Psalms Chapter 85
Showing all 13 verses for Psalms Chapter 85.
The People's Bible is written by people, for the people. Each verse below shows:
"Lord, thou hast been favourable unto thy land: thou hast brought back the captivity of Jacob. "
"LORD, you've shown favour to your land; you've brought your people back from captivity."
When you're in a hard moment now, it helps to deliberately remember specific times things did turn around before - not to deny the present difficulty, but to build hope on real evidence rather than blind optimism. Start your prayers, or your own reflection, by naming what's actually already gone right.
"Thou hast forgiven the iniquity of thy people, thou hast covered all their sin. Selah. "
"You've forgiven your people's wrongdoing; you've covered over all their sin. (Pause and reflect.)"
Real forgiveness doesn't pretend nothing happened - it actively covers what happened so it no longer defines the relationship going forward. If you're carrying guilt, know that being fully forgiven means the matter is actually closed, not just quietly ignored.
"Thou hast taken away all thy wrath: thou hast turned thyself from the fierceness of thine anger. "
"You've taken away all your anger; you've turned away from your fierce wrath."
A relationship being repaired doesn't require pretending the hurt or anger never existed - real reconciliation names it honestly and then genuinely lets it go. Don't rush past acknowledging what went wrong on your way to making peace.
"Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. "
"Turn us back, God our saviour, and put an end to your anger towards us."
Needing to come back and ask again, even after you've already experienced forgiveness once, isn't a sign of failure - relationships, including this one, need ongoing tending, not a single resolution. Coming back is always welcomed, however many times it takes.
"Wilt thou be angry with us for ever? wilt thou draw out thine anger to all generations? "
"Will you stay angry with us forever? Will you drag out your anger for generation after generation?"
The fear that a hard season might last forever is common and understandable, but it's alright to voice that fear directly rather than sitting with it silently. Asking the hard question honestly is often the first step towards finding out the answer is actually no.
"Wilt thou not revive us again: that thy people may rejoice in thee? "
"Won't you bring us back to life again, so your people can rejoice in you?"
Don't settle for just surviving a hard season when real revival - actual joy, not just relief - is what's genuinely available. Aim your hope higher than merely getting by.
"Shew us thy mercy, O LORD, and grant us thy salvation. "
"Show us your mercy, LORD, and give us your salvation."
After all the wrestling and questioning, sometimes the most honest prayer is the simplest one - just asking plainly for what you need. You don't need an elaborate case; a direct, honest request is enough.
"I will hear what God the LORD will speak: for he will speak peace unto his people, and to his saints: but let them not turn again to folly. "
"I will listen to what God the LORD says - because he'll speak peace to his people, to those devoted to him - but let them not go back to their foolish ways."
Prayer isn't just talking - it's also stopping to actually listen for what comes back, and being willing to change your own behaviour in response. Real change means not just wanting things to get better but actually not returning to what caused the trouble in the first place.
"Surely his salvation is nigh them that fear him; that glory may dwell in our land. "
"Surely his salvation is close to those who honour him, so that glory may dwell again in our land."
Genuine respect and humility before something bigger than yourself tends to put you in the very position to receive good things when they come - not because you've earned it, but because that posture keeps you open and ready. Rescue is often closer than it feels.
"Mercy and truth are met together; righteousness and peace have kissed each other. "
"Mercy and truth have met together; righteousness and peace have kissed."
You don't have to choose between being truthful and being merciful, or between doing what's right and living at peace - the goal isn't picking one over the other but holding both together, the way I do. When you feel torn between honesty and kindness, or justice and grace, look for the way they can embrace rather than assuming you must sacrifice one.
"Truth shall spring out of the earth; and righteousness shall look down from heaven. "
"Truth will spring up out of the ground; righteousness will look down from heaven."
I want your inner life (what's true about you, deep down) and your outward actions (what's right) to line up, to grow together rather than staying separate. Aim for a life where what springs up from your everyday reality genuinely matches what you believe is right.
"Yea, the LORD shall give that which is good; and our land shall yield her increase. "
"Yes, the LORD will give what is good, and our land will produce its harvest."
Genuine spiritual renewal isn't meant to stay abstract - it's meant to show up in your actual, everyday life, in tangible good that you can point to. Don't be suspicious of ordinary blessings; they're a real part of what restoration looks like.
"Righteousness shall go before him; and shall set us in the way of his steps. "
"Righteousness goes ahead of him, preparing the way, setting us on the path of his footsteps."
You don't have to see the whole road to start walking it - righteousness goes ahead of you, marking the way, and you're invited simply to follow in step. Trust the path being prepared even when you can only see the next few footprints.