(Commentary in preparation and will be posted shortly)

 

 

 

Psalm 96

Yahweh, king and judge

Sing a new song to Yahweh!
Sing to Yahweh, all the earth!
Sing to Yahweh, bless his name!

Proclaim his salvation day after day,
declare his glory among the nations,
his marvels to every people!

Great is Yahweh, worthy of all praise,
more awesome than any of the gods.
All the gods of the nations are idols!
It was Yahweh who made the heavens;
in his presence are splendour and majesty,
in his sanctuary power and beauty.

Give to Yahweh, families of nations,
give to Yahweh glory and power,
give to Yahweh the glory due to his name!

Bring an offering and enter his courts,
adore Yahweh in the splendour of his holiness.
Tremble before him, all the earth.

Say among the nations, 'Yahweh is king.'
The world is set firm, it cannot be moved.
He will judge the nations with justice.
Let the heavens rejoice and earth be glad!
Let the sea thunder, and all it holds!
Let the countryside exult, and all that is in it,
and all the trees of the forest cry out for joy,

at Yahweh's approach, for he is coming,
coming to judge the earth;
he will judge the world with saving justice,
and the nations with constancy.

Psalm 97

The triumph of Yahweh

Yahweh is king! Let earth rejoice,
the many isles be glad!
Cloud, black cloud enfolds him,
saving justice and judgement the foundations of his throne.

Fire goes before him,
sets ablaze his enemies all around;
his lightning-flashes light up the world,
the earth sees it and quakes.

The mountains melt like wax,
before the Lord of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his saving justice,
all nations see his glory.

Shame on all who serve images,
who pride themselves on their idols;
bow down to him, all you gods!

Zion hears and is glad,
the daughters of Judah exult,
because of your judgements, Yahweh.

For you are Yahweh,
Most High over all the earth,
far transcending all gods.

Yahweh loves those who hate evil,
he keeps safe his faithful,
rescues them from the clutches of the wicked.

Light dawns for the upright,
and joy for honest hearts.
Rejoice in Yahweh, you who are upright,
praise his unforgettable holiness.

Psalm 98

The judge of the world

Sing a new song to Yahweh,
for he has performed wonders,

his saving power is in his right hand
and his holy arm.

Yahweh has made known his saving power,
revealed his saving justice for the nations to see,
mindful of his faithful love and his constancy
to the House of Israel.

The whole wide world has seen
the saving power of our God.
Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
burst into shouts of joy!

Play to Yahweh on the harp,
to the sound of instruments;
to the sound of trumpet and horn,
acclaim the presence of the King.

Let the sea thunder, and all that it holds,
the world and all who live in it.
Let the rivers clap their hands,
and the mountains shout for joy together,

at Yahweh's approach, for he is coming
to judge the earth;
he will judge the world with saving justice
and the nations with fairness. 

Psalm 99

God, the upright and holy king

Yahweh is king, the peoples tremble;
he is enthroned on the winged creatures, the earth shivers;
Yahweh is great in Zion.

 

He is supreme over all nations;
let them praise your name, great and awesome;
    holy is he and mighty!

 

You are a king who loves justice,
you established honesty, justice and uprightness;
    in Jacob it is you who are active.

 

    Exalt Yahweh our God,
    bow down at his footstool;
        holy is he!

 

Moses and Aaron are among his priests, and Samuel,
calling on his name; they called on Yahweh
    and he answered them.

 

He spoke with them in the pillar of fire,
they obeyed his decrees, the Law he gave them.

 

Yahweh our God, you answered them,
you were a God of forgiveness to them,
    but punished them for their sins.

 

    Exalt Yahweh our God,
    bow down at his holy mountain;
    holy is Yahweh our God!

 

Psalm 100

Invitation to praise

Acclaim Yahweh, all the earth,
serve Yahweh with gladness,
come into his presence with songs of joy!

 

Be sure that Yahweh is God,
he made us, we belong to him,
his people, the flock of his sheepfold.

 

Come within his gates giving thanks,
to his courts singing praise,
give thanks to him and bless his name!

 

For Yahweh is good,
his faithful love is everlasting,
his constancy from age to age.

 

Psalm 101

The ideal ruler

I will sing of faithful love and judgement;
to you, Yahweh, will I make music.
I will go forward in the path of the blameless;
when will you come to me?

 

I will live in purity of heart,
    in my house,
I will not set before my eyes
    anything sordid.

 

I hate those who act crookedly;
    this has no attraction for me.
Let the perverse of heart keep away from me;
    the wicked I disregard.

 

One who secretly slanders a comrade,
    I reduce to silence;
haughty looks, proud heart,
    these I cannot abide.

 

I look to the faithful of the land
    to be my companions,
only those who walk in the paths of the blameless
    shall be my servant.

 

There is no room in my house
    for anyone who practises deceit;
no liars will stand their ground
    where I can see them.

 

Morning after morning I reduce to silence
   all the wicked in the land,
banishing from the city of Yahweh
   all evil-doers.

 

Psalm 102

Prayer in misfortune

Yahweh, hear my prayer,
let my cry for help reach you.
Do not turn away your face from me
when I am in trouble;
bend down and listen to me,
when I call, be quick to answer me!

 

For my days are vanishing like smoke,
my bones burning like an oven;
like grass struck by blight, my heart is withering,
I forget to eat my meals.
From the effort of voicing my groans
my bones stick out through my skin.

 

I am like a desert-owl in the wastes,
a screech-owl among ruins,
I keep vigil and moan
like a lone bird on a roof.
All day long my enemies taunt me,
those who once praised me now use me as a curse.

 

Ashes are the food that I eat,
my drink is mingled with tears,
because of your fury and anger,
since you have raised me up only to cast me away;
 my days are like a fading shadow,
I am withering up like grass.

 

But you, Yahweh, are enthroned for ever,
    each generation in turn remembers you.
Rise up, take pity on Zion!
    the time has come to have mercy on her,
    the moment has come;
for your servants love her very stones,
    are moved to pity by her dust.

 

Then will the nations revere the name of Yahweh,
     and all the kings of the earth your glory;
when Yahweh builds Zion anew,
    he will be seen in his glory;
he will turn to hear the prayer of the destitute,
    and will not treat their prayer with scorn.

 

This shall be put on record for a future generation,
    and a people yet to be born shall praise God:
Yahweh has leaned down from the heights of his sanctuary,
    has looked down from heaven to earth,
to listen to the sighing of the captive,
    and set free those condemned to death,
to proclaim the name of Yahweh in Zion,
    his praise in Jerusalem;
nations will gather together,
    and kingdoms to worship Yahweh.

 

    In my journeying my strength has failed on the way;
    let me know the short time I have left.
    Do not take me away before half my days are done,
    for your years run on from age to age.

 

    Long ago you laid earth's foundations,
    the heavens are the work of your hands.
    They pass away but you remain;
    they all wear out like a garment,
    like outworn clothes you change them;
    but you never alter, and your years never end.

 

    The children of those who serve you will dwell secure,
    and their descendants live on in your presence.

 

Psalm 103

God is love

Bless Yahweh, my soul,
from the depths of my being, his holy name;
bless Yahweh, my soul,
never forget all his acts of kindness.

 

He forgives all your offences,
cures all your diseases,
he redeems your life from the abyss,
crowns you with faithful love and tenderness;

he contents you with good things all your life,
renews your youth like an eagle's.

 

Yahweh acts with uprightness,
with justice to all who are oppressed;
he revealed to Moses his ways,
his great deeds to the children of Israel.

 

Yahweh is tenderness and pity,
slow to anger and rich in faithful love;
his indignation does not last for ever,
nor his resentment remain for all time;
he does not treat us as our sins deserve,
nor repay us as befits our offences.

 

As the height of heaven above earth,
so strong is his faithful love for those who fear him.
As the distance of east from west,
so far from us does he put our faults.

 

As tenderly as a father treats his children,
so Yahweh treats those who fear him;
he knows of what we are made,
he remembers that we are dust.

 

As for humans -- their days are like grass,

they bloom like the wild flowers;
as soon as the wind blows they are gone,

never to be seen there again.

 

But Yahweh's faithful love for those who fear him
is from eternity and for ever;
and his saving justice to their children's children;
 as long as they keep his covenant,
and carefully obey his precepts.

 

Yahweh has fixed his throne in heaven,
his sovereign power rules over all.
Bless Yahweh, all his angels,
mighty warriors who fulfil his commands,
attentive to the sound of his words.

 

Bless Yahweh, all his armies,
servants who fulfil his wishes.
Bless Yahweh, all his works,
in every place where he rules.

 

Bless Yahweh, my soul.

 

Psalm 104

The glories of creation

Bless Yahweh, my soul,
Yahweh, my God, how great you are!
Clothed in majesty and splendour,
wearing the light as a robe!

 

You stretch out the heavens like a tent,
build your palace on the waters above,
making the clouds your chariot,
gliding on the wings of the wind,
appointing the winds your messengers,
flames of fire your servants.

 

You fixed the earth on its foundations,
for ever and ever it shall not be shaken;
you covered it with the deep like a garment,
the waters overtopping the mountains.

 

At your reproof the waters fled,
at the voice of your thunder they sped away,
flowing over mountains, down valleys,
to the place you had fixed for them;
you made a limit they were not to cross,
they were not to return and cover the earth.

 

In the ravines you opened up springs,
running down between the mountains,
supplying water for all the wild beasts;
the wild asses quench their thirst,
on their banks the birds of the air make their nests,
they sing among the leaves.

 

From your high halls you water the mountains,
satisfying the earth with the fruit of your works:
for cattle you make the grass grow,
and for people the plants they need,
to bring forth food from the earth,
and wine to cheer people's hearts,
oil to make their faces glow,
food to make them sturdy of heart.

 

The trees of Yahweh drink their fill,
the cedars of Lebanon which he sowed;
there the birds build their nests,
on the highest branches the stork makes its home;
for the wild goats there are the mountains,
in the crags the coneys find refuge.

 

He made the moon to mark the seasons,
the sun knows when to set.
You bring on darkness, and night falls,
when all the forest beasts roam around;
young lions roar for their prey,
asking God for their food.

 

The sun rises and away they steal,
back to their lairs to lie down,
and people go out to work,
to labour till evening falls.

 

How countless are your works, Yahweh,
all of them made so wisely!
The earth is full of your creatures.

 

Then there is the sea, with its vast expanses
teeming with countless creatures,
creatures both great and small;
there ships pass to and fro,
and Leviathan whom you made to sport with.

 

They all depend upon you,
to feed them when they need it.
You provide the food they gather,
your open hand gives them their fill.

 

Turn away your face and they panic;
take back their breath and they die
and revert to dust.
Send out your breath and life begins;
you renew the face of the earth.

 

Glory to Yahweh for ever!
May Yahweh find joy in his creatures!
At his glance the earth trembles,
at his touch the mountains pour forth smoke.

 

I shall sing to Yahweh all my life,
make music for my God as long as I live.
May my musings be pleasing to him,
for Yahweh gives me joy.
May sinners vanish from the earth,
and the wicked exist no more!

 

Bless Yahweh, my soul.

 

 

Page Load: 574 msec