Psalm 97:1–99:9

A Hymn About the Lord’s Power

97The Lord is king. Let the earth rejoice;

faraway lands should be glad.

²Thick, dark clouds surround him.

His kingdom is built on what is right and fair.

³A fire goes before him

and burns up his enemies all around.

⁴His lightning lights up the world;

when the people see it, they tremble.

⁵The mountains melt like wax before the Lord,

before the Lord of all the earth.

⁶The heavens tell about his goodness,

and all the people see his glory.

⁷Those who worship idols should be ashamed;

they brag about their gods.

All the gods should worship the Lord.

⁸When Jerusalem hears this, she is glad,

and the towns of Judah rejoice.

They are happy because of your judgments, Lord.

⁹You are the Lord Most High over all the earth;

you are supreme over all gods.

¹⁰People who love the Lord hate evil.

The Lord watches over those who follow him

and frees them from the power of the wicked.

¹¹Light shines on those who do right;

joy belongs to those who are honest.

¹²Rejoice in the Lord, you who do right.

Praise his holy name.

The Lord of Power and Justice

A psalm.

98Sing to the Lord a new song,

because he has done miracles.

By his right hand and holy arm

he has won the victory.

²The Lord has made known his power to save;

he has shown the other nations his victory for his people.

³He has remembered his love

and his loyalty to the people of Israel.

All the ends of the earth have seen

God’s power to save.

⁴Shout with joy to the Lord, all the earth;

burst into songs and make music.

⁵Make music to the Lord with harps,

with harps and the sound of singing.

⁶Blow the trumpets and the sheep’s horns;

shout for joy to the Lord the King.

⁷Let the sea and everything in it shout;

let the world and everyone in it sing.

⁸Let the rivers clap their hands;

let the mountains sing together for joy.

⁹Let them sing before the Lord,

because he is coming to judge the world.

He will judge the world fairly;

he will judge the peoples with fairness.

The Lord, the Fair and Holy King

99The Lord is king.

Let the peoples shake with fear.

He sits between the gold creatures with wings.

Let the earth shake.

²The Lord in Jerusalem is great;

he is supreme over all the peoples.

³Let them praise your name;

it is great, holy and to be feared.

⁴The King is powerful and loves justice.

Lord, you made things fair;

you have done what is fair and right

for the people of Jacob.

⁵Praise the Lord our God,

and worship at the Temple, his footstool.

He is holy.

⁶Moses and Aaron were among his priests,

and Samuel was among his worshipers.

They called to the Lord,

and he answered them.

⁷He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud.

They kept the rules and laws he gave them.

⁸Lord our God, you answered them.

You showed them that you are a forgiving God,

but you punished them for their wrongs.

⁹Praise the Lord our God,

and worship at his holy mountain,

because the Lord our God is holy.