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Psalm 97-99
The Message
Psalm 97-99
The Message
97 God rules: there’s something to shout over!
On the double, mainlands and islands—celebrate!
2 Bright clouds and storm clouds circle ’round him;
Right and justice anchor his rule.
3 Fire blazes out before him,
Flaming high up the craggy mountains.
4 His lightnings light up the world;
Earth, wide-eyed, trembles in fear.
5 The mountains take one look at God
And melt, melt like wax before earth’s Lord.
6 The heavens announce that he’ll set everything right,
And everyone will see it happen—glorious!
7-8 All who serve handcrafted gods will be sorry—
And they were so proud of their ragamuffin gods!
On your knees, all you gods—worship him!
And Zion, you listen and take heart!
Daughters of Zion, sing your hearts out:
God has done it all, has set everything right.
9 You, God, are High God of the cosmos,
Far, far higher than any of the gods.
10 God loves all who hate evil,
And those who love him he keeps safe,
Snatches them from the grip of the wicked.
11 Light-seeds are planted in the souls of God’s people,
Joy-seeds are planted in good heart-soil.
12 So, God’s people, shout praise to God,
Give thanks to our Holy God!
98 Sing to God a brand-new song.
He’s made a world of wonders!
He rolled up his sleeves,
He set things right.
2 God made history with salvation,
He showed the world what he could do.
3 He remembered to love us, a bonus
To his dear family, Israel—indefatigable love.
The whole earth comes to attention.
Look—God’s work of salvation!
4 Shout your praises to God, everybody!
Let loose and sing! Strike up the band!
5 Round up an orchestra to play for God,
Add on a hundred-voice choir.
6 Feature trumpets and big trombones,
Fill the air with praises to King God.
7 Let the sea and its fish give a round of applause,
With everything living on earth joining in.
8 Let ocean breakers call out, “Encore!”
And mountains harmonize the finale—
9 A tribute to God when he comes,
When he comes to set the earth right.
He’ll straighten out the whole world,
He’ll put the world right, and everyone in it.
99 1-3 God 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.
4-5 Strong 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.
6-9 Moses 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.
Psalm 97-99
New International Version
Psalm 97-99
New International Version
Psalm 97
1 The Lord reigns,(A) let the earth be glad;(B)
let the distant shores(C) rejoice.
2 Clouds(D) and thick darkness(E) surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.(F)
3 Fire(G) goes before(H) him
and consumes(I) his foes on every side.
4 His lightning(J) lights up the world;
the earth(K) sees and trembles.(L)
5 The mountains melt(M) like wax(N) before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.(O)
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,(P)
and all peoples see his glory.(Q)
7 All who worship images(R) are put to shame,(S)
those who boast in idols(T)—
worship him,(U) all you gods!(V)
8 Zion hears and rejoices
and the villages of Judah are glad(W)
because of your judgments,(X) Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High(Y) over all the earth;(Z)
you are exalted(AA) far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,(AB)
for he guards(AC) the lives of his faithful ones(AD)
and delivers(AE) them from the hand of the wicked.(AF)
11 Light shines[a](AG) on the righteous(AH)
and joy on the upright in heart.(AI)
12 Rejoice in the Lord,(AJ) you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.(AK)
Psalm 98
A psalm.
1 Sing to the Lord(AL) a new song,(AM)
for he has done marvelous things;(AN)
his right hand(AO) and his holy arm(AP)
have worked salvation(AQ) for him.
2 The Lord has made his salvation known(AR)
and revealed his righteousness(AS) to the nations.(AT)
3 He has remembered(AU) his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth(AV) have seen
the salvation of our God.(AW)
4 Shout for joy(AX) to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,(AY)
with the harp and the sound of singing,(AZ)
6 with trumpets(BA) and the blast of the ram’s horn(BB)—
shout for joy(BC) before the Lord, the King.(BD)
7 Let the sea(BE) resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.(BF)
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,(BG)
let the mountains(BH) sing together for joy;
9 let them sing before the Lord,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness
and the peoples with equity.(BI)
Psalm 99
1 The Lord reigns,(BJ)
let the nations tremble;(BK)
he sits enthroned(BL) between the cherubim,(BM)
let the earth shake.
2 Great is the Lord(BN) in Zion;(BO)
he is exalted(BP) over all the nations.
3 Let them praise(BQ) your great and awesome name(BR)—
he is holy.(BS)
4 The King(BT) is mighty, he loves justice(BU)—
you have established equity;(BV)
in Jacob you have done
what is just and right.(BW)
5 Exalt(BX) the Lord our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.
Footnotes
- Psalm 97:11 One Hebrew manuscript and ancient versions (see also 112:4); most Hebrew manuscripts Light is sown
- Psalm 99:8 Or God, / an avenger of the wrongs done to them
Romans 16
The Message
Romans 16
The Message
16 1-2 Be sure to welcome our friend Phoebe in the way of the Master, with all the generous hospitality we Christians are famous for. I heartily endorse both her and her work. She’s a key representative of the church at Cenchrea. Help her out in whatever she asks. She deserves anything you can do for her. She’s helped many a person, including me.
3-5 Say hello to Priscilla and Aquila, who have worked hand in hand with me in serving Jesus. They once put their lives on the line for me. And I’m not the only one grateful to them. All the non-Jewish gatherings of believers also owe them plenty, to say nothing of the church that meets in their house.
Hello to my dear friend Epenetus. He was the very first follower of Jesus in the province of Asia.
6 Hello to Mary. What a worker she has turned out to be!
7 Hello to my cousins Andronicus and Junias. We once shared a jail cell. They were believers in Christ before I was. Both of them are outstanding leaders.
8 Hello to Ampliatus, my good friend in the family of God.
9 Hello to Urbanus, our companion in Christ’s work, and my good friend Stachys.
10 Hello to Apelles, a tried-and-true veteran in following Christ.
Hello to the family of Aristobulus.
11 Hello to my cousin Herodion.
Hello to those who belong to the Lord from the family of Narcissus.
12 Hello to Tryphena and Tryphosa—such diligent women in serving the Master.
Hello to Persis, a dear friend and hard worker in Christ.
13 Hello to Rufus—a good choice by the Master!—and his mother. She has also been a dear mother to me.
14 Hello to Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas, and also to all of their families.
15 Hello to Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas—and all the followers of Jesus who live with them.
16 Holy hugs all around! All the churches of Christ send their warmest greetings!
17-18 One final word of counsel, friends. Keep a sharp eye out for those who take bits and pieces of the teaching that you learned and then use them to make trouble. Give these people a wide berth. They have no intention of living for our Master Christ. They’re only in this for what they can get out of it, and aren’t above using pious sweet talk to dupe unsuspecting innocents.
19-20 And so while there has never been any question about your honesty in these matters—I couldn’t be more proud of you!—I want you also to be smart, making sure every “good” thing is the real thing. Don’t be gullible in regard to smooth-talking evil. Stay alert like this, and before you know it the God of peace will come down on Satan with both feet, stomping him into the dirt. Enjoy the best of Jesus!
21 And here are some more greetings from our end. Timothy, my partner in this work, Lucius, and my cousins Jason and Sosipater all said to tell you hello.
22 I, Tertius, who wrote this letter at Paul’s dictation, send you my personal greetings.
23 Gaius, who is host here to both me and the whole church, wants to be remembered to you.
Erastus, the city treasurer, and our good friend Quartus send their greetings.
25-26 All of our praise rises to the One who is strong enough to make you strong, exactly as preached in Jesus Christ, precisely as revealed in the mystery kept secret for so long but now an open book through the prophetic Scriptures. All the nations of the world can now know the truth and be brought into obedient belief, carrying out the orders of God, who got all this started, down to the final detail.
27 All our praise is focused through Jesus on this incomparably wise God! Yes!
Romans 16
New International Version
Romans 16
New International Version
Personal Greetings
16 I commend(A) to you our sister Phoebe, a deacon[a][b] of the church in Cenchreae.(B) 2 I ask you to receive her in the Lord(C) in a way worthy of his people(D) and to give her any help she may need from you, for she has been the benefactor of many people, including me.
3 Greet Priscilla[c] and Aquila,(E) my co-workers(F) in Christ Jesus.(G) 4 They risked their lives for me. Not only I but all the churches of the Gentiles are grateful to them.
5 Greet also the church that meets at their house.(H)
Greet my dear friend Epenetus, who was the first convert(I) to Christ in the province of Asia.(J)
6 Greet Mary, who worked very hard for you.
7 Greet Andronicus and Junia, my fellow Jews(K) who have been in prison with me.(L) They are outstanding among[d] the apostles, and they were in Christ(M) before I was.
8 Greet Ampliatus, my dear friend in the Lord.
9 Greet Urbanus, our co-worker in Christ,(N) and my dear friend Stachys.
10 Greet Apelles, whose fidelity to Christ has stood the test.(O)
Greet those who belong to the household(P) of Aristobulus.
11 Greet Herodion, my fellow Jew.(Q)
Greet those in the household(R) of Narcissus who are in the Lord.
12 Greet Tryphena and Tryphosa, those women who work hard in the Lord.
Greet my dear friend Persis, another woman who has worked very hard in the Lord.
13 Greet Rufus,(S) chosen(T) in the Lord, and his mother, who has been a mother to me, too.
14 Greet Asyncritus, Phlegon, Hermes, Patrobas, Hermas and the other brothers and sisters with them.
15 Greet Philologus, Julia, Nereus and his sister, and Olympas and all the Lord’s people(U) who are with them.(V)
16 Greet one another with a holy kiss.(W)
All the churches of Christ send greetings.
17 I urge you, brothers and sisters, to watch out for those who cause divisions and put obstacles in your way that are contrary to the teaching you have learned.(X) Keep away from them.(Y) 18 For such people are not serving our Lord Christ,(Z) but their own appetites.(AA) By smooth talk and flattery they deceive(AB) the minds of naive people. 19 Everyone has heard(AC) about your obedience, so I rejoice because of you; but I want you to be wise about what is good, and innocent about what is evil.(AD)
20 The God of peace(AE) will soon crush(AF) Satan(AG) under your feet.
The grace of our Lord Jesus be with you.(AH)
21 Timothy,(AI) my co-worker, sends his greetings to you, as do Lucius,(AJ) Jason(AK) and Sosipater, my fellow Jews.(AL)
22 I, Tertius, who wrote down this letter, greet you in the Lord.
23 Gaius,(AM) whose hospitality I and the whole church here enjoy, sends you his greetings.
Erastus,(AN) who is the city’s director of public works, and our brother Quartus send you their greetings. [24] [e]
25 Now to him who is able(AO) to establish you in accordance with my gospel,(AP) the message I proclaim about Jesus Christ, in keeping with the revelation of the mystery(AQ) hidden for long ages past, 26 but now revealed and made known through the prophetic writings(AR) by the command of the eternal God, so that all the Gentiles might come to the obedience that comes from[f] faith(AS)— 27 to the only wise God be glory forever through Jesus Christ! Amen.(AT)
Footnotes
- Romans 16:1 Or servant
- Romans 16:1 The word deacon refers here to a Christian designated to serve with the overseers/elders of the church in a variety of ways; similarly in Phil. 1:1 and 1 Tim. 3:8,12.
- Romans 16:3 Greek Prisca, a variant of Priscilla
- Romans 16:7 Or are esteemed by
- Romans 16:24 Some manuscripts include here May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with all of you. Amen.
- Romans 16:26 Or that is
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
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NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.