A Song of Praise

961 Sing to Yahweh a new song!
Sing to Yahweh, all the earth. 2 Sing to Yahweh!
Bless his name!
Proclaim his salvation from day to day! 3 Declare his glory among the nations,
his marvelous works among all the peoples. 4 For great is Yahweh, and greatly to be praised!
He is to be feared above all gods. 5 For all the gods of the peoples are idols,
but Yahweh made the heavens. 6 Honor and majesty are before him.
Strength and beauty are in his sanctuary. 7 Ascribe to Yahweh, you families of nations,
ascribe to Yahweh glory and strength. 8 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name.
Bring an offering, and come into his courts. 9 Worship Yahweh in holy array.
Tremble before him, all the earth.

10 Say among the nations, “Yahweh reigns.”
The world is also established.
It can’t be moved.
He will judge the peoples with equity. 11 Let the heavens be glad, and let the earth rejoice.
Let the sea roar, and its fullness! 12 Let the field and all that is in it exult!
Then all the trees of the woods shall sing for joy 13 before Yahweh; for he comes,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
the peoples with his truth.

The LORD's Dominion and Power

971 Yahweh reigns!
Let the earth rejoice!
Let the multitude of islands be glad! 2 Clouds and darkness are around him.
Righteousness and justice are the foundation of his throne. 3 A fire goes before him,
and burns up his adversaries on every side. 4 His lightning lights up the world.
The earth sees, and trembles. 5 The mountains melt like wax at the presence of Yahweh,
at the presence of the Lord of the whole earth. 6 The heavens declare his righteousness.
All the peoples have seen his glory. 7 Let all them be shamed who serve engraved images,
who boast in their idols.
Worship him, all you gods!

8 Zion heard and was glad.
The daughters of Judah rejoiced,
because of your judgments, Yahweh. 9 For you, Yahweh, are most high above all the earth.
You are exalted far above all gods. 10 You who love Yahweh, hate evil.
He preserves the souls of his saints.
He delivers them out of the hand of the wicked. 11 Light is sown for the righteous,
and gladness for the upright in heart. 12 Be glad in Yahweh, you righteous people!
Give thanks to his holy Name.

Praise for God's Righteousness

981 Sing to Yahweh a new song,
for he has done marvelous things!
His right hand, and his holy arm, have worked salvation for him. 2 Yahweh has made known his salvation.
He has openly shown his righteousness in the sight of the nations. 3 He has remembered his loving kindness and his faithfulness toward the house of Israel.
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.

4 Make a joyful noise to Yahweh, all the earth!
Burst out and sing for joy, yes, sing praises! 5 Sing praises to Yahweh with the harp,
with the harp and the voice of melody. 6 With trumpets and sound of the ram’s horn,
make a joyful noise before the King, Yahweh. 7 Let the sea roar with its fullness;
the world, and those who dwell therein. 8 Let the rivers clap their hands.
Let the mountains sing for joy together. 9 Let them sing before Yahweh,
for he comes to judge the earth.
He will judge the world with righteousness,
and the peoples with equity.

The LORD's Faithfulness to Israel

991 Yahweh reigns! Let the peoples tremble.
He sits enthroned among the cherubim.
Let the earth be moved. 2 Yahweh is great in Zion.
He is high above all the peoples. 3 Let them praise your great and awesome name.
He is Holy! 4 The King’s strength also loves justice.
You do establish equity.
You execute justice and righteousness in Jacob. 5 Exalt Yahweh our God.
Worship at his footstool.
He is Holy!

6 Moses and Aaron were among his priests,
Samuel among those who call on his name;
they called on Yahweh, and he answered them. 7 He spoke to them in the pillar of cloud.
They kept his testimonies,
the statute that he gave them. 8 You answered them, Yahweh our God.
You are a God who forgave them,
although you took vengeance for their doings. 9 Exalt Yahweh, our God.
Worship at his holy hill,
for Yahweh, our God, is holy!

An Exhortation to Thanksgiving

1001 Shout for joy to Yahweh, all you lands! 2 Serve Yahweh with gladness.
Come before his presence with singing. 3 Know that Yahweh, he is God.
It is he who has made us, and we are his.
We are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. 4 Enter into his gates with thanksgiving,
into his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him, and bless his name. 5 For Yahweh is good.
His loving kindness endures forever,
his faithfulness to all generations.

A Pledge to Live Righteously

1011 I will sing of loving kindness and justice.
To you, Yahweh, I will sing praises. 2 I will be careful to live a blameless life.
When will you come to me?
I will walk within my house with a blameless heart. 3 I will set no vile thing before my eyes.
I hate the deeds of faithless men.
They will not cling to me. 4 A perverse heart will be far from me.
I will have nothing to do with evil. 5 I will silence whoever secretly slanders his neighbor.
I won’t tolerate one who is haughty and conceited. 6 My eyes will be on the faithful of the land,
that they may dwell with me.
He who walks in a perfect way,
he will serve me. 7 He who practices deceit won’t dwell within my house.
He who speaks falsehood won’t be established before my eyes. 8 Morning by morning, I will destroy all the wicked of the land;
to cut off all the workers of iniquity from Yahweh’s city.

A Cry in Distress

1021 Hear my prayer, Yahweh!
Let my cry come to you. 2 Don’t hide your face from me in the day of my distress.
Turn your ear to me.
Answer me quickly in the day when I call. 3 For my days consume away like smoke.
My bones are burned as a torch. 4 My heart is blighted like grass, and withered,
for I forget to eat my bread. 5 By reason of the voice of my groaning,
my bones stick to my skin. 6 I am like a pelican of the wilderness.
I have become as an owl of the waste places. 7 I watch, and have become like a sparrow that is alone on the housetop. 8 My enemies reproach me all day.
Those who are mad at me use my name as a curse. 9 For I have eaten ashes like bread,
and mixed my drink with tears, 10 Because of your indignation and your wrath,
for you have taken me up, and thrown me away. 11 My days are like a long shadow.
I have withered like grass.

12 But you, Yahweh, will abide forever;
your renown endures to all generations. 13 You will arise and have mercy on Zion;
for it is time to have pity on her.
Yes, the set time has come. 14 For your servants take pleasure in her stones,
and have pity on her dust. 15 So the nations will fear the name of Yahweh;
all the kings of the earth your glory. 16 For Yahweh has built up Zion.
He has appeared in his glory. 17 He has responded to the prayer of the destitute,
and has not despised their prayer. 18 This will be written for the generation to come.
A people which will be created will praise Yah. 19 For he has looked down from the height of his sanctuary.
From heaven, Yahweh saw the earth; 20 to hear the groans of the prisoner;
to free those who are condemned to death; 21 that men may declare the name of Yahweh in Zion,
and his praise in Jerusalem; 22 when the peoples are gathered together,
the kingdoms, to serve Yahweh.

23 He weakened my strength along the course.
He shortened my days. 24 I said, “My God, don’t take me away in the midst of my days.
Your years are throughout all generations. 25 Of old, you laid the foundation of the earth.
The heavens are the work of your hands. 26 They will perish, but you will endure.
Yes, all of them will wear out like a garment.
You will change them like a cloak, and they will be changed. 27 But you are the same.
Your years will have no end. 28 The children of your servants will continue.
Their seed will be established before you.”