Psalm 97-98

GOD’S WORD Translation

97 The Lord rules as king.
Let the earth rejoice.
Let all the islands be joyful.
² Clouds and darkness surround him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne.
³ Fire spreads ahead of him.
It burns his enemies who surround him.
⁴ His flashes of lightning light up the world.
The earth sees them and trembles.
⁵ The mountains melt like wax in the presence of the Lord,
in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.
⁶ The heavens tell about his righteousness,
and all the people of the world see his glory.

⁷ Everyone who worships idols
and brags about false gods will be put to shame.
All the gods will bow to him.

⁸ Zion hears about this and rejoices.
The people of Judah are delighted with your judgments, O Lord.
⁹ You, O Lord, the Most High, are above the whole earth.
You are highest. You are above all the gods.
¹⁰ Let those who love the Lord hate evil.
The one who guards the lives of his godly ones
will rescue them from the power of wicked people.
¹¹ Light dawns for righteous people ^[a]
and joy for those whose motives are decent.
¹² Find joy in the Lord, you righteous people.
Give thanks to him as you remember how holy he is.

⁴ Shout happily to the Lord, all the earth.
Break out into joyful singing, and make music.
⁵ Make music to the Lord with a lyre,
with a lyre and the melody of a psalm,
⁶ with trumpets and the playing of a ram’s horn.
Shout happily in the presence of the king, the Lord.

⁷ Let the sea, everything in it,
the world, and those who live in it roar like thunder.
⁸ Let the rivers clap their hands
and the mountains sing joyfully
⁹ in the Lord’s presence
because he is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice
and its people with fairness.