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God’s Providence watches over us always

Happy the nation that has the Lord for God! The Lord watches over those who fear him.

¹ Rejoice in the Lord, you who are just,

praise is fitting for the upright.

² Give thanks to him on the harp and lyre,

making melody and chanting praises.

³ Amid loud shouts of joy,

sing to him a new song

and play the ten-stringed harp.

⁴ For upright is the Lord’s word

and worthy of trust is his work.

⁵ The Lord loves justice and righteousness;

the earth is full of his kindness.

⁶ The heavens were created by his word,

the breath of his mouth formed their starry host.

⁷ He gathered the waters of the sea into a heap,

and stored the deep in cellars.

⁸ Let the whole earth fear the Lord,

let the inhabitants of the world stand in awe of him.

⁹ For he spoke and so it was,

he commanded, and everything stood firm.

¹⁰ The Lord frustrates the plans of the nations

and brings to nothing the peoples’ designs.

¹¹ But his plan stands forever,

and his heart’s design through all generations.

¹² Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord –

the people he has chosen for his inheritance.

¹³ The Lord looks down from heaven

and sees the whole race of mortals.

¹⁴ From where he sits he watches

all those who dwell on the earth –

¹⁵ he who fashions every heart

observes all their deeds.

¹⁶ A king is not saved by a powerful army,

nor a warrior rescued by his great strength.

¹⁷ Don’t think that a horse will save you;

its great strength does not assure victory.

¹⁸ But the Lord’s eyes are upon those who fear him,

upon those who trust in his loving-kindness

¹⁹ to deliver them from death

and preserve them from famine.

²⁰ In hope we wait for the Lord,

for he is our help and our shield.

²¹ Our hearts rejoice in him,

for we trust in his holy name.

²² O Lord, let your love rest upon us,

even as our hope rests in you.