Psalm 96-98

Common English Bible

Psalm 96

96 Sing to the Lord a new song!
    Sing to the Lord, all the earth!
²Sing to the Lord! Bless his name!
    Share the news of his saving work every single day!
³Declare God’s glory among the nations;
    declare his wondrous works among all people
⁴    because the Lord is great and so worthy of praise.
He is awesome beyond all other gods
⁵    because all the gods of the nations are just idols,
        but it is the Lord who created heaven!
⁶Greatness and grandeur are in front of him;
    strength and beauty are in his sanctuary.

⁷Give to the Lord, all families of the nations—
    give to the Lord glory and power!
⁸Give to the Lord the glory due his name!
    Bring gifts!
    Enter his courtyards!
⁹Bow down to the Lord in his holy splendor!
    Tremble before him, all the earth!

¹⁰Tell the nations, “The Lord rules!
    Yes, he set the world firmly in place;^[a]
    it won’t be shaken.
    He will judge all people fairly.”
¹¹Let heaven celebrate! Let the earth rejoice!
    Let the sea and everything in it roar!
¹²    Let the countryside and everything in it celebrate!
    Then all the trees of the forest too
        will shout out joyfully
¹³        before the Lord because he is coming!
He is coming to establish justice on the earth!
    He will establish justice in the world rightly.
    He will establish justice among all people fairly.

Psalm 97

97 The Lord rules! Let the earth rejoice!
    Let all the islands celebrate!
²Clouds and thick darkness surround God.
    His throne is built on righteousness and justice.
³Fire proceeds before him,
    burning up his enemies on every side.
⁴His lightning lights up the world;
    the earth sees it and trembles!
⁵The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,
    before the Lord of the whole world!

⁶Heaven has proclaimed God’s righteousness,
    and all nations have seen his glory.
⁷All those who worship images,
    those who are proud of idols,
    are put to shame.
    All gods bow down to the Lord!
⁸Zion has heard and celebrates,
    the towns^[b] of Judah rejoice,
    because of your acts of justice, Lord,
⁹    because you, Lord, are the Most High
        over all the earth,
    because you are so superior to all other gods.

¹⁰Those of you who love the Lord, hate evil!
    God guards the lives of his faithful ones,
    delivering them from the power of the wicked.
¹¹Light is planted like seed for the righteous person;
    joy too for those whose heart is right.
¹²Rejoice in the Lord, righteous ones!
    Give thanks to his holy name!

Psalm 98

A psalm.

98 Sing to the Lord a new song
    because he has done wonderful things!
His own strong hand and his own holy arm
    have won the victory!
²The Lord has made his salvation widely known;
    he has revealed his righteousness
    in the eyes of all the nations.
³God has remembered his loyal love
    and faithfulness to the house of Israel;
    every corner of the earth has seen our God’s salvation.

⁴Shout triumphantly to the Lord, all the earth!
    Be happy!
    Rejoice out loud!
    Sing your praises!
⁵Sing your praises to the Lord with the lyre—
    with the lyre and the sound of music.
⁶With trumpets and a horn blast,
    shout triumphantly before the Lord, the king!
⁷Let the sea and everything in it roar;
    the world and all its inhabitants too.
⁸Let all the rivers clap their hands;
    let the mountains rejoice out loud altogether ⁹before the Lord
    because he is coming to establish justice on the earth!
He will establish justice in the world rightly;
    he will establish justice among all people fairly.