Psalm 29:1–30:12

^1–229Bravo, God, bravo!

Gods and all angels shout, “Encore!”

In awe before the glory,

in awe before God’s visible power.

Stand at attention!

Dress your best to honor him!

³God thunders across the waters,

Brilliant, his voice and his face, streaming brightness—

God, across the flood waters.

⁴God’s thunder tympanic,

God’s thunder symphonic.

⁵God’s thunder smashes cedars,

God topples the northern cedars.

⁶The mountain ranges skip like spring colts,

The high ridges jump like wild kid goats.

^7–8God’s thunder spits fire.

God thunders, the wilderness quakes;

He makes the desert of Kadesh shake.

⁹God’s thunder sets the oak trees dancing

A wild dance, whirling; the pelting rain strips their branches.

We fall to our knees—we call out, “Glory!”

¹⁰Above the floodwaters is God’s throne

from which his power flows,

from which he rules the world.

¹¹God makes his people strong.

God gives his people peace.

A David Psalm

¹30I give you all the credit, God—

you got me out of that mess,

you didn’t let my foes gloat.

^2–3God, my God, I yelled for help

and you put me together.

God, you pulled me out of the grave,

gave me another chance at life

when I was down-and-out.

^4–5All you saints! Sing your hearts out to God!

Thank him to his face!

He gets angry once in a while, but across

a lifetime there is only love.

The nights of crying your eyes out

give way to days of laughter.

^6–7When things were going great

I crowed, “I’ve got it made.

I’m God’s favorite.

He made me king of the mountain.”

Then you looked the other way

and I fell to pieces.

^8–10I called out to you, God;

I laid my case before you:

“Can you sell me for a profit when I’m dead?

auction me off at a cemetery yard sale?

When I’m ‘dust to dust’ my songs

and stories of you won’t sell.

So listen! and be kind!

Help me out of this!”

^11–12You did it: you changed wild lament

into whirling dance;

You ripped off my black mourning band

and decked me with wildflowers.

I’m about to burst with song;

I can’t keep quiet about you.

God, my God,

I can’t thank you enough.