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Psalm 96

Sing a new song to the Lord!
    Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
Sing to the Lord; praise his name.
    Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
    Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
    He is to be feared above all gods.
The gods of other nations are mere idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens!
Honor and majesty surround him;
    strength and beauty fill his sanctuary.

O nations of the world, recognize the Lord;
    recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his courts.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
    Let all the earth tremble before him.
10 Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
    The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.
    He will judge all peoples fairly.

11 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
    Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
12 Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
    Let the trees of the forest sing for joy
13 before the Lord, for he is coming!
    He is coming to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with justice,
    and the nations with his truth.

96 Sing a new song to the Lord! Sing it everywhere around the world! Sing out his praises! Bless his name. Each day tell someone that he saves.

Publish his glorious acts throughout the earth. Tell everyone about the amazing things he does. For the Lord is great beyond description and greatly to be praised. Worship only him among the gods! For the gods of other nations are merely idols, but our God made the heavens! Honor and majesty surround him; strength and beauty are in his Temple.

O nations of the world, confess that God alone is glorious and strong. Give him the glory he deserves! Bring your offering and come to worship him.[a] 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

  1. Psalm 96:8 come to worship him, literally, “enter his courts.”
  2. Psalm 96:9 with the beauty of holy lives, or “in the priestly robes.”

Psalm 105

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
    Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
    Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
Exult in his holy name;
    rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
Search for the Lord and for his strength;
    continually seek him.
Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
you children of his servant Abraham,
    you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

He is the Lord our God.
    His justice is seen throughout the land.
He always stands by his covenant—
    the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
This is the covenant he made with Abraham
    and the oath he swore to Isaac.
10 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
11 “I will give you the land of Canaan
    as your special possession.”

12 He said this when they were few in number,
    a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
13 They wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
14 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
    He warned kings on their behalf:
15 “Do not touch my chosen people,
    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 someone to Egypt ahead of them—
    Joseph, who was sold as a slave.
18 They bruised his feet with fetters
    and placed his neck in an iron collar.
19 Until the time came to fulfill his dreams,[a]
    the Lord tested Joseph’s character.
20 Then Pharaoh sent for him and set him free;
    the ruler of the nation opened his prison door.
21 Joseph was put in charge of all the king’s household;
    he became ruler over all the king’s possessions.
22 He could instruct[b] the king’s aides as he pleased
    and teach the king’s advisers.

23 Then Israel arrived in Egypt;
    Jacob lived as a foreigner in the land of Ham.
24 And the Lord multiplied the people of Israel
    until they became too mighty for their enemies.
25 Then he turned the Egyptians against the Israelites,
    and they plotted against the Lord’s servants.

26 But the Lord sent his servant Moses,
    along with Aaron, whom he had chosen.
27 They performed miraculous signs among the Egyptians,
    and wonders in the land of Ham.
28 The Lord blanketed Egypt in darkness,
    for they had defied[c] his commands to let his people go.
29 He turned their water into blood,
    poisoning all the fish.
30 Then frogs overran the land
    and even invaded the king’s bedrooms.
31 When the Lord spoke, flies descended on the Egyptians,
    and gnats swarmed across Egypt.
32 He sent them hail instead of rain,
    and lightning flashed over the land.
33 He ruined their grapevines and fig trees
    and shattered all the trees.
34 He spoke, and hordes of locusts came—
    young locusts beyond number.
35 They ate up everything green in the land,
    destroying all the crops in their fields.
36 Then he killed the oldest son in each Egyptian home,
    the pride and joy of each family.

37 The Lord brought his people out of Egypt, loaded with silver and gold;
    and not one among the tribes of Israel even stumbled.
38 Egypt was glad when they were gone,
    for they feared them greatly.
39 The Lord spread a cloud above them as a covering
    and gave them a great fire to light the darkness.
40 They asked for meat, and he sent them quail;
    he satisfied their hunger with manna—bread from heaven.
41 He split open a rock, and water gushed out
    to form a river through the dry wasteland.
42 For he remembered his sacred promise
    to his servant Abraham.
43 So he brought his people out of Egypt with joy,
    his chosen ones with rejoicing.
44 He gave his people the lands of pagan nations,
    and they harvested crops that others had planted.
45 All this happened so they would follow his decrees
    and obey his instructions.

Praise the Lord!

Footnotes

  1. 105:19 Hebrew his word.
  2. 105:22 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads bind or imprison.
  3. 105:28 As in Greek and Syriac versions; Hebrew reads had not defied.

105 Thank the Lord for all the glorious things he does; proclaim them to the nations. Sing his praises and tell everyone about his miracles. Glory in the Lord; O worshipers of God, rejoice.

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. 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

  1. Psalm 105:7 His goodness, literally, “His judgments.”
  2. 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.”
  3. Psalm 105:28 They, implied.

David’s Song of Praise

On that day David gave to Asaph and his fellow Levites this song of thanksgiving to the Lord:

Give thanks to the Lord and proclaim his greatness.
    Let the whole world know what he has done.
Sing to him; yes, sing his praises.
    Tell everyone about his wonderful deeds.
10 Exult in his holy name;
    rejoice, you who worship the Lord.
11 Search for the Lord and for his strength;
    continually seek him.
12 Remember the wonders he has performed,
    his miracles, and the rulings he has given,
13 you children of his servant Israel,
    you descendants of Jacob, his chosen ones.

14 He is the Lord our God.
    His justice is seen throughout the land.
15 Remember his covenant forever—
    the commitment he made to a thousand generations.
16 This is the covenant he made with Abraham
    and the oath he swore to Isaac.
17 He confirmed it to Jacob as a decree,
    and to the people of Israel as a never-ending covenant:
18 “I will give you the land of Canaan
    as your special possession.”

19 He said this when you were few in number,
    a tiny group of strangers in Canaan.
20 They wandered from nation to nation,
    from one kingdom to another.
21 Yet he did not let anyone oppress them.
    He warned kings on their behalf:
22 “Do not touch my chosen people,
    and do not hurt my prophets.”

23 Let the whole earth sing to the Lord!
    Each day proclaim the good news that he saves.
24 Publish his glorious deeds among the nations.
    Tell everyone about the amazing things he does.
25 Great is the Lord! He is most worthy of praise!
    He is to be feared above all gods.
26 The gods of other nations are mere idols,
    but the Lord made the heavens!
27 Honor and majesty surround him;
    strength and joy fill his dwelling.

28 O nations of the world, recognize the Lord,
    recognize that the Lord is glorious and strong.
29 Give to the Lord the glory he deserves!
    Bring your offering and come into his presence.
Worship the Lord in all his holy splendor.
30     Let all the earth tremble before him.
    The world stands firm and cannot be shaken.

31 Let the heavens be glad, and the earth rejoice!
    Tell all the nations, “The Lord reigns!”
32 Let the sea and everything in it shout his praise!
    Let the fields and their crops burst out with joy!
33 Let the trees of the forest sing for joy before the Lord,
    for he is coming to judge the earth.

34 Give thanks to the Lord, for he is good!
    His faithful love endures forever.
35 Cry out, “Save us, O God of our salvation!
    Gather and rescue us from among the nations,
so we can thank your holy name
    and rejoice and praise you.”

36 Praise the Lord, the God of Israel,
    who lives from everlasting to everlasting!

And all the people shouted “Amen!” and praised the Lord.

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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.

“Oh, give thanks to the Lord and pray to him,” they sang.

“Tell the peoples of the world

About his mighty doings.

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.

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