Psalm 99–101

^1–399God rules. On your toes, everybody!

He rules from his angel throne—take notice!

God looms majestic in Zion,

He towers in splendor over all the big names.

Great and terrible your beauty: let everyone praise you!

Holy. Yes, holy.

^4–5Strong King, lover of justice,

You laid things out fair and square;

You set down the foundations in Jacob,

Foundation stones of just and right ways.

Honor God, our God; worship his rule!

Holy. Yes, holy.

^6–9Moses and Aaron were his priests,

Samuel among those who prayed to him.

They prayed to God and he answered them;

He spoke from the pillar of cloud.

And they did what he said; they kept the law he gave them.

And then God, our God, answered them

(But you were never soft on their sins).

Lift high God, our God; worship at his holy mountain.

Holy. Yes, holy is God our God.

A Thanksgiving Psalm

^1–2100On your feet now—applaud God!

Bring a gift of laughter,

sing yourselves into his presence.

³Know this: God is God, and God, God.

He made us; we didn’t make him.

We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.

⁴Enter with the password: “Thank you!”

Make yourselves at home, talking praise.

Thank him. Worship him.

⁵For God is sheer beauty,

all-generous in love,

loyal always and ever.

A David Psalm

^1–8101My theme song is God’s love and justice,

and I’m singing it right to you, God.

I’m finding my way down the road of right living,

but how long before you show up?

I’m doing the very best I can,

and I’m doing it at home, where it counts.

I refuse to take a second look

at corrupting people and degrading things.

I reject made-in-Canaan gods,

stay clear of contamination.

The crooked in heart keep their distance;

I refuse to shake hands with those who plan evil.

I put a gag on the gossip

who bad-mouths his neighbor;

I can’t stand

arrogance.

But I have my eye on salt-of-the-earth people—

they’re the ones I want working with me;

Men and women on the straight and narrow—

these are the ones I want at my side.

But no one who traffics in lies

gets a job with me; I have no patience with liars.

I’ve rounded up all the wicked like cattle

and herded them right out of the country.

I purged God’s city

of all who make a business of evil.