Psalm 97
Holman Christian Standard Bible
Psalm 97
The Majestic King
1 The Lord reigns! Let the earth rejoice;
let the many coasts and islands be glad.(A)
2 Clouds and thick darkness surround Him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of His throne.(B)
3 Fire goes before Him
and burns up His foes on every side.(C)
4 His lightning lights up the world;
the earth sees and trembles.(D)
5 The mountains melt like wax
at the presence of the Lord—
at the presence of the Lord of all the earth.(E)
7 All who serve carved images,
those who boast in idols, will be put to shame.(H)
All the gods[a] must worship Him.(I)
8 Zion hears and is glad,
and the towns[b] of Judah rejoice
because of Your judgments, Lord.(J)
9 For You, Lord,
are the Most High over all the earth;
You are exalted above all the gods.(K)
10 You who love the Lord, hate evil!(L)
He protects the lives of His godly ones;(M)
He rescues them from the power of the wicked.(N)
11 Light dawns[c][d] for the righteous,
gladness for the upright in heart.(O)
12 Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous ones,
and praise His holy name.[e](P)
Footnotes
- Psalm 97:7 LXX, Syr read All His angels; Heb 1:6
- Psalm 97:8 Lit daughters
- Psalm 97:11 One Hb ms, LXX, some ancient versions read rises to shine; Ps 112:4
- Psalm 97:11 Lit Light is sown
- Psalm 97:12 Or memory, of His holiness; lit praise the mention
Psalm 97
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!
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Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson