Psalm 97–99

Psalm 97

¹The Lord rules as king. 

Let the earth rejoice. 

Let all the islands be joyful. 

²Clouds and darkness surround him. 

Righteousness and justice are the foundations of his throne. 

³Fire spreads ahead of him. 

It burns his enemies who surround him. 

⁴His flashes of lightning light up the world. 

The earth sees them and trembles. 

⁵The mountains melt like wax in the presence of the Lord, 

in the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 

⁶The heavens tell about his righteousness, 

and all the people of the world see his glory. 

⁷Everyone who worships idols 

and brags about false gods will be put to shame. 

All the gods will bow to him. 

⁸Zion hears about this and rejoices. 

The people of Judah are delighted with your judgments, O Lord. 

⁹You, O Lord, the Most High, are above the whole earth. 

You are highest. You are above all the gods. 

¹⁰Let 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. 

¹¹Light dawns for righteous people^a

and joy for those whose motives are decent. 

¹²Find joy in the Lord, you righteous people. 

Give thanks to him as you remember how holy he is. 

Psalm 98

A psalm. 

¹Sing a new song to the Lord 

because he has done miraculous things. 

His right hand and his holy arm have gained victory for him. 

²The Lord has made his salvation known. 

He has uncovered his righteousness for the nations to see. 

³He has not forgotten to be merciful and faithful 

to Israel’s descendants. 

All the ends of the earth have seen how our God saves ⸤them⸥. 

⁴Shout happily to the Lord, all the earth. 

Break out into joyful singing, and make music. 

⁵Make music to the Lord with a lyre, 

with a lyre and the melody of a psalm, 

⁶with trumpets and the playing of a ram’s horn. 

Shout happily in the presence of the king, the Lord. 

⁷Let the sea, everything in it, 

the world, and those who live in it roar like thunder. 

⁸Let the rivers clap their hands 

and the mountains sing joyfully 

⁹in the Lord’s presence 

because he is coming to judge the earth. 

He will judge the world with justice 

and its people with fairness. 

Psalm 99

¹The Lord rules as king. 

Let the people tremble. 

He is enthroned over the angels.^a

Let the earth quake. 

²The Lord is mighty in Zion. 

He is high above all people. 

³Let them give thanks to your great and fearful name. 

He is holy! 

⁴The king’s strength is that he loves justice. 

You have established fairness. 

You have done what is fair and right for Jacob. 

⁵Highly honor the Lord our God. 

Bow down at his footstool. 

He is holy! 

⁶Moses and Aaron were among his priests. 

Samuel was among those who prayed to him. 

They called to the Lord, and he answered them. 

⁷He spoke to them from a column of smoke. 

They obeyed his written instructions and the laws that he gave them. 

⁸O Lord, our God, you answered them. 

You showed them that you are a forgiving God 

and that you are a God who punishes their ⸤sinful⸥ deeds. 

⁹Highly honor the Lord our God. 

Bow at his holy mountain. 

The Lord our God is holy!