Psalm 96
Living Bible
96 Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing it everywhere around the world! 2 Sing out his praises! Bless his name. Each day tell someone that he saves.
3 Publish his glorious acts throughout the earth. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. 4 For the Lord is great beyond description and greatly to be praised. Worship only him among the gods! 5 For the gods of other nations are merely idols, but our God made the heavens! 6 Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty are in his Temple.
7 O nations of the world, confess that God alone is glorious and strong. 8 Give him the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come to worship him.[a] 9 Worship the Lord with the beauty of holy lives.[b] Let the earth tremble before him. 10 Tell the nations that Jehovah reigns! He rules the world. His power can never be overthrown. He will judge all nations fairly.
11 Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice; let the vastness of the roaring seas demonstrate his glory. 12 Praise him for the growing fields, for they display his greatness. Let the trees of the forest rustle with praise. 13 For the Lord is coming to judge the earth; he will judge the nations fairly and with truth!
Footnotes
- Psalm 96:8 come to worship him, literally, “enter his courts.”
- Psalm 96:9 with the beauty of holy lives, or “in the priestly robes.”
Psalm 105
Living Bible
105 Thank the Lord for all the glorious things he does; proclaim them to the nations. 2 Sing his praises and tell everyone about his miracles. 3 Glory in the Lord; O worshipers of God, rejoice.
4 Search for him and for his strength, and keep on searching!
5-6 Think of the mighty deeds he did for us, his chosen ones—descendants of God’s servant Abraham, and of Jacob. Remember how he destroyed our enemies. 7 He is the Lord our God. His goodness[a] is seen everywhere throughout the land. 8-9 Though a thousand generations pass he never forgets his promise, his covenant with Abraham and Isaac 10-11 and confirmed with Jacob. This is his never-ending treaty with the people of Israel: “I will give you the land of Canaan as your inheritance.” 12 He said this when they were but few in number, very few, and were only visitors in Canaan. 13 Later they were dispersed among the nations and were driven from one kingdom to another; 14 but through it all he would not let one thing be done to them apart from his decision.[b] He destroyed many a king who tried! 15 “Touch not these chosen ones of mine,” he warned, “and do not hurt my prophets.”
16 He called for a famine on the land of Canaan, cutting off its food supply. 17 Then he sent Joseph as a slave to Egypt to save his people from starvation. 18 There in prison they hurt his feet with fetters and placed his neck in an iron collar 19 until God’s time finally came—how God tested his patience! 20 Then the king sent for him and set him free. 21 He was put in charge of all the king’s possessions. 22 At his pleasure he could imprison the king’s aides and teach the king’s advisors.
23 Then Jacob (Israel) arrived in Egypt and lived there with his sons. 24 In the years that followed, the people of Israel multiplied explosively until they were a greater nation than their rulers. 25 At that point God turned the Egyptians against the Israelis; they hated and enslaved them.
26 But God sent Moses as his representative, and Aaron with him, 27 to call down miracles of terror upon the land of Egypt. 28 They[c] followed his instructions. He sent thick darkness through the land 29 and turned the nation’s water into blood, poisoning the fish. 30 Then frogs invaded in enormous numbers; they were found even in the king’s private rooms. 31 When Moses spoke, the flies and other insects swarmed in vast clouds from one end of Egypt to the other. 32 Instead of rain he sent down murderous hail, and lightning flashes overwhelmed the nation. 33 Their grapevines and fig trees were ruined; all the trees lay broken on the ground. 34 He spoke, and hordes of locusts came 35 and ate up everything green, destroying all the crops. 36 Then he killed the oldest child in each Egyptian home, their pride and joy— 37 and brought his people safely out from Egypt, loaded with silver and gold; there were no sick and feeble folk among them then. 38 Egypt was glad when they were gone, for the dread of them was great.
39 He spread out a cloud above them to shield them from the burning sun and gave them a pillar of flame at night to give them light. 40 They asked for meat, and he sent them quail and gave them manna—bread from heaven. 41 He opened up a rock, and water gushed out to form a river through the dry and barren land; 42 for he remembered his sacred promises to Abraham his servant.
43 So he brought his chosen ones singing into the Promised Land. 44 He gave them the lands of the Gentiles, complete with their growing crops; they ate what others planted. 45 This was done to make them faithful and obedient to his laws. Hallelujah!
Footnotes
- Psalm 105:7 His goodness, literally, “His judgments.”
- Psalm 105:14 he would not let one thing be done to them apart from his decision, literally, “he suffered no man to do them wrong.”
- Psalm 105:28 They, implied.
1 Chronicles 16:7-36
Living Bible
7 At that time David began the custom of using choirs in the Tabernacle to sing thanksgiving to the Lord. Asaph was the director of this choral group of priests.
8 “Oh, give thanks to the Lord and pray to him,” they sang.
“Tell the peoples of the world
About his mighty doings.
9 Sing to him; yes, sing his praises
And tell of his marvelous works.
10 Glory in his holy name;
Let all rejoice who seek the Lord.
11 Seek the Lord; yes, seek his strength
And seek his face untiringly.
12-13 O descendants of his servant Abraham,
O chosen sons of Jacob,
Remember his mighty miracles
And his marvelous miracles
And his authority:
14 He is the Lord our God!
His authority is seen throughout the earth.
15 Remember his covenant forever—
The words he commanded
To a thousand generations:
16 His agreement with Abraham,
And his oath to Isaac,
17 And his confirmation to Jacob.
He promised Israel
With an everlasting promise:
18 ‘I will give you the land of Canaan
As your inheritance.’
19 When Israel was few in number—oh, so few—
And merely strangers in the Promised Land;
20 When they wandered from country to country,
From one kingdom to another—
21 God didn’t let anyone harm them.
Even kings were killed who sought to hurt them.
22 ‘Don’t harm my chosen people,’ he declared.
‘These are my prophets—touch them not.’
23 Sing to the Lord, O Earth,
Declare each day that he is the one who saves!
24 Show his glory to the nations!
Tell everyone about his miracles.
25 For the Lord is great and should be highly praised;
He is to be held in awe above all gods.
26 The other so-called gods are demons,
But the Lord made the heavens.
27 Majesty and honor march before him,
Strength and gladness walk beside him.
28 O people of all nations of the earth,
Ascribe great strength and glory to his name!
29 Yes, ascribe to the Lord
The glory due his name!
Bring an offering and come before him;
Worship the Lord when clothed with holiness!
30 Tremble before him, all the earth!
The world stands unmoved.
31 Let the heavens be glad, the earth rejoice;
Let all the nations say, ‘It is the Lord who reigns.’
32 Let the vast seas roar,
Let the countryside and everything in it rejoice!
33 Let the trees in the woods sing for joy before the Lord,
For he comes to judge the earth.
34 Oh, give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
His love and his kindness go on forever.
35 Cry out to him, ‘Oh, save us, God of our salvation;
Bring us safely back from among the nations.
Then we will thank your holy name,
And triumph in your praise.’
36 Blessed be Jehovah, God of Israel,
Forever and forevermore.”
And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.
Read full chapterThe Living Bible copyright © 1971 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
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