Psalms 94; Psalms 95; Psalms 96; Romans 15:14-33

1 Lord, you are the God who punishes. Since you are the one who punishes, come and show your anger.

2 Judge of the earth, rise up. Pay back proud people for what they have done.

3 Lord, how long will those who are evil be glad? How long will they be full of joy?

4 Proud words pour out of their mouths. All those who do evil are always bragging.

5 Lord, they crush your people. They beat down those who belong to you.

6 They kill outsiders. They kill widows. They murder children whose fathers have died.

7 They say, "The LORD doesn't see what's happening. The God of Jacob doesn't pay any attention to it."

8 You who aren't wise, pay attention. You foolish people, when will you become wise?

9 Does he who made the ear not hear? Does he who formed the eye not see?

10 Does he who corrects nations not punish? Does he who teaches human beings not know anything?

11 The LORD knows what people think. He knows that their thoughts don't amount to anything.

12 Lord, blessed is the man you correct. Blessed is the person you teach from your law.

13 You give him rest from times of trouble, until a pit is dug to trap sinners.

14 The LORD won't say no to his people. He will never desert those who belong to him.

15 He will again judge people in keeping with what is right. All those who have honest hearts will follow the right way.

16 Who will rise up for me against sinful people? Who will stand up for me against those who do evil?

17 Suppose the LORD had not helped me. Then I would soon have been lying quietly in the grave.

18 I said, "My foot is slipping." But Lord, your love kept me from falling.

19 I was very worried. But your comfort brought joy to my heart.

20 Can you have anything to do with rulers who aren't fair? Can those who make laws that cause suffering be friends of yours?

21 They join together against those who do what is right. They sentence to death those who aren't guilty of doing anything wrong.

22 But the LORD has become like a fort to me. My God is my rock. I go to him for safety.

23 He will pay them back for their sins. He will destroy them for their evil acts. The LORD our God will destroy them.

1 Come, let us sing with joy to the Lord. Let us give a loud shout to the Rock who saves us.

2 Let us come to him and give him thanks. Let us praise him with music and song.

3 The LORD is the great God. He is the greatest King. He rules over all of the gods.

4 He owns the deepest parts of the earth. The mountain peaks belong to him.

5 The ocean is his, because he made it. He formed the dry land with his hands.

6 Come, let us bow down and worship him. Let us fall on our knees in front of the LORD our Maker.

7 He is our God. We are the sheep belonging to his flock. We are the people he takes good care of. Listen to his voice today.

8 If you hear it, don't be stubborn as you were at Meribah. Don't be stubborn as you were that day at Massah in the desert.

9 There your people of long ago really put me to the test. They did it even though they had seen what I had done for them.

10 For 40 years I was angry with them. I said, "Their hearts are always going down the wrong path. They do not know how I want them to live."

11 So when I was angry, I took an oath. I said, "They will never enjoy the rest I planned for them."

1 Sing a new song to the Lord. All you people of the earth, sing to the Lord.

2 Sing to the Lord. Praise him. Day after day tell about how he saves us.

3 Tell the nations about his glory. Tell all people about the wonderful things he has done.

4 The LORD is great. He is really worthy of praise. People should have respect for him as the greatest God of all.

5 All of the gods of the nations are like their statues. They can't do anything. But the LORD made the heavens.

6 Glory and majesty are all around him. Strength and glory can be seen in his temple.

7 Praise the Lord, all you nations. Praise the LORD for his glory and strength.

8 Praise the LORD for the glory that belongs to him. Bring an offering and come into the courtyards of his temple.

9 Worship the LORD because of his beauty and holiness. All you people of the earth, tremble when you are with him.

10 Say to the nations, "The LORD rules." The world is firmly set in place. It can't be moved. The LORD will judge the people of the world fairly.

11 Let the heavens be full of joy. Let the earth be glad. Let the ocean and everything in it roar.

12 Let the fields and everything in them be glad. Then all of the trees in the forest will sing with joy.

13 They will sing to the Lord, because he is coming to judge the earth. He will judge the people of the world in keeping with what is right and true.

14 My brothers and sisters, I am sure that you are full of goodness. What you know is complete. You are able to teach one another.

15 I have written to you very boldly about some things. I wanted you to think about them again. The grace of God has allowed me

16 to serve Christ Jesus among those who aren't Jews. My duty as a priest is to preach God's good news. Then the non-Jews will become an offering that pleases God. The Holy Spirit will make the offering holy.

17 Because I belong to Christ Jesus, I can take pride in my work for God.

18 I will not try to speak of anything except what Christ has done through me. He has been leading those who aren't Jews to obey God. He has been doing this by what I have said and done.

19 He has given me power to do signs and miracles. He has given me the power of the Holy Spirit. From Jerusalem all the way around to Illyricum I have finished preaching the good news about Christ.

20 I have always wanted to preach the good news where Christ was not known. I don't want to build on what someone else has started.

21 It is written, "Those who were not told about him will understand. Those who have not heard will know what it all means." (Isaiah 52:15)

22 That's why I have often been kept from coming to you.

23 Now there is no more place for me to work in those areas. For many years I have been longing to see you.

24 So I plan to see you when I go to Spain. I hope to visit you while I am passing through. And I hope you will help me on my journey there. But first I want to enjoy being with you for a while.

25 Now I am on my way to Jerusalem to serve God's people there.

26 The believers in Macedonia and Achaia were pleased to take an offering for those who were poor among God's people in Jerusalem.

27 They were happy to do it. And of course they owe it to them. Those who aren't Jews have shared from the Jews' spiritual blessings. So the non-Jews should share their earthly blessings with the Jews.

28 I want to finish my task. I want to make sure that the poor in Jerusalem have received the offering. Then I will go to Spain. On my way I will visit you.

29 I know that when I come to you, I will come with the full blessing of Christ.

30 Brothers and sisters, I am asking you through the authority of our Lord Jesus Christ to join me in my struggle by praying to God for me. Pray for me with the love the Holy Spirit provides.

31 Pray that I will be saved from those in Judea who do not believe. Pray that my work in Jerusalem will be accepted by God's people there.

32 Then, as God has planned, I will come to you with joy. Together we will be renewed.

33 May the God who gives peace be with you all. Amen.