Psalm 95

A Call to Praise and Listen to the Lord

1Come, let us sing to the Lord!

Let us shout joyfully to the Rock of our salvation.

2Let us come to him with thanksgiving.

Let us sing psalms of praise to him.

3For the Lord is a great God,

a great King above all gods.

4He holds in his hands the depths of the earth

and the mightiest mountains.

5The sea belongs to him, for he made it.

His hands formed the dry land, too.

6Come, let us worship and bow down.

Let us kneel before the Lord our maker,

7for he is our God.

We are the people he watches over,

the flock under his care.

If only you would listen to his voice today!

8The Lord says, “Don’t harden your hearts as Israel did at Meribah,

as they did at Massah in the wilderness.

9For there your ancestors tested and tried my patience,

even though they saw everything I did.

10For forty years I was angry with them, and I said,

‘They are a people whose hearts turn away from me.

They refuse to do what I tell them.’

11So in my anger I took an oath:

‘They will never enter my place of rest.’”

Psalm 96

Proclaim the Good News in All Nations

1Sing a new song to the Lord!

Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!

2Sing to the Lord; praise his name.

Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.

3Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.

Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.

4Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!

He is to be feared above all gods.

5The gods of other nations are mere idols,

but the Lord made the heavens!

6Honor and majesty surround him;

strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

7O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;

recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.

8Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!

Bring your offering and come into his courts.

9Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.

Let all the earth tremble before him.

10Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”

The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

He will judge all peoples fairly.

11Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!

Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

12Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!

Let the trees of the forest sing for joy

13before the Lord, for he is coming!

He is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with his truth.

Psalm 97

The Lord Is Exalted above All Gods

1The Lord is king!

Let the earth rejoice!

Let the farthest coastlands be glad.

2Dark clouds surround him.

Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.

3Fire spreads ahead of him

and burns up all his foes.

4His lightning flashes out across the world.

The earth sees and trembles.

5The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of all the earth.

6The heavens proclaim his righteousness;

every nation sees his glory.

7Those who worship idols are disgraced—

all who brag about their worthless gods—

for every god must bow to him.

8Jerusalem*97:8 Hebrew Zion. has heard and rejoiced,

and all the towns of Judah are glad

because of your justice, O Lord!

9For you, O Lord, are supreme over all the earth;

you are exalted far above all gods.

10You who love the Lord, hate evil!

He protects the lives of his godly people

and rescues them from the power of the wicked.

11Light shines on the godly,

and joy on those whose hearts are right.

12May all who are godly rejoice in the Lord

and praise his holy name!

Psalm 98

Praise for the Lord’s Victory

A psalm.

1Sing a new song to the Lord,

for he has done wonderful deeds.

His right hand has won a mighty victory;

his holy arm has shown his saving power!

2The Lord has announced his victory

and has revealed his righteousness to every nation!

3He has remembered his promise to love and be faithful to Israel.

The ends of the earth have seen the victory of our God.

4Shout to the Lord, all the earth;

break out in praise and sing for joy!

5Sing your praise to the Lord with the harp,

with the harp and melodious song,

6with trumpets and the sound of the ram’s horn.

Make a joyful symphony before the Lord, the King!

7Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!

Let the earth and all living things join in.

8Let the rivers clap their hands in glee!

Let the hills sing out their songs of joy

9before the Lord,

for he is coming to judge the earth.

He will judge the world with justice,

and the nations with fairness.

Psalm 99

The Lord Is Enthroned in Jerusalem

1The Lord is king!

Let the nations tremble!

He sits on his throne between the cherubim.

Let the whole earth quake!

2The Lord sits in majesty in Jerusalem,*99:2 Hebrew Zion.

exalted above all the nations.

3Let them praise your great and awesome name.

Your name is holy!

4Mighty King, lover of justice,

you have established fairness.

You have acted with justice

and righteousness throughout Israel.*99:4 Hebrew Jacob. See note on 44:4.

5Exalt the Lord our God!

Bow low before his feet, for he is holy!

6Moses and Aaron were among his priests;

Samuel also called on his name.

They cried to the Lord for help,

and he answered them.

7He spoke to Israel from the pillar of cloud,

and they followed the laws and decrees he gave them.

8O Lord our God, you answered them.

You were a forgiving God to them,

but you punished them when they went wrong.

9Exalt the Lord our God,

and worship at his holy mountain in Jerusalem,

for the Lord our God is holy!