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Psalm 95-103
The Message
Psalm 95-103
The Message
95 1-2 Come, let’s shout praises to God,
raise the roof for the Rock who saved us!
Let’s march into his presence singing praises,
lifting the rafters with our hymns!
3-5 And why? Because God is the best,
High King over all the gods.
In one hand he holds deep caves and caverns,
in the other hand grasps the high mountains.
He made Ocean—he owns it!
His hands sculpted Earth!
6-7 So come, let us worship: bow before him,
on your knees before God, who made us!
Oh yes, he’s our God,
and we’re the people he pastures, the flock he feeds.
7-11 Drop everything and listen, listen as he speaks:
“Don’t turn a deaf ear as in the Bitter Uprising,
As on the day of the Wilderness Test,
when your ancestors turned and put me to the test.
For forty years they watched me at work among them,
as over and over they tried my patience.
And I was provoked—oh, was I provoked!
‘Can’t they keep their minds on God for five minutes?
Do they simply refuse to walk down my road?’
Exasperated, I exploded,
‘They’ll never get where they’re headed,
never be able to sit down and rest.’”
96 1-2 Sing God a brand-new song!
Earth and everyone in it, sing!
Sing to God—worship God!
2-3 Shout the news of his victory from sea to sea,
Take the news of his glory to the lost,
News of his wonders to one and all!
4-5 For God is great, and worth a thousand Hallelujahs.
His furious beauty puts the other gods to shame;
Pagan gods are mere tatters and rags.
5-6 God made the heavens—
Royal splendor radiates from him,
A powerful beauty sets him apart.
7 Bravo, God, Bravo!
Everyone join in the great shout: Encore!
In awe before the beauty, in awe before the might.
8-9 Bring gifts and celebrate,
Bow before the beauty of God,
Then to your knees—everyone worship!
10 Get out the message—God Rules!
He put the world on a firm foundation;
He treats everyone fair and square.
11 Let’s hear it from Sky,
With Earth joining in,
And a huge round of applause from Sea.
12 Let Wilderness turn cartwheels,
Animals, come dance,
Put every tree of the forest in the choir—
13 An extravaganza before God as he comes,
As he comes to set everything right on earth,
Set everything right, treat everyone fair.
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.
100 1-2 On your feet now—applaud God!
Bring a gift of laughter,
sing yourselves into his presence.
3 Know this: God is God, and God, God.
He made us; we didn’t make him.
We’re his people, his well-tended sheep.
4 Enter with the password: “Thank you!”
Make yourselves at home, talking praise.
Thank him. Worship him.
5 For God is sheer beauty,
all-generous in love,
loyal always and ever.
101 1-8 My 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.
102 1-2 God, listen! Listen to my prayer,
listen to the pain in my cries.
Don’t turn your back on me
just when I need you so desperately.
Pay attention! This is a cry for help!
And hurry—this can’t wait!
3-11 I’m wasting away to nothing,
I’m burning up with fever.
I’m a ghost of my former self,
half-consumed already by terminal illness.
My jaws ache from gritting my teeth;
I’m nothing but skin and bones.
I’m like a buzzard in the desert,
a crow perched on the rubble.
Insomniac, I twitter away,
mournful as a sparrow in the gutter.
All day long my enemies taunt me,
while others just curse.
They bring in meals—casseroles of ashes!
I draw drink from a barrel of my tears.
And all because of your furious anger;
you swept me up and threw me out.
There’s nothing left of me—
a withered weed, swept clean from the path.
12-17 Yet you, God, are sovereign still,
always and ever sovereign.
You’ll get up from your throne and help Zion—
it’s time for compassionate help.
Oh, how your servants love this city’s rubble
and weep with compassion over its dust!
The godless nations will sit up and take notice
—see your glory, worship your name—
When God rebuilds Zion,
when he shows up in all his glory,
When he attends to the prayer of the wretched.
He won’t dismiss their prayer.
18-22 Write this down for the next generation
so people not yet born will praise God:
“God looked out from his high holy place;
from heaven he surveyed the earth.
He listened to the groans of the doomed,
he opened the doors of their death cells.”
Write it so the story can be told in Zion,
so God’s praise will be sung in Jerusalem’s streets
And wherever people gather together
along with their rulers to worship him.
23-28 God sovereignly brought me to my knees,
he cut me down in my prime.
“Oh, don’t,” I prayed, “please don’t let me die.
You have more years than you know what to do with!
You laid earth’s foundations a long time ago,
and handcrafted the very heavens;
You’ll still be around when they’re long gone,
threadbare and discarded like an old suit of clothes.
You’ll throw them away like a worn-out coat,
but year after year you’re as good as new.
Your servants’ children will have a good place to live
and their children will be at home with you.”
103 1-2 O my soul, bless God.
From head to toe, I’ll bless his holy name!
O my soul, bless God,
don’t forget a single blessing!
3-5 He forgives your sins—every one.
He heals your diseases—every one.
He redeems you from hell—saves your life!
He crowns you with love and mercy—a paradise crown.
He wraps you in goodness—beauty eternal.
He renews your youth—you’re always young in his presence.
6-18 God makes everything come out right;
he puts victims back on their feet.
He showed Moses how he went about his work,
opened up his plans to all Israel.
God is sheer mercy and grace;
not easily angered, he’s rich in love.
He doesn’t endlessly nag and scold,
nor hold grudges forever.
He doesn’t treat us as our sins deserve,
nor pay us back in full for our wrongs.
As high as heaven is over the earth,
so strong is his love to those who fear him.
And as far as sunrise is from sunset,
he has separated us from our sins.
As parents feel for their children,
God feels for those who fear him.
He knows us inside and out,
keeps in mind that we’re made of mud.
Men and women don’t live very long;
like wildflowers they spring up and blossom,
But a storm snuffs them out just as quickly,
leaving nothing to show they were here.
God’s love, though, is ever and always,
eternally present to all who fear him,
Making everything right for them and their children
as they follow his Covenant ways
and remember to do whatever he said.
19-22 God has set his throne in heaven;
he rules over us all. He’s the King!
So bless God, you angels,
ready and able to fly at his bidding,
quick to hear and do what he says.
Bless God, all you armies of angels,
alert to respond to whatever he wills.
Bless God, all creatures, wherever you are—
everything and everyone made by God.
And you, O my soul, bless God!
Psalm 95-103
New International Version
Psalm 95-103
New International Version
Psalm 95
1 Come,(A) let us sing for joy(B) to the Lord;
let us shout aloud(C) to the Rock(D) of our salvation.
2 Let us come before him(E) with thanksgiving(F)
and extol him with music(G) and song.
3 For the Lord is the great God,(H)
the great King(I) above all gods.(J)
4 In his hand are the depths of the earth,(K)
and the mountain peaks belong to him.
5 The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands formed the dry land.(L)
6 Come, let us bow down(M) in worship,(N)
let us kneel(O) before the Lord our Maker;(P)
7 for he is our God
and we are the people of his pasture,(Q)
the flock under his care.
Today, if only you would hear his voice,
8 “Do not harden your hearts(R) as you did at Meribah,[a](S)
as you did that day at Massah[b] in the wilderness,(T)
9 where your ancestors tested(U) me;
they tried me, though they had seen what I did.
10 For forty years(V) I was angry with that generation;
I said, ‘They are a people whose hearts go astray,(W)
and they have not known my ways.’(X)
11 So I declared on oath(Y) in my anger,
‘They shall never enter my rest.’”(Z)
Psalm 96(AA)
1 Sing to the Lord(AB) a new song;(AC)
sing to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Sing to the Lord, praise his name;(AD)
proclaim his salvation(AE) day after day.
3 Declare his glory(AF) among the nations,
his marvelous deeds(AG) among all peoples.
4 For great is the Lord and most worthy of praise;(AH)
he is to be feared(AI) above all gods.(AJ)
5 For all the gods of the nations are idols,(AK)
but the Lord made the heavens.(AL)
6 Splendor and majesty(AM) are before him;
strength and glory(AN) are in his sanctuary.
7 Ascribe to the Lord,(AO) all you families of nations,(AP)
ascribe to the Lord glory and strength.
8 Ascribe to the Lord the glory due his name;
bring an offering(AQ) and come into his courts.(AR)
9 Worship the Lord(AS) in the splendor of his[c] holiness;(AT)
tremble(AU) before him, all the earth.(AV)
10 Say among the nations, “The Lord reigns.(AW)”
The world is firmly established,(AX) it cannot be moved;(AY)
he will judge(AZ) the peoples with equity.(BA)
11 Let the heavens rejoice,(BB) let the earth be glad;(BC)
let the sea resound, and all that is in it.
12 Let the fields be jubilant, and everything in them;
let all the trees of the forest(BD) sing for joy.(BE)
13 Let all creation rejoice before the Lord, for he comes,
he comes to judge(BF) the earth.
He will judge the world in righteousness(BG)
and the peoples in his faithfulness.(BH)
Psalm 97
1 The Lord reigns,(BI) let the earth be glad;(BJ)
let the distant shores(BK) rejoice.
2 Clouds(BL) and thick darkness(BM) surround him;
righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne.(BN)
3 Fire(BO) goes before(BP) him
and consumes(BQ) his foes on every side.
4 His lightning(BR) lights up the world;
the earth(BS) sees and trembles.(BT)
5 The mountains melt(BU) like wax(BV) before the Lord,
before the Lord of all the earth.(BW)
6 The heavens proclaim his righteousness,(BX)
and all peoples see his glory.(BY)
7 All who worship images(BZ) are put to shame,(CA)
those who boast in idols(CB)—
worship him,(CC) all you gods!(CD)
8 Zion hears and rejoices
and the villages of Judah are glad(CE)
because of your judgments,(CF) Lord.
9 For you, Lord, are the Most High(CG) over all the earth;(CH)
you are exalted(CI) far above all gods.
10 Let those who love the Lord hate evil,(CJ)
for he guards(CK) the lives of his faithful ones(CL)
and delivers(CM) them from the hand of the wicked.(CN)
11 Light shines[d](CO) on the righteous(CP)
and joy on the upright in heart.(CQ)
12 Rejoice in the Lord,(CR) you who are righteous,
and praise his holy name.(CS)
Psalm 98
A psalm.
1 Sing to the Lord(CT) a new song,(CU)
for he has done marvelous things;(CV)
his right hand(CW) and his holy arm(CX)
have worked salvation(CY) for him.
2 The Lord has made his salvation known(CZ)
and revealed his righteousness(DA) to the nations.(DB)
3 He has remembered(DC) his love
and his faithfulness to Israel;
all the ends of the earth(DD) have seen
the salvation of our God.(DE)
4 Shout for joy(DF) to the Lord, all the earth,
burst into jubilant song with music;
5 make music to the Lord with the harp,(DG)
with the harp and the sound of singing,(DH)
6 with trumpets(DI) and the blast of the ram’s horn(DJ)—
shout for joy(DK) before the Lord, the King.(DL)
7 Let the sea(DM) resound, and everything in it,
the world, and all who live in it.(DN)
8 Let the rivers clap their hands,(DO)
let the mountains(DP) 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.(DQ)
Psalm 99
1 The Lord reigns,(DR)
let the nations tremble;(DS)
he sits enthroned(DT) between the cherubim,(DU)
let the earth shake.
2 Great is the Lord(DV) in Zion;(DW)
he is exalted(DX) over all the nations.
3 Let them praise(DY) your great and awesome name(DZ)—
he is holy.(EA)
4 The King(EB) is mighty, he loves justice(EC)—
you have established equity;(ED)
in Jacob you have done
what is just and right.(EE)
5 Exalt(EF) the Lord our God
and worship at his footstool;
he is holy.
6 Moses(EG) and Aaron(EH) were among his priests,
Samuel(EI) was among those who called on his name;
they called on the Lord
and he answered(EJ) them.
7 He spoke to them from the pillar of cloud;(EK)
they kept his statutes and the decrees he gave them.
8 Lord our God,
you answered them;
you were to Israel a forgiving God,(EL)
though you punished(EM) their misdeeds.[e]
9 Exalt the Lord our God
and worship at his holy mountain,
for the Lord our God is holy.
Psalm 100
A psalm. For giving grateful praise.
1 Shout for joy(EN) to the Lord, all the earth.
2 Worship the Lord(EO) with gladness;
come before him(EP) with joyful songs.
3 Know that the Lord is God.(EQ)
It is he who made us,(ER) and we are his[f];
we are his people,(ES) the sheep of his pasture.(ET)
4 Enter his gates with thanksgiving(EU)
and his courts(EV) with praise;
give thanks to him and praise his name.(EW)
5 For the Lord is good(EX) and his love endures forever;(EY)
his faithfulness(EZ) continues through all generations.
Psalm 101
Of David. A psalm.
1 I will sing of your love(FA) and justice;
to you, Lord, I will sing praise.
2 I will be careful to lead a blameless life(FB)—
when will you come to me?
I will conduct the affairs(FC) of my house
with a blameless heart.
3 I will not look with approval
on anything that is vile.(FD)
I hate what faithless people do;(FE)
I will have no part in it.
4 The perverse of heart(FF) shall be far from me;
I will have nothing to do with what is evil.
5 Whoever slanders their neighbor(FG) in secret,
I will put to silence;
whoever has haughty eyes(FH) and a proud heart,
I will not tolerate.
6 My eyes will be on the faithful in the land,
that they may dwell with me;
the one whose walk is blameless(FI)
will minister to me.
7 No one who practices deceit
will dwell in my house;
no one who speaks falsely
will stand in my presence.
8 Every morning(FJ) I will put to silence
all the wicked(FK) in the land;
I will cut off every evildoer(FL)
from the city of the Lord.(FM)
Psalm 102[g]
A prayer of an afflicted person who has grown weak and pours out a lament before the Lord.
1 Hear my prayer,(FN) Lord;
let my cry for help(FO) come to you.
2 Do not hide your face(FP) from me
when I am in distress.
Turn your ear(FQ) to me;
when I call, answer me quickly.
3 For my days vanish like smoke;(FR)
my bones(FS) burn like glowing embers.
4 My heart is blighted and withered like grass;(FT)
I forget to eat my food.(FU)
5 In my distress I groan aloud(FV)
and am reduced to skin and bones.
6 I am like a desert owl,(FW)
like an owl among the ruins.
7 I lie awake;(FX) I have become
like a bird alone(FY) on a roof.
8 All day long my enemies(FZ) taunt me;(GA)
those who rail against me use my name as a curse.(GB)
9 For I eat ashes(GC) as my food
and mingle my drink with tears(GD)
10 because of your great wrath,(GE)
for you have taken me up and thrown me aside.
11 My days are like the evening shadow;(GF)
I wither(GG) away like grass.
12 But you, Lord, sit enthroned forever;(GH)
your renown endures(GI) through all generations.(GJ)
13 You will arise(GK) and have compassion(GL) on Zion,
for it is time(GM) to show favor(GN) to her;
the appointed time(GO) has come.
14 For her stones are dear to your servants;
her very dust moves them to pity.
15 The nations will fear(GP) the name of the Lord,
all the kings(GQ) of the earth will revere your glory.
16 For the Lord will rebuild Zion(GR)
and appear in his glory.(GS)
17 He will respond to the prayer(GT) of the destitute;
he will not despise their plea.
18 Let this be written(GU) for a future generation,
that a people not yet created(GV) may praise the Lord:
19 “The Lord looked down(GW) from his sanctuary on high,
from heaven he viewed the earth,
20 to hear the groans of the prisoners(GX)
and release those condemned to death.”
21 So the name of the Lord will be declared(GY) in Zion
and his praise(GZ) in Jerusalem
22 when the peoples and the kingdoms
assemble to worship(HA) the Lord.
23 In the course of my life[h] he broke my strength;
he cut short my days.(HB)
24 So I said:
“Do not take me away, my God, in the midst of my days;
your years go on(HC) through all generations.
25 In the beginning(HD) you laid the foundations of the earth,
and the heavens(HE) are the work of your hands.(HF)
26 They will perish,(HG) but you remain;
they will all wear out like a garment.
Like clothing you will change them
and they will be discarded.
27 But you remain the same,(HH)
and your years will never end.(HI)
28 The children of your servants(HJ) will live in your presence;
their descendants(HK) will be established before you.”
Psalm 103
Of David.
1 Praise the Lord,(HL) my soul;(HM)
all my inmost being, praise his holy name.(HN)
2 Praise the Lord,(HO) my soul,
and forget not(HP) all his benefits—
3 who forgives all your sins(HQ)
and heals(HR) all your diseases,
4 who redeems your life(HS) from the pit
and crowns you with love and compassion,(HT)
5 who satisfies(HU) your desires with good things
so that your youth is renewed(HV) like the eagle’s.(HW)
7 He made known(HZ) his ways(IA) to Moses,
his deeds(IB) to the people of Israel:
8 The Lord is compassionate and gracious,(IC)
slow to anger, abounding in love.
9 He will not always accuse,
nor will he harbor his anger forever;(ID)
10 he does not treat us as our sins deserve(IE)
or repay us according to our iniquities.
11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth,
so great is his love(IF) for those who fear him;(IG)
12 as far as the east is from the west,
so far has he removed our transgressions(IH) from us.
13 As a father has compassion(II) on his children,
so the Lord has compassion on those who fear him;
14 for he knows how we are formed,(IJ)
he remembers that we are dust.(IK)
15 The life of mortals is like grass,(IL)
they flourish like a flower(IM) of the field;
16 the wind blows(IN) over it and it is gone,
and its place(IO) remembers it no more.
17 But from everlasting to everlasting
the Lord’s love is with those who fear him,
and his righteousness with their children’s children(IP)—
18 with those who keep his covenant(IQ)
and remember(IR) to obey his precepts.(IS)
20 Praise the Lord,(IV) you his angels,(IW)
you mighty ones(IX) who do his bidding,(IY)
who obey his word.
21 Praise the Lord, all his heavenly hosts,(IZ)
you his servants(JA) who do his will.
22 Praise the Lord, all his works(JB)
everywhere in his dominion.
Praise the Lord, my soul.(JC)
Footnotes
- Psalm 95:8 Meribah means quarreling.
- Psalm 95:8 Massah means testing.
- Psalm 96:9 Or Lord with the splendor of
- 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
- Psalm 100:3 Or and not we ourselves
- Psalm 102:1 In Hebrew texts 102:1-28 is numbered 102:2-29.
- Psalm 102:23 Or By his power
The Message (MSG)
Copyright © 1993, 2002, 2018 by Eugene H. Peterson
New International Version (NIV) 
Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV® Copyright ©1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
NIV Reverse Interlinear Bible: English to Hebrew and English to Greek. Copyright © 2019 by Zondervan.