New English Translation Psalms 67

1 For the music director; to be accompanied by stringed instruments; a psalm, a song.

May God show us his favor1 and bless us!2

May he smile on us!3 (Selah)

2 Then those living on earth will know what you are like;

all nations will know how you deliver your people.4

3 Let the nations thank you, O God!

Let all the nations thank you!5

4 Let foreigners6 rejoice and celebrate!

For you execute justice among the nations,

and govern the people living on earth.7 (Selah)

5 Let the nations thank you, O God!

Let all the nations thank you!8

6 The earth yields its crops.

May God, our God, bless us!

7 May God bless us!9

Then all the ends of the earth will give him the honor he deserves.10 11

1 67:1 sn: Psalm 67. The psalmist prays for God’s blessing upon his people and urges the nations to praise him for he is the just ruler of the world. 2 67:1 tn: Or “have mercy on us.” 3 67:1 tn: The prefixed verbal forms are understood as jussives expressing the psalmist’s prayer. Note the jussive form יָאֵר (ya’er) in the next line. 4 67:2 tn: Heb “may he cause his face to shine with us.” 5 67:3 tn: Heb “to know in the earth your way, among all nations your deliverance.” The infinitive with -לְ (lamed) expresses purpose/result. When God demonstrates his favor to his people, all nations will recognize his character as a God who delivers. The Hebrew term דֶּרֶךְ (derekh, “way”) refers here to God’s characteristic behavior, more specifically, to the way he typically saves his people. 6 67:4 tn: Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in vv. 3-4a are understood as jussives in this call to praise. 7 67:4 tn: Or “peoples.” 8 67:5 tn: Heb “for you judge nations fairly, and [as for the] peoples in the earth, you lead them.” The imperfects are translated with the present tense because the statement is understood as a generalization about God’s providential control of the world. Another option is to understand the statement as anticipating God’s future rule (“for you will rule…and govern”). 9 67:7 tn: Heb “let the nations, all of them, thank you.” The prefixed verbal forms in v. 5 are understood as jussives in this call to praise. 10 67:7 tn: The prefixed verb forms in vv. 6b-7a are understood as jussives. 11 67:7 tn: Heb “will fear him.” After the jussive of the preceding line, the prefixed verbal form with prefixed vav (ו) conjunctive is understood as indicating purpose/result. (Note how v. 3 anticipates the universal impact of God showing his people blessing.) Another option is to take the verb as a jussive and translate, “Let all the ends of the earth fear him.”