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The Majesty of the Lord.

93 The Lord reigns, He is clothed with majesty and splendor;
The Lord has clothed and encircled Himself with strength;
the world is firmly established, it cannot be moved.

Your throne is established from of old;
You are from everlasting.


The floods have lifted up, O Lord,
The floods have lifted up their voice;
The floods lift up their pounding waves.

More than the sounds of many waters,
More than the mighty breakers of the sea,
The Lord on high is mighty.

Your precepts are fully confirmed and completely reliable;
Holiness adorns Your house,
O Lord, forever.

The Lord Implored to Avenge His People.

94 O Lord God, You to whom vengeance belongs,
O God, You to whom vengeance belongs, shine forth [in judgment]!

Rise up, O Judge of the earth;
Give to the proud a fitting compensation.

O Lord, how long will the wicked,
How long will the wicked rejoice in triumph?

They pour out words, speaking arrogant things;
All who do evil boast proudly.(A)

They crush Your people, O Lord,
And afflict and abuse Your heritage.

[a]They kill the widow and the alien
And murder the fatherless.

Yet they say, “The Lord does not see,
Nor does the God of Jacob (Israel) notice it.”


Consider thoughtfully, you senseless (stupid ones) among the people;
And you [dull-minded] fools, when will you become wise and understand?

He who made the ear, does He not hear?
He who formed the eye, does He not see?
10 
He who instructs the nations,
Does He not rebuke and punish,
He who teaches man knowledge?
11 
The Lord knows the thoughts of man,
That they are a mere breath (vain, empty, futile).(B)

12 
Blessed [with wisdom and prosperity] is the man whom You discipline and instruct, O Lord,
And whom You teach from Your law,
13 
That You may grant him [power to calm himself and find] peace in the days of adversity,
Until the pit is dug for the wicked and ungodly.
14 
For the Lord will not abandon His people,
Nor will He abandon His inheritance.
15 
For judgment will again be righteous,
And all the upright in heart will follow it.
16 
Who will stand up for me against the evildoers?
Who will take a stand for me against those who do wickedness?

17 
If the Lord had not been my help,
I would soon have dwelt in [the land of] silence.
18 
If I say, “My foot has slipped,”
Your compassion and lovingkindness, O Lord, will hold me up.
19 
When my anxious thoughts multiply within me,
Your comforts delight me.
20 
Can a throne of destruction be allied with You,
One which frames and devises mischief by decree [under the sacred name of law]?
21 
They band themselves together against the life of the righteous
And condemn the innocent to death.
22 
But the Lord has become my high tower and defense,
And my God the rock of my refuge.
23 
He has turned back their own wickedness upon them
And will destroy them by means of their own evil;
The Lord our God will wipe them out.

Praise to the Lord, and Warning against Unbelief.

95 O come, let us sing joyfully to the Lord;
Let us shout joyfully to the rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with a song of thanksgiving;
Let us shout joyfully to Him with songs.

For the Lord is a great God
And a great King above all gods,

In whose hand are the depths of the earth;
The peaks of the mountains are His also.

The sea is His, for He made it [by His command];
And His hands formed the dry land.(C)


O come, let us worship and bow down,
Let us kneel before the Lord our Maker [in reverent praise and prayer].

For He is our God
And we are the people of His pasture and the sheep of His hand.
Today, if you will hear His voice,(D)

Do not harden your hearts and become spiritually dull as at Meribah [the place of strife],
And as at Massah [the place of testing] in the wilderness,(E)

“When your fathers tested Me,
They tried Me, even though they had seen My work [of miracles].
10 
“For forty years I was grieved and disgusted with that generation,
And I said, ‘They are a people who err in their heart,
And they do not acknowledge or regard My ways.’
11 
“Therefore I swore [an oath] in My wrath,
‘They absolutely shall not enter My rest [the land of promise].’”(F)

A Call to Worship the Lord the Righteous Judge.

96 O sing to the Lord a new song;
Sing to the Lord, all the earth!

Sing to the Lord, bless His name;
Proclaim good news of His salvation from day to day.

Declare His glory among the nations,
His marvelous works and wonderful deeds among all the peoples.

For great is the Lord and greatly to be praised;
He is to be feared above all gods.(G)

For all the gods of the peoples are [worthless, lifeless] idols,
But the Lord made the heavens.

Splendor and majesty are before Him;
Strength and beauty are in His sanctuary.


[b]Ascribe to the Lord, O families of the peoples,
Ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.

Ascribe to the Lord the glory of His name;
Bring an offering and come into His courts.

Worship the Lord in the splendor of holiness;
Tremble [in submissive wonder] before Him, all the earth.
10 
Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns;
Indeed, the world is firmly and securely established, it shall not be moved;
He will judge and rule the people with fairness.”(H)

11 
Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice;
Let the sea roar, and all the things it contains;
12 
Let the field be exultant, and all that is in it.
Then all the trees of the forest will sing for joy
13 
Before the Lord, for He is coming,
For He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness
And the peoples in His faithfulness.(I)

The Lord’s Power and Dominion.

97 The Lord reigns, let the earth rejoice;
Let the many islands and coastlands be glad.

Clouds and thick darkness surround Him [as at Sinai];
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.(J)

Fire goes before Him
And burns up His adversaries on all sides.

His lightnings have illuminated the world;
The earth has seen and trembled.

The mountains melted like wax at the presence of the Lord,
At the presence of the Lord of the whole earth.

The heavens declare His righteousness,
And all the peoples see His glory and brilliance.


Let all those be [deeply] ashamed who serve carved images,
Who boast in idols.
Worship Him, all you gods!(K)

Zion heard this and was glad,
And the daughters (cities) of Judah rejoiced [in relief]
Because of Your judgments, O Lord.

For You are the Lord Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted far above all gods.

10 
You who love the Lord, hate evil;
He protects the souls of His godly ones (believers),
He rescues them from the hand of the wicked.(L)
11 
Light is sown [like seed] for the righteous and illuminates their path,
And [irrepressible] joy [is spread] for the upright in heart [who delight in His favor and protection].
12 
Rejoice in the Lord, you righteous ones [those whose moral and spiritual integrity places them in right standing with God],
And praise and give thanks at the remembrance of His holy name.

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 94:6 Widows, resident aliens, and the fatherless were particularly vulnerable members of ancient society, since they often had little or no economic means. The wicked could easily take advantage of them. God in several Old Testament passages commanded Israel to care especially for these helpless members of society. See, for example, Deut 24:17-22; Ps 146:9; Is 1:17; Zech 7:9, 10.
  2. Psalm 96:7 Lit Give.

Psalm 93

The Lord reigns,(A) he is robed in majesty;(B)
    the Lord is robed in majesty and armed with strength;(C)
    indeed, the world is established,(D) firm and secure.(E)
Your throne was established(F) long ago;
    you are from all eternity.(G)

The seas(H) have lifted up, Lord,
    the seas have lifted up their voice;(I)
    the seas have lifted up their pounding waves.(J)
Mightier than the thunder(K) of the great waters,
    mightier than the breakers(L) of the sea—
    the Lord on high is mighty.(M)

Your statutes, Lord, stand firm;
    holiness(N) adorns your house(O)
    for endless days.

Psalm 94

The Lord is a God who avenges.(P)
    O God who avenges, shine forth.(Q)
Rise up,(R) Judge(S) of the earth;
    pay back(T) to the proud what they deserve.
How long, Lord, will the wicked,
    how long will the wicked be jubilant?(U)

They pour out arrogant(V) words;
    all the evildoers are full of boasting.(W)
They crush your people,(X) Lord;
    they oppress your inheritance.(Y)
They slay the widow(Z) and the foreigner;
    they murder the fatherless.(AA)
They say, “The Lord does not see;(AB)
    the God of Jacob(AC) takes no notice.”

Take notice, you senseless ones(AD) among the people;
    you fools, when will you become wise?
Does he who fashioned the ear not hear?
    Does he who formed the eye not see?(AE)
10 Does he who disciplines(AF) nations not punish?
    Does he who teaches(AG) mankind lack knowledge?
11 The Lord knows all human plans;(AH)
    he knows that they are futile.(AI)

12 Blessed is the one you discipline,(AJ) Lord,
    the one you teach(AK) from your law;
13 you grant them relief from days of trouble,(AL)
    till a pit(AM) is dug for the wicked.
14 For the Lord will not reject his people;(AN)
    he will never forsake his inheritance.
15 Judgment will again be founded on righteousness,(AO)
    and all the upright in heart(AP) will follow it.

16 Who will rise up(AQ) for me against the wicked?
    Who will take a stand for me against evildoers?(AR)
17 Unless the Lord had given me help,(AS)
    I would soon have dwelt in the silence of death.(AT)
18 When I said, “My foot is slipping,(AU)
    your unfailing love, Lord, supported me.
19 When anxiety(AV) was great within me,
    your consolation(AW) brought me joy.

20 Can a corrupt throne(AX) be allied with you—
    a throne that brings on misery by its decrees?(AY)
21 The wicked band together(AZ) against the righteous
    and condemn the innocent(BA) to death.(BB)
22 But the Lord has become my fortress,
    and my God the rock(BC) in whom I take refuge.(BD)
23 He will repay(BE) them for their sins
    and destroy(BF) them for their wickedness;
    the Lord our God will destroy them.

Psalm 95

Come,(BG) let us sing for joy(BH) to the Lord;
    let us shout aloud(BI) to the Rock(BJ) of our salvation.
Let us come before him(BK) with thanksgiving(BL)
    and extol him with music(BM) and song.

For the Lord is the great God,(BN)
    the great King(BO) above all gods.(BP)
In his hand are the depths of the earth,(BQ)
    and the mountain peaks belong to him.
The sea is his, for he made it,
    and his hands formed the dry land.(BR)

Come, let us bow down(BS) in worship,(BT)
    let us kneel(BU) before the Lord our Maker;(BV)
for he is our God
    and we are the people of his pasture,(BW)
    the flock under his care.

Today, if only you would hear his voice,
“Do not harden your hearts(BX) as you did at Meribah,[a](BY)
    as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness,(BZ)
where your ancestors tested(CA) me;
    they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years(CB) I was angry with that generation;
    I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,(CC)
    and they have not known my ways.’(CD)
11 So I declared on oath(CE) in my anger,
    ‘They shall never enter my rest.’”(CF)

Psalm 96(CG)

Sing to the Lord(CH) a new song;(CI)
    sing to the Lord, all the earth.
Sing to the Lord, praise his name;(CJ)
    proclaim his salvation(CK) day after day.
Declare his glory(CL) among the nations,
    his marvelous deeds(CM) among all peoples.

For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(CN)
    he is to be feared(CO) above all gods.(CP)
For all the gods of the nations are idols,(CQ)
    but the Lord made the heavens.(CR)
Splendor and majesty(CS) are before him;
    strength and glory(CT) are in his sanctuary.

Ascribe to the Lord,(CU) all you families of nations,(CV)
    ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
    bring an offering(CW) and come into his courts.(CX)
Worship the Lord(CY) in the splendor of his[c] holiness;(CZ)
    tremble(DA) before him, all the earth.(DB)
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.(DC)
    The world is firmly established,(DD) it cannot be moved;(DE)
    he will judge(DF) the peoples with equity.(DG)

11 Let the heavens rejoice,(DH) let the earth be glad;(DI)
    let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
    let all the trees of the forest(DJ) sing for joy.(DK)
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
    he comes to judge(DL) the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness(DM)
    and the peoples in his faithfulness.(DN)

Psalm 97

The Lord reigns,(DO) let the earth be glad;(DP)
    let the distant shores(DQ) rejoice.
Clouds(DR) and thick darkness(DS) surround him;
    righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.(DT)
Fire(DU) goes before(DV) him
    and consumes(DW) his foes on every side.
His lightning(DX) lights up the world;
    the earth(DY) sees and trembles.(DZ)
The mountains melt(EA) like wax(EB) before the Lord,
    before the Lord of all the earth.(EC)
The heavens proclaim his righteousness,(ED)
    and all peoples see his glory.(EE)

All who worship images(EF) are put to shame,(EG)
    those who boast in idols(EH)
    worship him,(EI) all you gods!(EJ)

Zion hears and rejoices
    and the villages of Judah are glad(EK)
    because of your judgments,(EL) Lord.
For you, Lord, are the Most High(EM) over all the earth;(EN)
    you are exalted(EO) far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,(EP)
    for he guards(EQ) the lives of his faithful ones(ER)
    and delivers(ES) them from the hand of the wicked.(ET)
11 Light shines[d](EU) on the righteous(EV)
    and joy on the upright in heart.(EW)
12 Rejoice in the Lord,(EX) you who are righteous,
    and praise his holy name.(EY)

Footnotes

  1. Psalm 95:8 Meribah means quarreling.
  2. Psalm 95:8 Massah means testing.
  3. Psalm 96:9 Or Lord with the splendor of
  4. Psalm 97:11 One Hebrew manuscript and ancient versions (see also 112:4); most Hebrew manuscripts Light is sown