lord’s house (temple)—
In the midst of you, O Jerusalem.
Praise the Lord! (Hallelujah!)
Footnotes:
a.
Psalm 116:6: In Jewish tradition this became a common saying to explain how some people could do ill-advised things and not suffer for them.
b.
Psalm 116:15: The ancient rabbis interpreted this verse to mean that it is hard for God to declare death upon the righteous.