The psalmist now invites all his fellow worshipers (all you who fear God) to listen to his recital of what God has done for me. All you who fear God must sometimes be rendered, for example, “you people who worship God” or “you who revere God.”

In verse 17b Good News Translation “I praised him with songs” represents the force of the Hebrew “and high praise (was) under my tongue”–which could have been songs (so Briggs) or simply spoken words of praise. Dahood translates “sounds of music were on my tongue.” Line b does not seem to fit well with line a, and some have rendered cried aloud in line a by “I prayed in a loud voice,” with line b giving the content of the prayer. So New Jerusalem Bible, “I called aloud to Him, glorification on my tongue”; New English Bible, somewhat more naturally, has “I lifted up my voice in prayer, his high praise was on my lips.” Perhaps Biblia Dios Habla Hoy is best: “With my lips and my tongue I called to him and praised him.”

Quoted with permission from Bratcher, Robert G. and Reyburn, William D. A Handbook on the Book of Psalms. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1991. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .