Psalm 67, “May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us,” is a short prayer for God’s blessing on his people and on all nations. It echoes the priestly blessing of Aaron and ends with a harvest of thanksgiving: “The earth hath yielded her fruit.” The Church sings it on New Year’s Day. In the Douay-Rheims it is numbered Psalm 66. Below is the full Catholic text, what the psalm means, how the Church uses it, and a prayer.
Psalm 67 in the Douay-Rheims Bible
Unto the end, in, hymns, a psalm of a canticle for David.
May God have mercy on us, and bless us: may he cause the light of his countenance to shine upon us, and may he have mercy on us.
That we may know thy way upon earth: thy salvation in all nations.
Let people confess to thee, O God: let all people give praise to thee.
Let the nations be glad and rejoice: for thou judgest the people with justice, and directest the nations upon earth.
Let the people, O God, confess to thee: let all the people give praise to thee:
The earth hath yielded her fruit. May God, our God bless us,
May God bless us: and all the ends of the earth fear him.
Psalm 67 or Psalm 66?
The Douay-Rheims Bible follows the numbering of the Latin Vulgate and the Greek Septuagint, while most modern Bibles follow the Hebrew. So the Douay’s Psalm 66 is Psalm 67 in the New American Bible and other modern translations. In Latin the psalm begins Deus misereatur nostri, et benedicat nobis. See how many psalms are there?
What the psalm means
- The priestly blessing: its first words recall the blessing God gave Aaron: “The Lord bless thee… The Lord shew his face to thee” (Numbers 6:24–26). See Catholic blessings.
- Blessing for the sake of the world: God blesses his people “That we may know thy way upon earth: thy salvation in all nations.”
- All peoples praise God: the refrain “let all people give praise to thee” is missionary.
- Harvest thanksgiving: “The earth hath yielded her fruit.” The Fathers also saw here Mary, who gave the world its fruit, Jesus.
How the Church uses Psalm 67
- On January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God: “May God bless us in his mercy.” See Mary, Mother of God.
- As an Invitatory psalm that may open the Liturgy of the Hours.
- On other Sundays, including the Sixth Sunday of Easter (Year C) and the Twentieth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A).
- At harvest and Thanksgiving, for the fruit of the earth.
A prayer with Psalm 67
Written for this page:
May God have mercy on us and bless us;
may the light of your face shine upon us, O Lord.
Let your way be known on earth and your salvation among all nations.
Bless this new day, this new year and all the fruit of our work. Amen.
Frequently asked questions
Why is Psalm 67 read on New Year’s Day?
Because it asks for God’s blessing on his people, and January 1 begins the new year with the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, under the priestly blessing of Numbers 6.
What is the meaning of “The earth has yielded its fruit”?
A harvest of God’s blessing; Christian writers also saw in it Mary, who brought forth Christ.
More psalms and prayers
- Psalm 65 (the harvest psalm)
- Mary, Mother of God (January 1)
- Catholic New Year prayer
- Catholic blessings
- Psalm 100
- How many psalms are there?
Texts and sources
- Scripture: Psalm 66 (67); Numbers 6:24–26, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner), public domain.
- The prayer was written for this page.